Imperial Valley press., 1922-03-10
ADVE: TURESS {
'BLUEbEARD'
ARE TOLO
BY WEBB MILLER.
United Press Leased Wire

PABIS, March l0--Thc second phase
of Henri Landru's criminal career,
which astonished Europe and made his
name Synonymous with the tabled
Bluebeard of the Middle Ages, opened
in 1915 and ended in the bare court
room in Versailles in November, 1921,
with his conviction of the murder of
ten of his fiancees and the seventeen
yearold son of the first
The first of the cryptic entries in
the death sarnet' is the name of the
respectable middie-aged widow Cuchet
and the stark inscription 'January Is
one single, one round trip ticket to
Vernouillet. - Madame Chuchet dis
appeared from that day. Investigation
showed that Landru met her through a
matrimonial advertisement that after
a brief courtship she went to live with
him at Vernouillct, under promises of
marriage. Her son, Andre Cuchet, also
disappeared. Part of the furniture be-
i'll the apartment of Landru 8 wife. His
wife and his son sweetheart were
wearing Cuchet's jewelry.
With almost monotonous regularity
the fateful entries in the ''carnet' re-
cur-each marking the final disappear
.ancc of one of his victims.
The second entry is the widow La
bordeLine with the date June. 1915,
and the usual grim Zone single--one
round trip ticket Vernouillet.' She
had announced her engagement to a
+" Monsieur Cuchet' within a, few days
after meeting Landru, who had adopted
the name of his previous victim. Ma
dam Laborde-Line was never seen after
the fatal trip to Vernouillet Villa.
Next on the list was Madam Guillin.
Landru met her August Is and twelve
days later she informed friends she
was preparing for her wedding. Her
wig and lingerie were found in Ian
dru 3 garage.
The fourth was Madam Hcon. q wi.
dow past middle-age. Little is known
of her except that she went to Yer
nouilct and never returned
Madam Collomb December 27..
l9l6-One single, one round-trip Yer
noulllct. Four a. m. J0S7 francs. -
After the usual promises of marriage
Madam CollOmb went with Landru De.
cember 26. The prosecution charged the
-Four a. III. was the hour of the muir
der and the last item the amount OF
money Landru obtained. Articles of
Collomb s clothing were found in Ian
dru s villa.
The sixth "fiancce" was nineteen.
year-old Madeline Babelay. He first
met her i'll the subway. She was cry.
ing, following quarrel with her
mother, and had determined to leave
home. In fatherly way Landru of
fered to aid her. He enticed her TO
Gambais villa on March 30, 1917. The
entry "Babelay-April 12-Four a.
m. was the last ever heard of her.
Her wartime identity card and some
underwear was found in a box at Gam
bals. Landru claimed they were left
as security for money advanced her.
The next entry is ''Widow Buisson-
September ], 1917-10:l5 a. M Ian
dru had been making love to her more
than two years and had written dozens
OF love letters before she finally sue
cumbed to his opportunities Both
she and Landru spent the day before
the fatal date electing her wedding
dress. The inquiry showed Landru
came tack to Paris the same day, alone
to begin his courtship of Madamoisello
SECRET.
Madam Jaume-October &c, 1917-
Three a. M represents the cighthfi-
ance III the death carnet.' She was
intensely religious and had scruples
against living with Landru before mar.
riage He went with her to the Sacred
Heart church and they prayed together.
Her scruples overcome, they made the
fatal trip to Gambas.
The ninth was Madam Pascal. The
police discovered Landru sold her false
teeth for fifteen francs. At the trial
Landru claimed the teeth were his
father S and that " Pascal S teeth were
gold filled and would have brought at
least sixty francs
Madam Pascal had told friends of
the strange fascination of her fiancne $
eyes and related how he once tried to
hypnotizc her. She took to GambaiS
her favorite cat. Its body was found
buried in the garden strangled with
waXed cord.
The tenth and last of the disap.
1oared finances were Thcrcas Mar
chandler. Landlu had proposed to her
upon the second meeting. After bor-
rowing twenty francs from his wife
for cartarc to Gambais, Landru re-.
turned next day and paid $50 francs
in debts. Marchandicr S three pct dogs