Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-01-16
NINE. LEBAUDY SAYS
SHE SHOT HUSBAND
Staying Climaxes Career of Ec-
centric Millionaire, Emperor
of Sahara"

and killed her husband. jacques La
baudy. known as emperor of the Sa-
hara' as he entered her home, Phoenix
Lodge, here last night, according to a
statement issued by Mr.. Weeks tonight.
"Yest I shot him." Mr.. Weeks quoted
her as saying. He had been threat
ening my life for Is years and l couldn't
stand 1t any longer"
Mr.. Weeks said he would place the case
before the Nassau county grand jury
tomorrow, calling probably as the first
witness Madame L~ebaudy's 15-year-old
daughter, ~Jacquelin, who first notified the
authorities of the shooting. Coroner
Jones has fed Wednesday as the day
fxor the inquest.
Constable Charles O'Connor of West
bury, who questioned Madame Lebaudy
for more than an hour, reported to Mr..
Weeks that she had admitted to him also
that she fired the five shots.
The constable said Madame Lebaudy
declared her husband deserved it" and
predicted she would be acquitted like
Mrs. Carman and Mrs. Desaulles."
Minnie Wiediner, Madame Lebaudy's
nurse. told officials that after the shoot
ing Madame Lebaudy returned to her
room, threw herself on the bed, and,
reaching out, dropped something" in
the drawer of her dresser, exclaiming:
God will never forgive me-" A revolver
containing five empty shells later was
found in this drawer.
The story of L~ebaudy's arrival at the
home in which he was unwelcome was
told by the Lebaudy cook, who said that
Lebaudy burst in" through the kitchen
door,, carrying a can of kerosene oil in
one hand and a black grip in the other.
About G1-a r,iputnc 1otar che eaiJ che
heard the shots and running into the
main hall. saw Lebaudy lying at the foot
Of the grand case. Madame Lebaudy.
she said. was slowly ascending the
stairs, She did not see a revolver in
her mistress hand, she said, and had
heard no struggle or quarrel prior to the
shooting.
Jacqueline, she said, came to the
head of the stairs and asked her mother
what was the noise?' Madame Lee
baudy. she said. responded, Don't
worry. dear, just go to you room"
During the day curious crowds
gathered about Phoenix Lodge and
through these passed Mrs. Charles De
Saulles. sister-in-law if Mrs. Blanca
Desaulles, who shot and killed her
husband, John Longer Desaulles in her
home the Box" which adjoins Phoenix
l%ouSS. VII beSdulltS eHleTGu Ine
Lebaudy home and, according to guards,
spent more than an hour with Madame
Lebaudy, who remained in bed under
the constant care of physicians
throughout the day.
Indications that there will be a bit
ter court fight over Lebaudy's estate
were given to-day when Lebaudy's at
torney issued a long statement hint
ing at a hidden motive" for the shoot
ing and denying IAN impression that
Mr.. Lebaudy was insane.
The erstwhile Emperor of the Sahara"
who in 1903 established a "Kingdom" on
an unclaimed stretch Of coast in South
Africa was eccentric, he said. but al
ways clear-minded."
He was one of the best authorities in
the world on mining affairs the state
ment said. He had an aacute mind for
financial aaffairs and was a yer kind
hearted man. His greatest trouble in
Nassau county was the continued poster
ing of him by petty officials of the county.
They called him eccentric because they
did not understand his views.
Little Jacquelin approached Sheriff Sea-
man in her home this afternoon and asked
him "What have you done with my IA
there" When he told her that the body
had been removed to a morgue, the girl
broke down and cried so bitterly that
she had to be assisted to her room.
Jacques Lebaudy, known as the EN-
peror of Sahara" a wealthy man and
the son of the French sugar king
was shot and killed Saturday night at
THE Lodge" at Westbury. L. l., which
is only a short distance from THE Box
where Mrs. Blanca de Baulles shot and
killed her husband, John Longer de
Saulles. more than a year ago.
Lebaudy played an international COM
edy in 1903, when he set out with an
armed expedition and claimed sovereign
ity over 1856 miles of African seaboard
between Cape Bojador and Cape Judy
and declared the coast and the hinter-
land to be his own personal country,
assuming the title of the emperor of
Sahara" This territory was partly
under Spanish influence and partly under
French. 1t caused a serious misunder-
standing on the part of Spain, but this
was quickly settled when France ousted
the s~clf-appointed monarch and abolished
his realm.
Lebaudy's difficulties with his native
country led to his coming here. In spite
of his eccentricities, he established a
reputation for shrewdness. and added to
his already large wealth. He made a
practice of buying non-dividend paying
stocks at low levels. He made sensa-
tional profits on some of these pur-
chases, notably in a plunge in Erie,
which he bought at 10 when Morgan and
Hartman were interesting themselves ir
the property, and later sold at 80. lie
made more than $1,000, 900 on this deal
according to report.