Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-12-25
WILL REDUCE DRINKING PLACES
Almost Half a Million Scattered
Through France.
SENATE DEBATING THE ISSUE
American Blue Jackets Have the
Right-Of-Way in Paris.
OUR TARs SURPRISE THE FRENCH
strike of Artists on the Funny Papers
of Paris u the Latest Diversion,
but Murders and Mysteries
Are ON Tap.
BY PAIL YII.I.IERs-

/ = RAUL ' ALlsAEthc.
! PARIS, Dec. 24-(speciaI to The Beef
For the time being the fight against re-
ligion has been dropped and French
statesmen are devoung their attention to
the liquor question. They have been COM
PEELED to do something TO allay religious
excitement and with that promise in view
they have buckled down to the task Of
reducing the number OF drinking places,
which is fast approaching the $4,000 mark
throughout the country.
The French senate is now considering a
bill for the limitation and control OF pub
! lie houses. There were thirty years ago
as many as $4,000 cabarets In this city
and the provinces, but the figure is now
close on $4,000 with an average of one
per eighty inhabitants, or one for thirty
grown-up men. Roubaix, as a matter OF
fact, contains one public house for every
thirty-six persons.
! AS NJ. Guerin pointed out In the debate,
everyone Acknowledged that the num-
/ Der of the cabarets had grown excessive
owing to the unlimited freedom granted
by the law of 1880. Statistics showed that
many men from the departments in which
alcoholism was most prevalent could not
/ be admitted to service with the colors
or had to be sent home pending their
return after a while for another medical
examination. The figure in the Seine In
ferieure was % per cent. Alcoholism pro-
crossed with the number Of the cabarets
Another senator maintained that alcohol
was also taken at home. 1T is not the
workman alone who is addicted to alcohol
but the wife and the children as WELL"
he said.
American Sailors Welcomed.
American blue Jackets have had the
right of way here and this is what a
leading Partisan paper says Of them:
Tall, alert and bony, they go along
the boulevards and mix with the crowds
At first sight one might take them for
French sailors but their stature surprises
us and also their smooth faces. Their
caps are like. those of our sailors only
somewhat flatter. These sailors are de-
lighted with the French capital AS for
the ParIsians, they admire the visitors
bearing, their quiet and reserved man
ners, which does not debar them from
knowing how to get along, a quality that
the sailors OF both republics have to an
eminent degree. We are happy to meet
them everywhere and are sure that they
will not have a better time elsewhere
than here"
Crime and Mystery.
A terrible crime committed recently at
the vilayet of Points de &c, near Anglers.
recalling In some details the famous
Gouffe- Bompard murder. 1t is supposed
that the victim, whose identity has not
yet been established, was enticed into
the house of a man named Delhumeau,
and there done 20 death, with the as
sistance Of the latter's mistress The as
sassin appears to have made every effort
70 render the dead man unacceptable
by shaving him and then slashing his
face. The most extraordinary part Of the
crime is the way in which he tried TO
dispose of the body. Instead OF throwing
1t into the Marine or hiding it in the
neighborhood, as he might easily have
done. the murderer appears to have de-
liberately made difficulties for himself and
invited discovery by pushing the body on
a wheelbarrow right through the most
populous part Of Anglers while a fair was
in progress, stopping for drinks on the
way. The unexpected arrival Of two sol
diers as he was apparently about to throw
the body from a bridge caused him TO
abandon his CHASTITY burden and take to
flight
1t is rumored that the deceased was
German banker, who had had business
relations with Delhumeau.
Funny Picture Men strike.
The misery OF the humOrist who Ia
compelled TO be funny in order to carr |
bread is illustrated by the strike Of ar.
lists working for our humorous journals |
The artists are headed by Adolphe Will |
lette, the famous black-and- white artist, |
and the strike Is directed against the |
editor Of a humorous pape-, who organ !
ID 40 7
Humoristes." held in the Champs Eysees /
Al a large meeting held in a Montmartre /
cafe the artist decided to boycott the /
Salon and establish an exhibition OF their 1
own. NJ Willette said to me: OF course /
we shall have some black legs against .
US; strike could not go on without |
them. But il you only knew the misery /
OF some in our profession-hOw many |
amusing drawings, witty phrases, light (
hearted pleasantries they have to produce /
in order to get just enough money to /
prevent themselves and their dependents 1
from starving"
Captain Msynier Arrested.
The arrest OF Captain Meynier, officer .
In the French army, for the alleged muir
der OF the Baroness d'Ambricour, was ef-
fected a few days ago. The case Is the /
most remarkable France has had in years.
The baroness was the divorced wife OF
notable French nobleman and the captain .
was paying attentions to her. When the
baroness body was found poisoned in
hotel IN the Rue de Rome Captain Mey-
nier had disappeared. He was arrested
In the ministry OF marine For thirteen
days he had been wandering about the
country A few days ago a man with
muddy overcoat buttoned up to his neck
presented himself az the ministry The
visitor when asked for his name refused
10 give H. Thereupon the attendant said
he could not announce him. 80 much
the worse for me" said the stranger. and
handed a card 10 the attendant who
read 10 his stupefaction ths name Of
Captain Meynier.