davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-04-07
"KINSTEAD' IS
DEDICATED
New State Shelter Home for
Children, Located at
Montpelier.
--
ABOUT 200 PEOPLE
INSPECTED PLACE
---
DR.. Frederick r. Knight of Bos-
ton Was Speaker Last Is
Evening.

DR.. Frederick r. knight, superin-
tendent of the New England home for
little wanderers in Boston, speaking
last evening on work with children be-
fore an audience in the Montpelier high
school auditorium, stated that a childs
mental outfit has as much to do with
his career as any outside influence. Due
to the advance of applied psychology,
experimentation with children need not
be of hit or miss type, he said There
is no conceivable environment in which
children have not done well, DR.. knight
stated, but an unsuitable environment
is not necessarily desirable. Prevention
and diagnosis are the prime factors in
dealing with anti-social conduct in chill
dren, he said.
He was preceded by Secretary w. II.
Jeffrey Of the board of charities and
probation, who gave an outline Of the
work of the board during the past five
years.
The meeting was attended by many
Of those who visited the new state
shelter home. Kinstead, which was Off
cially opened for inspection yesterday
afternoon. Nearly 200 visitors were
registered in the guest book.
The board of charities and probation,
with one member, Thomas Magner of
Burlington, absent, adopted a resolu-
tion concerning Secretary Jeffrey's
work in connection with Kinstead by
unanimous vote. The resolution was
as follows: Resolved: That it is the
Secretary Jeffrey is to be congratulate
ed on the very efficient, thorough and
economical equipment and completion
OF ''Kinstead" and that all his acts and
his splendid interest in this enterprise
have the approval of the board
tSigned) Kirk L, Ellsworth. Florence
r. Cory, Philip r, H. Pierson, A. B.
whitman
The basement of Kinstead includes
large play room with toilet, a potato
bin with a slanting bottom, a cold
room with refrigerator, a laundry con
tanning set tubs, an electric ironer,
ironing and folding boards and an cleo
trio washer, a furnace providing for
steam heat and large coal bin. Some
trouble has been experienced with wa
ter soaking through the concrete floor
and walls, but this can be obviated for
the future, it is expected.
The first floor contains consultation
room, hall, large living room, the !
dining room, kitchen and pantries. In
the living room are hung a picture of
the late w. j. Van Paltcn of Burlng /
ton, presented by his widow, and re-
production of da yinci's painting of
the Virgin and st. Anne, presented
by the Vermont Children's Aid society, /
The dining room has five tables, accom- I
modating different numbers of children
of different ages The tables are fin
ished with white porcelain tops so that
the room will present the appearance
of "child's restaurant" as it actually
will be. The consultation room has
been furnished entirely with the pro-
eeeds Of whist party held by Miss
Florence Cory of the board.
The second floor contains the dor
mitories, for boys and for girls at OPP
posite ends of the building, sewing
room and an isolation room, with sep
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-04-07
REGRETTED ACT;
!. CALLED DOCTOR
Mrs. Evelyn Dulong Took Pois-
on When She Failed to
Find Work.
HER CONDITION
IS NOW SERIOUS
Mrs. Dulong Recently Went to
Boston from New
Hampshire.

Boston, April Mrs. Evelyn Du-
long of Arlington, young woman, was
in serious condition at the City hos
pital to-day as a result Of taking poi
son tablets in room at an uptown ho-
tel After swallowing five tablets she
regretted her act and called for doc
tor.
All the police could learn was that
she had been in New Hampshire and
had come TO Boston looking for work,
and failing to find il became despond-
ent, and took the poison The police
learned that her maiden name was
Dolan and that che has relatives in
Chatham.
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-04-07

arate toilet arrangements for children
at the time they first enter the home,
and before their physical condition il
known. The hall contains closets with
separate lockers for each child's cloth
ing. Clothes trees are provided between
each two beds.
The third floor viii be used for stor-
age. Mrs Charles H. Dana of Montpel-
Ter win have. temporary charge Of the
home as matron.
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-04-07
Your Druggist

Does not keep Pinkham's Compound
He sells it.
During the year 1920, nearly 5000.
900 bottles of this medicine were
shipped from the factory at Lynn
Massachusetts,. There is also branch
in Canada and one in Mexico.
Lydia +. Pinkham's Vegetable Com
pound has the largest sale of any med;
icine for womens ailments. Every day,
more and more women are proving its
worth. Made of selected roots and
herbs, this compound contains no
harmful drugs and can be taken in
safety by any woman.adv.
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-04-07
For Colds, Grip or INF lenza

and as preventive, take Laxative
BRoMO QUININE Tab,c;s. The gen.
uine bears the signature of Il. w,
Grove. tBe cure you get BRONCO. zoe
-Ady
Arizona republican., 1922-02-19
: and we didn't
have a bit of trouble"

