The New York herald., 1921-03-06


TO have lived together as husband and wife
in a small Paris hotel. December 5. 1915,
Landru and Nine. Heon purchased the fatal
return trip and single trip tickets, the former
for Landru and the latter for his victim, who
would have no further need for railroads
and apparently contented installed them
selves at Gambais.
After a few days Nine. Heon was seen no
more. Landru explained that she had re-
turned to her home at Marseilles-but dur
ing a single week he burned half ton of
coal in his new kitchen stove, and residents
OF Gambais now recall that 1t was about this
time that they were disturbed by the odor
of burning flesh which invariably accom-
panied the appearance OF tiny tendris of
smoke from Landru's chimneys.
Landru's next successful adventure into the
realm OF demi- official matrimony was with
Nine. Anna Moreau Collomb, who acknowl-
edged having turned forty five summers, but
who. friends insist, nearly ten years
older Widow OF a silk merchant in Mar
seilles, Landru became acquainted with her
AZ the result Of his well worded advertise
ment In May, 1915, but 1t was not until nine
teen months later that he began to assume
the role Of an ardent wooer.
Christmas eve, 1915, was spent at Gam
oais by the apparently happy pair Christ
mas morning Nine. Collomb visited her
mother. Nine. Moreau, in Paris, but
mained there only one day. promising to re-
turn the following week to complete ar
rangements for her marriage to Landru. She
was seen at Gambais on the 27th, shortly
before noon.
Registered in His Notebook
Hour of Victims Death
Landru's notebook reveals what happened.
One round trip ticket and one single ticket
were purchased in Paris the 26th. Meat
for two persons was purchased by Mime. Col
lomb shortly before noon. In the evening
Landru returned to Paris-alonei But not
before he had carefully entered In his ac-
counts a item-"4 T.. M."-and added
5.0S7 francs to his purse, this corresponding
to the amount Nine. Collomb had withdrawn
from the Paris Compton dEscompte three
days before. For the first--but not the last
time in criminal history a murderer pos
sessed by mania for accuracy, actually
registered the hour of his victims death.
and, with his hands still stained with blood
calmly noted the amount of his profits
The next victim of Landru's inexplicabe
passion n girl of 19 years. Mile. Babe
lay. a household servant for a fortune teller
in the rue de Beieville Paris. Absolutely
without means her death could not have
advanced that during a visit to Gambais
she discovered the real nature of her lovers
past associations, and in order to prevent
betrayal met the death which had already
been meted out to at least six Of her sex.
on March 30. 1917 the fatal journey TO
Gambais occurred. For a few days Mile.
Babeay was noticed working in Landru-
Fremyets garden or riding an old bicycle
about the country roads.
ON April l2 I,andru after receiving two
loads OF firewood and noting the cost in his
diary. departed by n late night train for
Paris-alone. Mile Babeiay was never seen
again. either by the villagers OF Gambais or
her parents and friends In Paris.
But Landru's diary for the fatal day car
ries another entry which Is circumstantial
enough 10 sway any jury's decision. In the
customary right hand corner Is again writ
ten "A r. M."--the hour of his new crime
The unfortunate girls relatives identified
several photographs and personal trinkets
found in Landru's desk as having belonged
to the little housemaid
Hardly had Mile. Babelay passed out OF
his life when Landru returned to Gambais
accompanied by new widow, Mime. Buis-
son, who possessed fortune OF about $4,000
francs.
On August 6. 1917. after months OF per
suasion that she trust her fortune to him
and become his mistress at Gambais. ex-
planning his two years absence by visit 10
Tunis on Improbable commercial affairs
Landru succeeded In vanauishing all the
Widows doubts. She drew her savings from
a Paris bank and moved her most valuable
articles OF furniture to the Gambais cottage
Several brief visits to Paris followed, and on
August IL the inevitable return trip and
single" railroad tickets appear In Landru's
careful register OF expenses the couple leev-
ING far Gan1haia nj the 1ath.
She never returned-but under the date
Of September 4, 1917. Landru entered, as I'm
the case of his previous fiancees, the hour
when the crime Is supposed to have been
committed-10.15 A. NJ, and another unmis-
taxable entry of ,031 francs obtained from
the sale OF Mime. Buissons few securities and
furniture.
One OF these securities could not be ne
gotiated however. without the appearance
OF Nine. Buisson, and Landru, always ready
TO meet difficult situation, turned to his
legitimate wife, who. in spite OF their separa-