Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-12-09
WEE GIRL USED
TO AID CHOPPING
OF OWN FATHER
GrewsOme Tale Comes From
Paris Wherein Man Kills
BenefactOr.

PARIS, Dec. 9-'He did not love his
country, but, on the contrary, was al
ways full Of praise for the Germans"
was the only excuse Esteelle John could
ind when, together with her lover,
Charles Burger. she was brought before
examining magistrates on the charge Of
numbering her husband and helping TO
cut up the body, throwing parts of it
into the river and burying the remainder
in a park outside Paris.
The husband. Ernest JOHN. was en-
ployed at the Grand Hotel here as first
floor waiter and had been for some ten
years. Two years ago, a vacancy having
occurred on the same floor, John intro.
duced one Of his friends, Charles Burger,
to the management, and he was given
Job. Burger having no home, John Of
fered to share his with Burger and his
little girl, Madeleine, aged 6. Burger
was widOwer. and intimate relations
soon developed between him and Johns
wife. Conversations in the household
often drifted to the war Burger had
served as a private and was wounded.
JOHN EyADEs
SERVICE.
John had done everything possible to
eyade military service and was not very
armies. The two men would often come
very near to an exchange Of blows.
Burger, furthermore, was envious Of
Johns position at the Grand Hotel,
where he was well liked by the manage
ment and patrons. He had succeeded in
saving up some 10000 francs. Burger
knew this, as did his mistress, and they
planned what they would do had they
such an amount.
From then on Burger thought only
Of various ways Of getting this money.
He could not induce John to part with
IL with a view to investing it What he
considered was his chance came one
night, however, when a more than usually
heated discussion took place between the
two men. Matters went so far that Bur
ger, exasrerated, picked up a knife from
the table and stabbed John TO death
This happened in the presence Of the lat
ter's wife, while the little girl played in
the adjoining room. Losing no time as
to how they should get rid OF the body.
Burger suggested to his mistress that
they cut 1t up. Clearing the dining
room table, they put Johns body on it,
and, while Burger went out after a saw
Nine. John prepared sackings.
CHILD EMPLOYED
IN CRIME.
As soon as Burger returned they set to
their CHASTITY task. witnessed only By lit
tie Madeleine, too Mortified to say any
thing. That same night, at midnight, the
three left their fat, each carrying a
bundle containing. one the headless body
Of the victim, the others an arm each, and
made for the nearest bridge, where the
remains were thrown into the river. The
next day Burger and his accomplish, still
accompanied by little Madeleine, car
rying a child's spade, left for the Clamart
wood, bearing with them, In two separate
sackings, the head and legs OF their vic
tim. Madeleine was told how to dig a
large hole with her tiny spade, and when
this was done Burger gathered up the
sackings, put them in the hole and COW
Grad them.
A few weeks later the trunk was found
some twelve miles out Of Paris in the
river, and the next day the arms ap-
peared. 1t was not till eighteen months
after that the murderers were found and,
with them, the head and legs. for they
led the police authorities to the spot
where the latter had been buried.
Burger, when asked about the crime,
threw most OF the blame on the woman
and Immediately denied her story that
she had had nothing to do with the
crime, being in an adjoining room while
Burger cut NJ the body.