New Britain herald., 1930-12-12
PASSION DEFENSE
 LEAVES JURY COLD
Paris Court Turns On Woman
 Who Slew Her Lover
By MINOTT SAUNDERS

By MlNOTT SAUNDERS
 Paris, Dec. 12-After two score women slayer. have gone free or es- capped with very light sentences in the Paris courts on the plea of crime of passion" during the past few months, jury of men has act ed with sternness and sent an ele- gant midde-aged killer to 20 years of hard labor
 Mime. Fabre Bulle, dignified, fash ionably dressed wife of wealthy clock maker, used all her feminine wiles in the dock to win the sym- pathy of the court. but she had con- mitted a horrible double murder and her method was harsh and premedi- tated. The usual appeal of having been swept away by love fell flat.
 Evidece showed that this woman, at the age of 4S, bought q revolver and took lessons in marksmanship before she set to work on her vic- tins.
 A curious aspect of the case was the fact that for 20 years Mime. Fabre Bulle had been loyal, faith ful wife. The impulse for filtration came to her while riding in sub- way. She was then 43, and she made the acquaintance of Joseph Merle, well-to-do business man who was 12 years her junior. They fell in love and the woman desert ed her husband. although Merle told her that he was living with Julliard, a sweetheart of 49.
 Killed for Love
 When the new love failed to de- feat the old. Mime. Fabre Bulle sought to outshine her rival by moving into the Merle household. This went on for some time, with both women seeking favor without any apparent advantage. Finally, with determined cruelty, the new conner shot and killed Merle while he was asleep. and then turned her fire on her rival
 He promised to break with her and he had begged me to divorce my husband" said Mme. Fabre Bulle when she. was asked in court for an explanation of her act. She kept her head bowed, but tried to use her attractive eyes with mourn ful effect, though her attitude dur ing the trial was one of patient boredom. Some women slayers had put it over and she, with wealth and distinction. seemed to feel se- cure. After describing the double killing she said:
 "Why should I say any more since no one will believe me? I tried to kill myself but the trigger was caught and nothing happened. wandered about the place not know ing what to do next"
 Husband Testified
 Evidence showed that she had fled to her husbands home, but she could not arouse the servants. Scan- tily dressed, she wandered about the woods during the night. and in the morning stumbled into a police station, barefoot and tired Medical evidence revealed that both victims might have been saved if an alarm had been given in time. This gave the fair accused a chance to fall in a faint.
 When the husband was called 10 te stand he begged the court to try to understand him. He said:
 T am overwhelmed, but l must emphasize that for 20 years thls unfortunate woman was a devoted and respectable wife. What happen ed? What mysterious force dragged her into this guilt? It is mystery.
 ,'I am divorced now. She IS only . stranger to me. What she old was so unbelievable. so difficult to understand. She was the last per son in the world I would have ex- pected to enact such a tragedy She herself closed the door to her home and never opened it again.
 The jury deliberated for less than an hour and found the woman guilty on every point raised. They agreed to "extenuatins circum- stances which saved her from sentence of cath. In addition. she vas fined o2o.ooo francs, which will go to relatives of her victims.
 When she heard the verdict. Mime. Fabre Bulle tainted again, but this time, she did d very serious job Of it.