davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1963-04-21
Accused
Murderess
Tells All
BY MARY McGRORY
star staff Writer

THE TRIAL OF MARIE
BESNARD. BY Marie Bes-
nard. With an introduc-
ton by Sybille Bedford.
(Farrar, Straus & Cudahy;
$4.50O
This is the all ut-incredi-
BILE first-person story Of a
French provincial matron
who was wrongfully accused
of being a multiple mur-
deress. Marie Besnard spent
II years of her life trying to
free herself from charges
that arose from spiteful gos-
sip and were confirmed by
expert" testimony.
Marie Besnard came Of
sturdy peasant stock. She
lived a calm life first as the
devoted daughter. then as
the wife of a frail farmer.
and after his death as the
wife of a ropemaker. Her
concerns we're those Of any
woman of her circumstances:
Money, the land, the crops,
her household.
Appalling ordeal
After her second husbands
death, an anonymous letter
to the local and all-too-
susceptible police began a
train of events that took her
to prison and IL years Of an
appalling ordeal. The anony-
nous letter writer turned out
to be the village idiot. who
wrote virtually at the dicta-
ton of Marie Besnard'S best
friend, an importunate and
neurotic widow who had
shared her home. other ca
lumniators contributed their
little store of poison and an
Act of Accusation was drawn
up against the hapless Marie.
Her husbands body was
exhumed. So were those of
IL other relatives and friends.
Her mothers was among
them. Arsenic was found in
all the remains. Marie Bes-
nard was arrested and taken
to Poitiers Prison, where her
two roommates were stool
pigeons. Under their baleful
ministrations she wrote two
letters which were used
against her at her subsequent
trial. Two and a half years
later she was tried and SEN
fenced for forgery. She was
retired again in 1852, and
after her lawyers had de-
stroyed the expert" testi-
mony, she was let out on
bail while further scientific
studies were made. Finally
at her third trial, IL years
after her trouble began, she
was acquitted.
Miscarriage of justice" is
a mild term for what hap
pened to Marie Besnard.
French Jurisprudence must
be a narrowing experience.
AS Sybille Bedford, the Eng
lish novelist and chronicler
of crime, points out in her
indignant introduction, most
of the imputations of the
witnesses would not have
been regarded as admissible.
or relevant evidence in an
English or an American court
of law. The other base. the
expert evidence. turned out
to be simply wrong.
If Marie Besnard had not
been, as one Of the legion Of
pSychiatrists who examined
her said, "abnormally nor
NAL" she never would have
survived. 1t is slightly reas-
surfing to read that reform
to prevent a recurrence is
under way.
Evening star., 1963-04-21

in words. 1t was at this
moment during Picasso's
blue period" that Apollinaire
first became a creator of
myth, a propaganda who
could convince anybody of
anything, and the leading ex-
positor of everything avant-
garde. then and for nearly
20 years to come.
In 1911, a trivial and
amusing incident became a
turning point in Apollinaire's
life. 1t is difficult in retro
spect to appreciate how Sc
rious the affair Of statu-
cites" was. Apollinaire was a
happy man, living with the
talented and beautiful paint
er, Marie Laurencin, promot-
ing cubism and its after
maths and offShoots to the
world, and writing some of
the finest lyric poetry since
Villon. A friend by the name
Of Gerry Pieret, noticing how
badly guarded the Louvre was,
stole from it. almost as a
lark, two small statuettes,
and took them to Apolli-
naire's apartment. Apolli-
naire insisted that they be
returned, but before they
were a few days later the
Mona Lisa was stolen from
the Louvre and an enter
prising journalist published
the fact that in all 1913 pic
lures and objects were miss
ing from the museum. Apolli-
naire as a joke slipped the
two statuettes into the front
window Of the newspaper,
but the police used the clue
to trace the objects back to
the poet, who spent six days
in Jail until he could clear
himself.
The sojourn in Jail had a
surprising result. His mis-
tress, Marie Laurencin, left
him, PicasSo, his dearest
friend, publicly denied him,
and for the first time in his
life there were attacks upon
him in the press. Apollinaire
was heartbroken and deeply
disturbed. Perhaps the event
marked his maturity; at any
rate his poetry, up to that
time of a classic purity, grad
ually became a counterpart
in words of the modern art
he loved so deeply.
The third milestone in
Apollinaire's life was the
war. An aesthetic and an in
dividualist, he nevertheless
was a patriot (if the word is
proper for one whom France
had refused citizenship and
an excellent soldier who loved
not war but the experience of
warfare. He was in the ar
tillery, where riding was one
Of the duties. Never having
been on a horse before, and
the wrong shape for an
equestrian, he must have de-
lighted his comrades when.
his horse breaking into a
gallop for the first time, he
shrieked: stop me! My
horse is limpingl"
A serious head-wound sent
him from the, front back to
Paris, where he recovered
slowly but completely. He
married in the autumn of
1918, and in November Of
that year contracted the
deadly Spanish influenza. He
died on November 8, when
the armistice announcement
was expected at any minute,
and in his final delirium
thought the crowds in the
street below his window,
chanting Down with GULL
aume!" were staging a hos
tile demonstration against
himself.
Evening star., 1963-04-21
TO BE REVIEWED

