The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-17
Mime. Caillaux, Incensed By
Publications Against Her
Husband Fires Four Bullets
Into Calmette.
PROVE FATAL
AFTER A FEW HOURS
Bitter Political Fight Waged
By Paper Against Former
Premier of France Reaches
Climax With Killing Of It's
Leader.

-
PARIS, March ls.--Mme. Caillaux,
wife OF NJ. Joseph Callaux. minister
of finance. and at ont time premier,
fired five shots at CASTOR calmette. di-
rector of the Figaro. in the office OF
that paper AT 6:25 this evening. Four
of the bullets took effect. and NJ.
CaImette was removed to private
hospital at Neuilly, where he died to-
night.
The shooting was the result Of q
letter written by NJ. Cailiaux to his
mistress. which NJ. Calmette published
last week in the course of his cam
paign against NJ. Callaux. Nine. Call
leux, VINO was formerly the wife OF
l. /, Claretie. the well-known writer
and lecturer, and contributor to near
ly all the daily papers and magazines,
was locked UP in Saint Lazaire prison.
where women of the lower clsss are
sent. Mime. Caillaux Is the second wife
of the minister of finance.
About 8 o'clock in the afterno IN =
woman. dressed in black. entered the
Office of the Figaro, and sent In her
card to NJ. Calmette. She paced up
and down the reception room in an
excited manner for about an hour.
Shortly after O'Clock NJ. Calmette,
accompanied by Paul Bourget, the
author of "Cosmopolis." crossed the
ante chamber The woman arose and
handed him her visiting card After
Bourget: at is Nine. Callaux: ] must
receive her %ss
Received Her In Once.
He invited Nine. Caillaux into his
private office. and they had been there
but a few minutes when I'VE shots
rang out in quick succession. An OF
fee boy seized Nine. Caillaux and
arrived Nine. Caillaux arose and said
quietly:
MY automobile is awaiting your
disposal"
She was taken to the police station.
where her husband had just arrived.
and after being interrogated there. was
conveyeS lin an automobile to st.
Lazaire prison. M. Aristide BRAND,
former premier. was among the first
to arrive. He shook hands cordially
with his political enemy, M. Caillaux,
who is expected to tender hts resigna-
ton because of the shooting.
The official account of the shooting
given by the commissary of police IN
the Rue de Faubourg Mont Matre.
where Mime. Caillaux was taken after
f1er arrest. says Nine. Caillaux exElatn-
ed that she had been deeply hurt by
M, Calmette's publication of FAC.
simile letter from her husband to q
woman. She was afraid that more
of these letters were in existence and
sought some means to prevent their
puhlication-~ She consulted an au=-
thority in regard to what steps she
should take.
This authority. presumably the min
lister of justice, told her that nothinG
could be done. He told her that all
prominent men were liable to such
attacks, espec: ally before elections.
Even il she brought NJ. Calmette be-
fore the Arises, the result was not
likely to be satisfactory. Nine, Call
laux continued.
No attempt At Escape.
knowing that other letters might
appear, / determined that 1t must
cease I bought revolver and went
to the office of the Figaro, and In
sisted on being received when u.
Calmette received me. and asked the
object of my visit. / SAID: You must
know that 1t is not to say bon Jour,
and then / fred"
After the shooting Nine. Caiilaux
made no attempt to escape. She hand
ed the revolver to one OF the Fisaro1
attendants. who summoned the Pts
lice. The latter saluted most politely
when they found that she was the wife
Of a minister.
M. Calmette was taken from the OF
Ace OF the Figaro to a private hospital
at Neuilly, the same one where Will
liam F. McCoonbs was operated upon
for appendicitis AT 10 O'Clock this
evening 1t was reported that ne Was
bearing up we'll. and that no opera
ton would be performed before morn
ing. An hour later he died
The commissary of police gave N.
Calmettes wounds as two bullets IN
the lungs. one in the breast. and one
in the shoulder.
Was Aroused By Letter.
Thes bitter political struggle be-
premier and four times minister Of
finance. and CASTOR Calmette, director
OF the Figaro. has held the rapf al
tention Of Parisians for several
months Calmette, trenchant
writer, and skill politician. made
many charges OF graft against M.s
Cail,aux, but Caillaux, confident ana
calm. defended himself with emphatic
denials.
While many persons were incaine0
to believe that there was something IN
the charges made against the minM1er
Of finance. they were forced 70 a1mak
that Calmette had failed to prCvN
them. and that in his efforts 90 onve
Caillaux from politics. he had pron~A
ably overstepped himself Then caxAe
the letter which Caillaux ApparentiN
had written to an intimate wo4mM
friend.
II was published fzc simile IN ~
Figaro, arousing Mmc. CAallaux 4s
make her attack on -. CAlmee4e E
The underlying cR1se Of ~ 81
that reached climax IN thu 1a00 ~
was rhe warm personal M I'D
between NJ. Calmete and Ne Al
the last premier whom - A