You may be sure that the man who make this
statement took the time to have his motor put in thor
oughy good shape before starting on his trip
Nothing is more exasperating to motorist than
to have to limp along on two three cylinders Any
body can tinker with the ignition the carburetor the
timing but more cars are running around with oiling
troubles rafting pstons loose wrstpns and loose bear
ings than from any other trouble combination of
troubles.
We get at the root Of the difficulty and because Of
our knowledge and equipment we fit your pistons
accurately stop your ong trouble and put your motor
be likely to receive.
Don't wait till you need your car Have your work
done today
The Washington times., 1922-09-17
% Cannot Liue"

Il have been absent from Paris
upon my affairs, darling, so pray
pardon my silence. / find that
without you, my dear heart, I can.
not live. My life is dark and full
Of despair now that / have no.
seen you for so long. Your face
Is the sun Of my life. and your
sweet smile the zenith Of my hap
piness. Night and day I languish,
and deep was my sorrow when, on
our last meeting, your bright eyes
brought grief to me. Yet love
changes all to JOY, and IL you low
me / care not what l suffer. Alas.
tonight 1 have to keep a business
appointment" QHe had arranged
to spend the evening with his wife
at home) But on Wednesday al
1 shall expect to call upon you.
Till then each hour passes very
slowly.-Your loving and devoted
Andre"
Andre Charcroix was the name
he had given to Madame Buisson,
and she, like all the other women,
had no doubt fallen in love with
him, and was highly flattered at
receiving the letter just reproduced.
Landru's chief trouble. however,
was how to get rid of the body Of
Madame Collomb. To obtain pos
session Of her money and effects
was an easy matter. He had pre-
pared 1t all. But the method by
which he had effaced the traces
Of Madame Heon had. for certain
reasons, not commended itself 10
him. He felt that It was clumsy
and unworthy of him, therefore.
next day. while at his garage. he
decided to adopt another method.
With that object he bought, at a
shop off the Boulevard de Clichy,
a butchers knife, axe, and saw,
and, further, he purchased OF n
rag and bone dealer two sacks
bearing the well-known name Of a
firm Of sugar.refiners. After
wards he went round to a chemists
for some acid to break down for
his motor accumulators.
II had struck him that II smoke
were seen by any chance passer-by
to issue too frequently at night
from his chimney at Gambais. un-
welcome inquiries might be made,
Just as at Vernouillet. Therefore,
he must resort to yet another
method to remove traces Of his
crime.
Another installment of this
gripping story next Sunday.
The Washington times., 1922-09-17

cares. 1t was better to look for
ward than always have ones
eyes on the past, wasn't it?-espe-
cia.ly II retrospection showed one
to be on the down.grade!
Mrs. Koemmenich believed the
musicians interest in the girl was
that of a teacher for a student, a
good teacher for an exceptionally
fine student, something Of the in.
terest that an artist feels in a dis
covery that does not conflict with
his own fortunes.
Vera played the part Of a slave
girl in "Aphrodite, the slave girl
whose physical attraction. en-.
hanced by the sensuality Of an
Oriental dance. proved one Of the
features Of the pageant.
GOSSIP GETS BUSY.
When "Aphrodite" came In from
the road Vera called often at the
Koemmenich apartment and Mrs.
The Washington times., 1922-09-17
His Fatal Clasp

Landru put his ready arms
about her-that fatal clasp which
other women had known. but had
not lived to reveal. His was an
embrace of death.
MY darling" he whispered in
his fierce. passionate way, his
silken beard upon her dainty chin
when their lips met. Here I
welcome you. Here we meet never
to part"
But that night the body and
soul Of the poor deluded woman
parted four hours after she had
eaten from a big and expensive
box OF chocolates which he pro-
duced.
He stood beside her chair. and
watched her agony without NOV
ing. She begged for . drink Of
water-bcing consumed by thirst
but the fiend only smiled and re-
fused.
At last her life slowiy sbbed. she
The Washington times., 1922-09-17
Unboited the Door

