Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1910-02-04
BY BYRON MILIETT.

BY BYRON MILLETT.
The recent trial of Madam Stein.
he'll, known as THE Red Widow"
before the French Assizc court at
Paris. for the murder of her hus-
band and her step-mother by poison
ing, caused considerable comment
throughout this country, as well as
among all English-speaking peoples.
Murder by poison is not by any
means of rare occurrence. but the pc
culiar methods employed by the
trial-court and Attorney General to
entrap the prisoner, and thus pro-
cure from her damaging admissions,
are so different from the procedure
in such cases in English and Ameri-
can Jurisprudence, it caused many Sc
we're comments in the press and
among leading lawyers of both coun-
tries.
The accused was acquitted, after a
strenuous trial. prompted on abate-
ment of interest and discussion on
the part of the general public. while
many of our lawyers were impressed
with the idea that France, by per-
hitting such inquisitorial practices
in behalf of the prosecution and by
the President of the Court, is be-
hind the age in which we live, and a
change of methods in this respect
will rebound greatly to the credit Of
the Republic that has had such a
strenuous and spotted experience in
her political and economic struggles.
The details of this remarkable trial,
as furnished by the press dispatches,
were somewhat parallel to the great
murder trial of Madame Lafarge at
Tulle, France, in 1940, which was the
sensation of European countries at
that time. The accused Marie Ca
pelle, was born at Paris in 1916,
amidst favorable surroundings. Both
of her parents died when she was a
child, and she was brought up by her
uncle, NJ. de Carat, who was one of
the directors of the Bank of France.
In her young womanhOod, she formed
close friendship with Mile Nicolai.
who became the wife of NJ. de Leo
taud. Marie Capelle visited the we'd
ded pair. 1t SO happened that lady
relative of the husband was at his
home, expecting soon to be married
and her wedding trousseau was in
the house. which formed the princi-
pal topic of conversation among the
fair guests present.. One day, Ma
dame de Leotaud exhibited her own
diamonds, that they might be CON-
pared with the jewels of the bride to
be. then placed them back in her
bedroom, from which they suddenly
disappeared. Though the most
thorough search was instituted, the
diamonds were not found. Miss Ca
peIle returned to her uncle's house
and there remained until she mar
ried NJ. Lafarge, the proprietor OF
the iron works at Chandler. The
couple became acquainted through
the medium of matrimonial agent.
The wedding took place in July,
1889, and while the pair were on the
road leading to the home of the
groom, violent quarrel took place
between them. She thought she was
going to abide in an elegant and pre-
tentious mansion, but found the
structure was dilapidated, located in
lonely valley amidst sombre timber
which added to the gloom of the
bride. Shortly after her arrival and
having entered her apartments, she
wrote her husband letter in which
she claimed her marriage was intoler.
able, threatening to destroy herself
After this outburst of passionate
grief, she appeared to have become
reconciled to her marriage. La
farge's mother and sister also resided
with his family. In December. 1899
business called the husband to Paris
During his absence Madame Lafarge
purchased arsenic, claiming she de-
sired the drug for the purpose Ol
poisoning rats that infested the