The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1914-03-27
INSIDE STORY OF
CALMETTE CASE
Dramatic FOrerunnerS Of the
Tragedy In Paris.
AMAZING CHAIN OF EVENTS.

mar He Subsequently Divorced Full
of Cynical Comment.
In the Washington Post appears
what the writer, @. #. Bertell, de-
clares to be a full and accurate ac-
count of the amazing chain Of events
which eliminated in the assassination
of CASTOR Calmette, the Paris editor,
by Nine. Caillaux.
$50 intricate Is the plot" says the
writer, that for the reader to compre-
bend 1t it is necessary first to sketch
the dramatis personae.
Joseph Caillaux, finance minister.
former premier, aged fifty-one, ford,
bald, small, with restless eyes. a
square jaw and a despotic nature. he'd
a ~skyrocket career. He rose quickly
to a high place in the government of
his country.
Louis Barthou, able statesman, for
mer premier, under whose administra-
| ton the three year military law was
passed as a reply to Germany's in
| crease Of ornaments. He was a bitter
| political opponent of Caillaux.
castor Calmette, intimate friend of
Prince Victor Napoleon, pretender to
the French throne, owed his prominent
position as the editor OF a leading Par
Is newspaper to his marriage to Mile.
Presta, daughter Of the president of
the Figaro company. whom he secret
ly divorced recently. Calmette, a bril-
liant polemist, who waged the bitter
est campaign against Caillaux known
In French public life since the Dreyfus
affair, was a ~sentimentalist at heart.
a white man.
Mime. Caillaux No. 2, beautiful, of
wealthy and cultured parents, Is the
former wife of Leo Claretie. Figaro's
literary critic, from whom she was di-
vorced to marry Caillaux in 1911.
"A handsome woman, the third wo-
man who has stood between Caillaux
and Calmette, was formerly a close
friend of the present Nine. Caillaux.
She is the wife Of a distinguished play
wright, a tall brunette, with the ele-
gance of a Parisienne and the ~vivacity
OF In American girl.
"In 1880 a divorce took place between
an obscure couple. Nine. X.,' blessed
with what is known as fatal beauty
always inspired and liked mems ad-
miration. Her successes as a beauti-
full and smart woman are a byword in
Paris. She was thirty-two years old.
Mime. Calmette, nee Presta. was for
a long time an inmate of a private hos
pital. Mime. Dupre, C%aillaux's first
wife, divorced Dupre In order to mar
ry the minister. Jules Dupre was
the son of a famous painter. and he
thrice held a clerkship at $500 a year
at the ministry Of fine arts. The same
year Cailaux became finance minister
and shortly afterward married Nine.
Dupre, whose former husband imme-
diateiy prospered and Is o filing an
important position under the ministry
Of finance at S4,253 salary.
I'm this epoch Caillaux developed a
fondness for writing letters, his beset-
ting sin. His volatile nature betrayed
him into making cynical remarks
about prominent politicians. including
those OF his own party and to whom
he owed his position.
These comments as well as his own
intimate ideas about current politics
he was in the habit Of committing to
writing in long letters to his wife and
women friends.
when he met the present Nine.
Caillaux, then the wife Of Leo Cla-
retie, he fell I'm love with her at first
sight For awhile he correspondent
with her and 500 decided to obtain
a divorce. The proceedings were be-
gun; but, as Caillaux didn't propose
to pay his wife any alimony. she used
the convincing argument afforded by
a bundle of letters written to her and
other women containing evidence dam
aging to his political career.
Damaging Letters Photographed.
During these negotiations these let
tiers were confided by Nine. Caillaux
No. to one Of her literary %acquaint-
ances, with a view to their arrange
ment for publication, and thus, 1t Is
understood. passed through the hands
Of several persons. during which proc
ess they We're photographed.
For. when Caillaux finally yielded
to his wife's demands for $4,000 a
year alimony. he regained possession
Of the original letters. But photo
graphic copies remained In other hands.
and 1t was precisely extracts from
one of these letters which Calmette
published In the Figaro and which was
the direct cause Of the tragedy. For
some years the friendship between
Caillaux and Nine. Claretie went OF
smoothly and Caillaux's political i'm
portance grew daily.
"At this time Nine. Claretie's great
est friend was Mime. x, who ever then
was on intimate terms of friendship
with CASTOR Calmette. Meanwhile
Claretie agreed to a divorce and i'm
mediately the decree was made abso-
lutte In 1911.
"Caillaux was then premier OF
Franco tn tho general aStOnishment