Moreover, had he not the grim
and gruesome evidence OF his lat.
est crime concealed there In the
dining-room?
who is there?" he repeated.
Tell me-or I shall not open the
door,"
We've run out Of petrol,
m'sieur," replied a mans high
pitched, rather effeminate voice.
Can you let us have some? We
see you have a garage"
Landru breathed again.
For a few seconds he could not
move. But was 1t only a ruse to
obtain admittance? Warily he at
last unbolted the door, and open.
ing it. found two men in heavy
overcoats, the elder of whom ex-
planned that they were on their
way from Maintenon to Nantes to
fetch a doctor for the wife OF his
companion, and when between
Maulette and The Hermitage"
their petrol had run out.
do let us have can" he
begged. 1T may be a matter of
life or death"
Quickly Landru, closing the
front door securely, conducted the
pair round TO the garage, gave
them a tin Of petrol, and was
much relieved when they left with
1t, as the car was standing motion
less half-a.mile along the road.
Then he returned to the room
In which his victim lay dead. He
had taken the life Of yet another
woman. His callousness was In.
deed appalling.
He stood for fully 10 minutes
The Washington times., 1922-09-17

Her mother is returning from Eu-
rope, unaware Of her daughters
death, and while Vera lay uncon-
scious in the hospital, DR.. Koem-
menich was fretting himself III in
his apartment.
On the morning Of her death he
asked repeatedly II a letter had
come for him. He telephoned re.
peatedly. Finally Mrs. Kommen.
ich and Irma went out for the eve
ming and the musician telephoned
again. He must have learned then
Of Vera's death for the first time.
He locked the outer door, closed
the inner doors and arranged for
his own death, deliberately and
dispassionateiy. And Mrs. Kosm.
.menich said afteri
The Washington times., 1922-09-17

musician, and again Vera came to
him. Irmr Koemmenich spoke to
the dancer then. Irma said:
II did not upbraid her. I point.
ed out the disparity of their ages.
and I asked her to let my father
alone"
Miss Lehman answered that she
had tried to, that she had sought
employment outside the city; but
she added:
THE LAST RESORT.
when l say l intend to leave
he threatens to commit suicide.
What can l do7"
Two days afterward Vera, at
the end OF her earthly resources,
sought to find an answer In death,
The Washington times., 1922-09-17

quote "the other woman" concern.
ing her own discretion, but she
went bravely on with the story:
Every day after that she sen:
him flowers during his illness. They
saw much of each other after that.
I saw 1t was useless to try further
to end the affair.
WIFE HOPED ON.
MY husband and I had been
married thirty-six years. We had
three children. I could only wait
and hope that his reason would
return to him."
But It did not.-assuredly not in
the sense that Mrs. KoemmenIch
desired. A week ago DR.. Koem-
menich drank a second dose Of
veronal-again the drug that Vera
ultimately used in her desperate at.
tempt to find a way out. Again
Miss Lehman was sent for by the
family as the doctors revived the
The Washington times., 1922-09-17
The Loves of Landru

motionless, looking at the dead.
distorted face. Then, lifting the
body by placing his hands be-
meath the arms, he dragged 1t
along the passage to the garden
door and across to a small
brick-built outhouse, one of a
range on the left Of the
garden next to the well.housc.
There, by the light Of an electric
torch, he covered the body with
some old sacks and straw, and
afterwards locked the door and
placed the key in his pocket.
He threw himself upon his bed.
dressed just as he was. until
o'clock in the morning. when hc
rose, made himself some coffee,
and in the pelting rain drove in
his car back to Paris.
The cool brutality of the man is
clearly shown by a letter which.
later that same day, he wrote to
yet another victim he had marked
down-Madame Buisson.
He had not seen her for several
weeks. and now that he was rid
of Madame Collomb, he thought it
high time to resume her acquaint-
tance. In the course of the letter,
which is still preserved in the dos.
sier, "Bluebeard" wrote:
The Washington times., 1922-09-17
Continued From Page 81

Continued From Page 81
protected by a grille Of orna-
mental ironwork in the French
style.
Within the hall he quickly lit a
lamp, and soon his visitor realized
how extremely snug and com.
Portable was the house. indeed.
quite a charming country villa, its
only objection being it's complete
isolation. a fact Of which his COM
panion was in complete ignorance.
Not three weeks before. Madame
Heon had crossed that threshold
never to return, and now he had
already entrapped a second victim.
within himself Landru was de.
lighted at his success. His pas
sionate outpourings Of love. seem
ingly so heartfelt. were 30 won
derfully well.feigned that they de-
ceived every woman. Truly, Henri
Landru, alias Freminet. was a
perfect lover.
His fiancee's small handbag he
carried up to that same well-fur-
nished room in which, twenty
days before. Madame Heon had
expired. and invited her to make
herself at home while he lit up
the lamps below.
The Washington times., 1922-09-17
Could Eat Nothing

