The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-11-06
First Witness for Prosecu- tion, Her Former Valet, Contradicts Most Import ant Statement He Made After the Crime.
Madame Steinheil Directed Her Counsel in the Exam ination and at Times Made Telling Points in Cues tioning the Witness Her self.
Especial from United Press.)

Paris, Nov. Madame Marguerite
 Steinheil, the effect of three days. on
 the rack of French inquisitorial jus
 tice stamped on the mask of wax-like
 pallor that fails to hide the beauty
 that won for her a high place in
 French political lifeJ today faced an
 ordeal worse than even the batting.
 bullying storm of questions. accusa-
 tions and invective that President of
 the Court De valles and Prosecutor
 General and other members of the
 court poured at her until she collapsed
 at the end of her examination yester- day. There are S7 witnesses to be called in the trial of Madame Stein hell and as each of these tells his story the point where it conflicts with the woman's tale will be taken up by the court Witnesses and judges are all against her.
 Today's session opened with a vic tory for the woman however. The first witness was Remy Couillard, valet of Monsieur Steinheil, who discovered Madame Steinheil gagged and bound to her daughters bed ard who was later falsely accused by Madame Stein hell of the killing of her husband and mother. Couillard's testimony today showed startling inconsistencies with the story told by him after the crime. Questioned by the court he said to- day that when he found Madame Steinheil the morning after the mur- ders she lay at full length on the bed. her hands closely tied and croGsed on the breast of her nightgown, light ropes thrown over the ankles. These ropes he said, were loosely tied about the frame at the foot of the bed
 When Couillard concluded this des- cription Maitre Aubin, counsel for Ma dame Steinheil read the witness state ment made shortly after the crime In -Aa4~ r-ers1 was bound tightly to the bed with heavy cords, passing under the bed Her body. he said. was nude to the throat where her night gown had been tightly knotted. Her hands were held above her head by cords which bound of the bed The position described in Couillard's first statement procluded any possibility that the woman could have bound herself to the bed
 Aubin confused Couillard effectively by pointing out this divergence and the witness endeavored to evade the point by swearing he had never made the statement The statement. however. was produced and Identified
 Madame Steinheil directed Aubin In his examination At times she ques- toned the witness herself
 While Couillard fioundered in a mass of detail with which he tried 10 justify the difference in his statements, Ma dame 7Steinheil with consumate art made a move which gained her further sympathy with the jury. She bent a look of deep humid contrition on the witness and in a clear low voice begged hisspardon for the trouble which he had been caused by her ac- cusation that he murdered M- Stein hell and Mme- Japy- Her voice broke as she described the emotion that | pearl in Couiuard's pocketbook, and | accuse him of stealing it. This dis concerted Couillard. who, already bad | y mixed in his testimony, slammed:
 "I ask for no apology now All I | wish is to see justice done" He was | then excused and the deposition of M. | Lecoq who is now in America, read | Lecoq was the first man to answer | -ouiliard's cries when the crime was His testimony differs ma md he says Mme. Steinheil was bound in her bed. bearing out Couil- ards former statement brought out ,y Attorney Aubin- The 1anitor of the vas then called and questioned regard ng the illness of Madame Steinheil on he morning of the crime which the authorities claim simulated. He said hat there was no doubt that the ac- used was really i'll, after the bodies ,f her husband and mother were found.
 While nearly all Paris today is will ng to believe Madame Steinheil guilty here is not a person who believes she will be convicted. She is keenly alive O the situation and lawyers declare f must terminate either in a complete reedict of acquittal or guilty
 Madame Steinheil. with the guillo- inc ever before her, is putting every ota of wit, emotion and art at1her command into use in her defense. She dearly outpointed the judges and pros cutors in her three day battle of wits hat marked her examination The ques- ion being asked today is not. "Is the Red Widow guilty or not" but 'Wfl he beauty of the dramatic actress out ay the legal logic of the courts in a