Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-13
[By Associated Press.l


PARIS. Nov. 12.-Many well-dressed,
stylish women managed to gain en-
trance to the gloomy, sitting court
room today to hear the concluding ar
guments in the trial of Nine. Steinheil'
The accused woman, deathly pale
walked unaided to her seat, but her
step. was mechanical and her arms
hung Imply at her sidei When she
had taken her place she sat with low
cred eyes, like one in dream.
Beginning with the words, I'VE VIII
live again the tragic night" Trouard
Riolle, who had opened his summing
up for the prosecution. in cold, dlspas-
sionate words undertook to reconstruct
the scenes in the Steinheil home on
the night of the tragedy and the morn
ing following. He marshaled the tes-
timony of the witnesses to establish
his contention that the burglar story
was a fabrication and the pretended
binding of Nine. Steinheil farce; that
the money claimed to have been stolen
never existed, and that the jewels
which the widow asserted had been
taken from the house were found att
erward in her possession.
M. Riolle dwelt particularly on the
telltale ink stains which the two phy-
sicians who examined the injuries Of
on her knee.
The prosecutor claimed that during
the binding of Nine. Japy an ink stand
in her room had been overturned, the
fluid being spattered on the bedding
and on the accused.
Says Illness Was Sham
He insisted the evidence proved the
apparent illness of the accused after
the commission of the crime had been
simulated and that subsequent devel-
opments confirmed the suspicion she
had acted with hypocrisy throughout.
1t was when the police had definitely
rejected her story of the gaberdine-
clad burglars and she saw her sweet
heart, Borderet, slipping from her pc
cause the mystery was unsolved, the
prosecutor said, that Nine. Stelnheil
in desperation began to accuse inno-
cent persons. He added:
she wished to avoid the possibility
of a nonsuit in her favor, because
such an outcome of the case would not
satisfy Borderet, and so, unhesitating-
ly, she placed the accusing pearl in
the pocket of her servant, Remy Couil-
lard"
As the acknowledgement proceeded
he became increasingly severe in his
denunciation of the prisoner and fire.
quently murmurs of dissent came from
those in the court room.
AS she heard herself described as a
cold, calculating fiend with a soft ex-
terror, Nine. Steinheil bit her lips and
raised her clinched hands in mute pro-
test. At the conclusion of his descrip-
tion of the night scene. when the
widow made her alleged false state
ments to the journalist, the prosecutor
shouted:
"she can't tell the truth, because she
is guilty"
Explains Stopping of Clock
During his argument M. Trourard
Riolle undertook to account for the
stopping of the clock in the Steinheil
home after the murder, advancing the
theory that Nine. Steinheil, in her
anguish, could not endure the ticking.
An expert testified during the trial
that the clock had been stopped by
hand as it was being wound up.
The argument of M. Trourard
Riolle left the impression the testi-
mony on which it was based was too
conflicting and that his presumptions
were too precise, leaving him vulner-
able to his antagonist, NJ Aubin.
Throughout the day Nine. Steinheil
seemed terribly depressed. Not once
did she interrupt the proceedings,
though frequently she showed signs of
anger Wnen the prosecutor mace OulouS
insinuations against her. 1t is under
stood that at the conclusion of M.
Aubin's address, Nine. Steinheil in
tends to adress the jury in her own
behalf This would make a dramatic
climax, and it is expected would have
powerful influence on the jury.
| Two things must be remembered in
connection with a French verdict.
First, the majority vote prevails, the
foreman of the jury having two votes
| If there be a tie; second, the jurors are
not confined but are permitted to re-
turn to their homes at night when
they are subjected to possible influence
of their wives. 1t is notorious that
| whereas a majority of the men here
favor the acquittal of Nine Steinheil,
the women almost unanimously believe
she is guilty.
Nine. Steinheil is being deluged with
| letters of every character many of
them containing offers of marriage if
she is acquitted. Enterprising the
atrical managers are trying to arrange
for her immediate appearance on the
stage after release. Nine. Steinheil is
said to have thrown these letters away
in a rage.
Railroad Attorney Resigns