Il hope you will excuse the
absence Of my servant" he said
apologetically. ''Shalf we have
some supper"
Madame Collomb declared that
she could eat nothing. therefore
he descended, and put lights in the
e-a.manger and salon, rooms
situated on each side OF the en-.
trance hall.
When his victim came down,
she found the salle-a .manger
bright with flowers. Upon the
center Of the dining table stood a
large pot Of growing yellow
narcissi, while on a table near the
window was a pot of forced
Roman hyacinths. purchased a few
days before from a florist in Hou-
dan. The great criminal knew
that most women love flowers,
hence he always made pretense
Of the same prediction for
natures beauties. He fed the
birds, too. and all women were
struck by his humanitarian in
stincts, and therefore they trusted
him.
When the widow Of the Vene-
zuelan merchant entered the
dining room, she found II alluring-
ly arranged. and she sank upon a
leather covered couch, drawn up
before the open log fire which her
fiance had Just lit.
The Washington times., 1922-09-17
His First Suspicion

Strangers were at the door Of
The Hermitage" at Gambais at
the unusual hour Of o'clock in
the morning-at the door Of a
lonely house where in the dining
room lay the body Of a woman
lured from Paris and poisoned by
her smiling host!
Again the electric bell rang
sharply through the house, and as,
no doubt. the light shone upon the
blind, Landru saw that he could
not pretend the house to be un-
tenanted.
Was 1t the police? was Landru's
first suspicion. Had he blundered
in some small matter, and they
had followed his victim there?
He cursed his luck between his
teeth, but next second summoned
courage to meet whatever contre-
temps had occurred. He closed the
door of the dining room, where the
dead woman lay dishevelled and
inert, and went along the tiled
hall to the front door.
who is there" he demanded
angrily. In his pocket was fully
charged Browning pistol. which he
kept ready to use II cornered by
the police.
For a few moments there was
no response. a fact which increased
the assassin's suspicious. Visitors
at 3 o'clock in the morning are
not of usual occurrence.
The Washington times., 1922-09-17

sighed. fell inert, and all the light
died from her flushed distorted
countenance.
1t was 3 o'clock in the morning.
The great assassin stood for a
few seconds regarding his devils
work, when. Of a sudden, he heard
heavy footsteps upon the gravel
outside; mems whispered voices;
and the electric door-bell rang!
Standing beside the body Of the
woman he had murdered. he re-
mained rigid and breathless!
The Washington times., 1922-09-17

found that solved both mysteries
simultaneously.
1t was just a note. scra~led on a
bit OF memorandum paper. but IL II
had been many times as lengthy 1t
could scarcely have let in more
light. 1t was found beside DR..
koemmenich's body. unsigned, but
unmistakably in his handwriting.
and 1t read:
Just received word that Vera
committed suicide. This being a
great loss to me. there is nothing
else left for me to do"
Vera, Of course. was Vera OF
"Aphrodite," whom he had met
when he conducted the road com.
pany Of that big spectacle. He
wrote from the provinces to his
family about her. notes Of frank
admiration for the girls voice,
words Of praise for her dancing.
Himself. having slipped from the
heights, II was as though he sought
to regain prestige through develop
ing the young woman's ability. for
he wrote once:
"She has a sweet voice. she's
pretty and I am going to give her
vocal instruction"
INFATUATION BEGINS.
But he instructed her in more
than the art of singing. His letters
home were tinged with happiness
that had not been his in years, and
always he mentioned Vera, the
dancer who was to become a great
singer. Mrs. Koemmenich. after
the authorities showed her the sui
ctde's note. told about her hus-
bands infatuation, simply, direct
ly. neither excusing nor condemn.
ing him.
At first, she said. she had been
pleased that he found something tc
tighten the work Of conducting the
orchestra OF a road show, for that
would take his mind off his own
The Washington times., 1922-09-17
SAME MEANS TO
SAME END.

