Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-23
|[MEYREDA'S DEATH
NOW Being PR0BED
alse Question in French Senate
Concerning Probability of
Prisoners Murder.
ED ON TREASON CHARGE
xperts Find Evidence of Strang-
ulation. Despite Claims of
Natural Death.
ED ON TREASON CHARGE
BY II. G. WALES, JR.


Paris, September 22.-Did Miguel
meyreda kill himself. or was he done
death In his cell in tho Fresnes
ison. where he was held to answer
charge OF treason? Senator Georges
emenceau. former Premier of France.
publicly announced his intention
asking this question at the next
invocation of the Senate this month.
The mysterious death of AImeyreda,
nerwise known as Bonaventure Vigo.
notorious director OF the Bonnet
puge' a Socialist publication with
arked pacifist tendencies. is occupy
the French press in a manner in
aich no editor has figured since the
sassination OF CASTOR Calmette, cdi-
OF the Figaro. by Madame Caillaux.
In brief the facts are these: Follow
the arrest at tho Swiss frontier of
OF his assistants, a certain Duval.
the discovery Of a check for $780,
.. supposedly of German origin. and
spected OF being part of the funds
pplicd by Germany for the spreading
peace propaganda. Almeyreda was
ken Into custody. but only after Sem
or Clcmenceau had denounced him
pm the rostrum Of the Senate, as
ell as Louis Malvy. Minister OF tho
terror. whom the ex-Premicr accused
being lax in the performance of his
ty.
Almeyreda took his arrest calmly,
d Is said to have expressed his con-
ence to his friends that he would
on be at liberty. He was known to
We been an intimate friend OF Ialvy.
HON he addressed with the familiar
Fench pronoun OF "tu." a few days
ter he was found dead in his cell
te prison doctor declared he hat died
hemoptosis. or hemorrhage, re-
Ting from the bursting OF an artery
d flooding OF the lungs with blood
be doctor also declared he had been
tn the prisoner during his last mo-
ents and that 1t was impossible for
m to have committed suicide. His
atements were borne out by prison
hard who declared Almeyreda had
led from natural causes.
JsPICIOuS MARKS FOUND
on BODY BY SPECIALISTS
Three outside specialists were called
to- examine the-body. They discov-
ed suspicious marks about the neck.
ID. as result of an autopsy. at first
ated that the prisoner had been
= tangled. Despite the prison doctors
scrtion to the contrary, the special
Is gave 1t as their view that the
itor had been strangled by means OF
fine cord. The prison doctor MAIN
Inns
uld not have committed suicide, but
e specialists fitted the shoelaces OF
Q deceased into the furrow on tts
It side OF his neck. and found they
rrespond exactly with the marks in
e flesh. The guard then admitted
at Almeyreda had tried suicide" by
cans OF his shoelaces.
The question OF how shoelaces came
be In his cell was Immediately do
anded by the whole of the Paris
% ress. because one of the elementary
: lies of French prisons is-that immedi-
ely after an arrest is made. the cap
We is deprived Of his ,shoelaces. sus-
.nders. cravat and any other means
which he might attempt to commit
icide. A strict examination into the
hole affair was ordered made by
enc Viviani. Minister OF Justice. who
accompanied Marshal Joffre on his trip
the United States. The discovery
as then made that some one had
ed, and that before his death Almey-
ida had been able to ask for some
arpes and a pot Of jam. These were
ven to him by the guard. The prison
octor, 1t seems was not present dur
& the last moments Of the deceased.
,spite his report, which had been GER
fed by the chief doctor Of the prison.
alter developments showed that the
BIT of jam given the dying man con-
lined q morphine syringe and vial
the drug. to the use of which Al
&eyreda was addicted.
An examination of the contents Of
ne jam jar to determine whether or
ot there was poison in the conflture
self has just been ordered by Minister
tyiani. Prior to the disclosure of
ne liam and grapes" incident, the
,ree experts had made a report as a
,sult of their autopsy performed on
"a body, in which they stated that
ley had found the deceased suffering
,om .'suppurated peritonitis and acute
ppendicitis from which death might
lave resulted at any moment"
RUIsEs MADE BY STRUGGLE
OF MAN BEING sTRANGLED
The doctors further stated that af-
n having carefully examined the
fuiscd incsion made by the cord in
,e left side Of the neck and the ecchy-
kosis of the entire left side of the
ody they had come to the conclu-
on that 1.-The ecchymosis or bruising
the left side OF the body correspond
the involuntary commissions of a
.rangling man.
That the knotted shoelaces OF the de-
sased fitted exactly into the abrasion
the neck; that the laces being Of
ouble plated strength. consequently
extraordinary resistance. and almost
ew, had been broken asunder by force
nd not cut by an instrument; that
1e shoelaces had been discovered at
,ched to bar OF the prisoners bed,
,e support having given a little UNI
er a strain that broke the varntsh
,ereon, but despite having been
krangled In this manner the dying