The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-11
Verdict of Not Proven Guilty Is
Already Rendered
BY the Paris Public in the
Steinheil Trial.
STATE HAS FAILED
To Make a Case Against the
Notorious "Red Widow
Rests Its Case and Evidence for
Defense Begins.

Paris. Nov. 1.-THE state this after
noon rested its case against Nine.
steinheil, accused of numbering her
husband, Adolphe Steinheil and her
etepmother, Nine. Japy. The defense
at once began questioning it's wit
nesses.
The popular opinion is that the
prosecution has not made out a case
against the prisoner and that she will
lie acquitted
Just as the prosecution was closing,
the prisoner renewed the implied
threat she had several times made to
broach scandal that would involve per-
sons of high standing, but again, as on
the previous occasions, Judge De
Valles,s invitation to proceed with her
revelations was met with silence.
MY past contains interesting chap
ters,'' she cried
Judge De Wales promptly and stern
~ replied:
You are at perfect liberty to say
anything you please
Nine. Steinheil, however, went no
1urther and the governments case was
declared closed.
The first witness introduced by the
cefense was a chauffeur, who testified
Nine. Steinheil gave him 81 for trying
to locate the blue automobile which
was reported to have been seen in
0
en- the evening~of the crime
This testimony was intended to show
mat Nine. Steinheil as anxious to dis
cover the identity of the assassins
Argument for the State
Trouard Riolle opened his argument
tor the state by warning the jury not
10 be Swayed by the public opinion
utside the court which for 1 8 months
has been absorbed in the case, or con-
founded by the conflicting statements
submitted to them. He insisted their
| first duty was to weigh the decisions of
Judge De Wales, who had sifted i'm
| iartially an enormous amount of evil
dence, constituting $500 documents
and examined 80 witnesses, ten of
whom were experts.
The advocate dealt severely with the
accused, laying as the foundation of
his case against her the exhibition of
what he called her reticence con-
| tradictions and lies. While admitting
the physical charms and mental at
| tainments of the prisoner the judge
advocate insisted that her whole life
had been perverted and sensuous. He
painted pathetic picture of the
Steinheil home claiming that the hus-
band had held his silence amid the
shame for the sake of their daugh-
ter. He declared Nine. SteinheiFs
love affair with Maurice Borderel, the
merchant, was discovered by the hus-
band and that this precipitated the
murders. He described Marietta
Wolf, the cook, who testified for the
defense in repugnant terms, conclud-
ing:
with such a lieutenant, a woman
might undertake any DEEDS
Case Near the End
Paris, Nov. 11--When the trial OF
Mime. Steinheil was resumed today, 2C
witnesses remained to be heard. If the
progress made in the past week is con-
tinued, the famous case will soon be
determined.
After the proceedings of yesterday,
during which little real evidence against
the accused was developed became
known to the public. the popular i'm
preston that the real mystery was be-
ing buried under an extricable mass of
Irevarication was strengthened. Today
the consensus Of opinion in Paris is that
the court has failed to deevlop any ma
terial evidence against Nine. Steinheil
and that the jury must acquit her of
the charge of having murdered her hus-
band and stepmother.
The accused woman appeared quite
exhausted physically as she took her
place in the court room today. She
listened listlessly to the testimony Of