In Flower Hospital,
whence she was hurried in
an ambulance, the doctors
spent four days fighting
for her life. Every antidote
known to science was used
to combat the poison.
Every other means was en-
ployed. From the begin
ming they felt it was a
hopeless fight, the girl was
40 far gone, but the fight
went on until the last faint
heartbeat was felt. Vera
never recovered conscious
pess.
She left no written mes
sage. She had told her fam
ily nothing of her intention.
Yet it was clear that there
was no accident in her
death. Little was SAID or
it. The police passed it on
as an unsolved mystery.
Thirteen hours later Louis Kosm-
menich died in a similar manner.
They found him unconscious IN
the kitchen Of his apartment at
p57 West Ninety first street, about
two miles from where Vera sought
death successfully. His wife and
daughter were visiting friends.
He undressed, put on his pajamas,
stretched a silk quilt on the floor,
laid a pillow at one end. then
turned on four gas cocks and lay
down quietly.
The janitress smelled the gas
and opened the door with her pass
key. When she saw the body she
telephoned for the police and an
ambulance. Again the physicians
struggled to renew the spark Of
life in him. They used pulmo-
tor, that delicate device designed
to expel gas from the lungs and
pump pure air into its place care
fully. For hours they worked,
raising and lowering the arms as
the machine click.clicked softly
and the air bag rose and tell-but
Louis Koemmenich was beyond
recall.
ROMANCE CONCEALED.
Mrs. Koemmenich collapsed
when she returned. She said there
was no reason in the world why
her husband should attempt sui
eide. He had passed through ad.
versity, she conceded. for he was
a German and true to the Teuton
national tradition, but things had
been looking up for him and he had.
seemed in the finest of spirits-so
she said.
1rma. tearfully, added that her
fathers finances were excellent,
his health Of the best. and he had
been joyous the week before when
he learned that his first grandchild
had been born. Nobody spoke Of
the dead dancer, Vera, and the sec.
ond suicide also was about to pass
on to the list Of unsolved problems
of domestic life, when q clue was
The Washington times., 1922-09-17
HIS NOTE
EXPLAINS
TRAGEDY
Former Oratorio Com
ductor Had Fallen
to Low Estate Be-
cause of Slave Girl
of "Aphrodite"- "-He
Had Tried i'm Vain
to Break Off Their
Affair.
NEW YORK, Sept. 9.

"uENE was no way LII
life out Of the prob
l. lem that faced Louis
Koemmenich and Vera Leh-
man, no answer to their
endless questionings, no
hope of happiness held out
to them. So each independ-
emily of the other, decided
to die, and they did die in
a similar manner-apart.
It was as odd an infatu-
alton as may we'll be con-
ceived. He, fifty-five, burn
ed out by adversely, fallen
from the high pinnacle OF
the dictatorship Of the
Oratorio Society to the low
level of welding the baton
over an orchestra in a
musical show on the road.
She, twenty-five, beautl-
full, on the verge of a career
that promised much. He,
married, with grown chill
dren and a grandchild.
She, unwed, devoted wholly
to music-and to him!
Vera Lehman, the Vera
d'Artella of the stage, the
dancer whose work in "Aph-
rodite" made her known
overnight-Vera died first.
They found her unconscious
on the floor of a room in
the rear Of her mothers
frock shop at No. 249 West
Forty-second street, with a
vial of veronal half-emptied
beside her.
The Washington times., 1922-09-17
MUSICIAN
ENSLAVED
BY BEAUTY
Every Anti d e
Known to Science
Was Used by Hos
pital Staff to Save
Life of Hapless s
Girl, but She Never
Regained ed Com
sciousneSS.

leader Of one Of the largest choral.
societies in the city. Previously
he had been director Of the Junge
Maennerchor of Philadelphia. the
singing society which won the
kaiser's prize for three years in
succession under the spell of his
baton. So II was no mere subter-
fuge when he said he could teach
Vera Lehman to sing!
For three years he held the Ora
torio conductorship and then the
war swept him Off that platform
and into musical comedy and other
fields. The double suicide is
really one of the fragments Of the
wars wreckage, the flinging Of
two mutually attracted persons
from far different planes into the
same area-but the war can
scarcely be blamed for everything!
The Washington times., 1922-09-17

Roemmenich began to get un.
easy, especially as bits of gossip
were brought to the threshold OF
her home. And. IS she ex.
planned:
People began to talk. be-
gan to realize that the harmless
relationship Of pupil and music
master had been succeeded by
infatuation. So forbade Miss
Lehman to- call on Mr.. Koemme.
Mich when I was not at home"
But this mattered moi at all in
the end. They saw each other
frequently and the affair de-
veloped in intensity. Whether
Vera realized It and tried to break
off the bond is only conjecturable
now. But she did tell Mrs.
Koemmenich that she would not
see the musician any more. II she
could help 10.
FIRST SUICIDAL ATTEMPT.
Presumably Vera made an effort
to break away from the infatua-
ton. 1t came out, in support of
this theory. that last March Irma
the musicians daughter. came
home one afternoon to find that
her father had taken veronal, tn,
same poison that finally killed
Vera. and was near death.
Mrs. Koemmenich took up the
tale there. saying:
I'VE sent for Vera Lehman a:
that time. She sat by my hus-
bands side for three hours and
held his hand. remained all the
time In the room. Once I heard
her say to him:
Your wife Is so discreet, isn't
she?'
1t wasn't easy for Mrs. Koem-
menich to tell about that day or to