Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1932-04-14
EISTORY'S
MYSTERIES
The Death of the Duches. of
Praslin


/ THE stage setting for this murder,
: one Of the most remarkable In the
annals OF crime. was such that any
writer Of detective fiction would reyel
In it--as we'll as In the strange cir
cumstances which came to light during
| the trials that ensued and the wide
spread rumors that still greater mys-
terry lay hidden Just below the SUR
face.
Even In the scandal-laden gossip OF
Paris the duke and duchess Of pras-
lin were repufed to be extremely happy
In their marital relations and appar-
emily not a cloud had married their
nineteen years of married life. during
which they had been blessed by nine
children. Both the duke and his wife
were the possessors of large and In
fuential fortunes and there was moth.
Ing which either had desired which
had not been Immediately forthcoming
However, one morning In August.
lS47. persons who were passing the
Praslln mansion on the Rue Saint
Honore. heard fearful screams coming
from room on the second floor and.
when the police hurst In. they found
the servants covering back from the
open door Of the duchess bed cham
Der where even curs0ry glance
showed that n frightful struggle had
taken place. Smears of blood were
over practically every piece of furni-
ture. The bed Ind been overturned.
One chair had been smashed to pieces
and. In the center OF the room was
the dead body Of the duchess, blood
gushing from five open wounds. any
one OF which would have been sum-
cient To cause her death.
Hardly had the significance of the
scene made itself apparent to the |
servants and the nuice when they |
were amazed to see the duke OF Pras- |
lin, dressed with his usual metricnl. |
GUS care, stroll down the hall and |
heard him inquire casually as to the |
cause OF the connection When told !
that his wife had been murdered, the |
duke gave orders that the family ply
stefan was to he summoned immedi-
ately and he then retired to his room
where, according to the subsequent
testimony OF his valet he gave way to
paroyvsm OF grief Later, when
questioned by the police. the duke de-
clared that he had not heard his wife's
screams and maintained that the first
he had learned of the crime was when
he had inquired OF the servants as to
what had happened. He admitted,
however, that pistol discovered In
the dead woman's room had belonged
to him, but he stated that 1t had dis
appeared some weeks previously and
that he had not seen 1t since
These statements the police COM
hated by producing bood-staIned
dressing gown which they had found
In closet In the dukes apartments,
together with Il dagger and n small
sword, both OF which were covered ,
with blood. and completed the frame ,
work Of their theory by recovering +
rom the fireplace Of the dukes sitting I
'oom the half-hnrned fragments OF let. |
ers from the duchess protesting
against the intimacy which she charged +
md been going on for some time be- I
Ween the duke and Nile Deluzv, gov J
,rness to some Of the younger prasln '
'hildren. Here, the detectives main :
aimed, were not only the weapons :
With which the crime had been com r
nitted, but the motive rs well. and n r
variant was Immediately issued for &
he arrest Of the duke. v
Before this could be served how. C
yer, his grace swallowed a large dose j
T poison, but his trial was instantly n
instituted before a hastily assembled =
lry which convened in the bed cham =
er of the accused man. In the midst :,
the proceedings. the duke OF Pras- o
n Is reported to have shrieked. II q
m not guilty-before God. I am not p
nlltyW and to have fallen over dead. w
ut, andy here Is where the second
ystery makes its appearance, 1t was j..
ihSiy btilfstH llldL ITd>1iH never -
l0k poison and that the whole affair q
as part Of a pre-arranged plot to 8
I've the nobleman from the gallows. -
hose who adhere to this theory claim -
at the duke was spirited out OF the 70
'nntry and lived for years In Eng N
nd, where he was maintained in lux II
y BY the income from his estates r.
ansmItted by his son and his grand E,
m.
After eyading an attempt to lynch
r, Mile. Delnzy escaped to America Tn
mere she married famous New York Re
wyer and later became an intimate &c
Iend OF Mrs Harriet Beecher Stowe. MI
'e died In 1874, Just prior to the Ks
bllcation OF book WHICH, contrary Je
Mi