Evening star., 1921-11-07
.LANDRU ON TRIAL
FOR Il MURDERS
"BIuebeard" Arraigned To-
day at Versailles, France,
to Face Accusers.
BY the Associated Press.

VERSAILLES. November 7.-Cour'
officials gathered here today. for the
opening in the Sein-et -Oise assizes
.. of the trial of Henri Desire Landru
the "Bluebeard of Gambais." who Il
charged with eleven murders. Ter
!, of his alleged victims were womer
to whom he is said to have promised
marriage, and the eleventh the sor
of one of them. He is alleged to have
burned his victi,ns' bodies.
NJ. Moro-Giafferi, who defended
former Premier Joseph Caillaux and
former Senator Charles Humbert at
their sensational trials, will appear
in behalf Of Landru, Prosecuting At
torney Godefroi conducting the case
for the people. Judge Gilbert OF
Versailles will preside.
The case has attracted greater
attention than any other criminal
case in the annals of Frenchs courts.
In Prison Two and n Half Years.
Landru was arrested in April, 1919
and has spent his time for the past
two and a half years in answering
or evaling questions of the police:
the investigating magistrate ana
other court officials as to the fate
of his eleven fiances. He has proved
most stubborn as we'll as very
clever prisoner. and the police admit
that their case against him is not
as strong as they should like it to
be.
The so-called Bluebeard rented a
small villa at Gambais. a few miles
from Paris, and it is there that the
police charge he did away with the
eleven women, all trace of whom has
been absolutely lost. 1t is alleged
that he advertised in various matrl-
monial agency papers and chose
from the letters received those signed
by women with a little property anu
no near relatives.
A short courtship would follow
then a journey to the Gambrais villa
in the company of the fiance. Tho
accusation says that Landru always
returned alone. The police claim to
have proof that women were seen
to enter the villa. but none was heard
of afterward. A few weeks later
jewelry the women possessed woult
be sold.
Few Bones Discovered.
The villa at Gambais has been
searched, ransacked, practically de-
molished by the police in an effort
to find the remains of the missing
women. A few bones were found
some hair, but not enough to form
a corpus delicti." rabbit and NUT
ton bones." says Landru. why don't
you bring your former fiances
forward?" asks the judge.
How can / when you keep me in
Jail for years." counters Landau. IF
you and your hundreds of detectives
cannot locate them. how can I?'
a dark-visaged man. with shining
bald head and long black whiskers.
Eandru has become a familiar figur'
by impersonations on the stage. He
is already under sentence of five
years Imprisonment for forgery
growing out of one of the cases where
murder is also charged.
Jury Quickly Chosen.
Within half an hour after court
convened the jury had been selected.
accepted and sworn in. and the actual
trial had begun. The Indictment for
murder on eleven counts was read,
as well as fifteen charges for forgery
and swindling.
Landru was pale and haggard from
his thirty-ope months of detention aS
he entered the courtroom. but he ap-
peared self-possessed and calm. He
had pleaded illness early this morn
ing. but the court physician pro-
nounced him able to attend the hear
ing.
Upon the governments motion. it
was decided to select one supple
mentary judge and two Suppiemen- :
tary jurors, who should act i'll case of
sickness,