The following books will be re-
viewed on the editorial pose Of The
Stor this week:
MONDAY - Sixty Dogs Thot
Shook the West" by Jacques Ben
DIST -Meehin. tPutnom's.
WEDNESDAY Manifest Des-
tiny and Mission in American His
tory" by Frederick Merk. (knOpf) }
FRIDAY-"Ths Paper Economy" !"
by Dovid 7. Bozelon. (Rondom
House,
Evening star., 1963-04-21
MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE
Sinister Suspicious
PutSIeuths on Scent

"Seance" but it deserves at
tention. The body of a prosti-
tute is found murdered one
morning in the market square
of the English village Of Grey
ton. The murder weapon is a
jagged piece Of tin. Other
identical murders follow. Most
disturbed by these events are
Mad Jehovah Barnes. a
would-be evangelist, and
James c. Matric. a mean cop.
The story. seen largely through
their eyes, is unpleasant and
brutal, diffused and at times
confusing. But it comes into
smashing focus at its uncon-
ventional end.
&&&
YBODY ADORED
CARA. BY Ann Head.
Doubleday & Co.; $500
A woman's magazine type
mystery about the seemingly
perfect wife next door who
ends up dead. When Cara
Sumner is Strangled with her
scarf while her husband is
away on a business trip her
death has a major impact on
her neighbors. Frank and
Lindsey Merrill, and their
three children. The Merrill
family is we'll drawn, but the
solution to the murder is so
murky one wonders II a final
page was omitted at the
printers by mistake.
Evening star., 1963-04-21
PAPERBAcKS

Forum Books" a new series
of paperback books has just
been launched by the World
Publishing Co. The series
will include both fiction
and nonfiction works. The
first 10 titles are:
TRANSACTIONS FROM THE
CHINESE. Selected, trans
lated and introduced by
Lin Yutang. (S1.95.)
AHANDBOOK OF PSYCHE
ANALYSIS. Edited and in
troduced by Hans HERNIA
and Gertrude M. Kurth.
($l.65J
A PRACTICAL MANUAL OF
SCREEN PLAYWRITING
FOR THEATER AND
TELEVISION FILMS. BY
Lewis Herman. ($i.55.)
A LIFETIME READING
PLAN. BY Clifton Fadi-
man. ($l.55)
THE CULTURED MAN. BY
Ashley Montagu. ($i.45)
DON'T FORGET TO WRITE.
BY Art Buchwald. ($l.55)
PAINTING AND PAINTERS.
BY Lionello Ventura. ($l.95D
BOOKS AND PRINTING: A
Treasury Of Typophiles.
Edited by Paul A. Bennett.
($l.85.)
THE GENIUS. BY Theodore
Dresser. (S2.25)
THE BROTHERS ASHKEN-
III. BY I. j. Singer. ($2.250
THE RISE OF EUROPEAN
LIBERALISM. BY Harold
]. Laski. (Unwin Books.
Barnes e. Noble: o5 cents.)
Beginning with the new
world Of the Renaissance
and the Reformation. this
book traces the growth Of
Liberal doctrine until the
Evening star., 1963-04-21
Art LinkIetter

KIDS SURE RITE FUNNY!
A Child's Garden Of Misin-
formation. BY Art Link
letter. Bernard Gels;
S3.95.)
Evening star., 1963-04-21
BY BETTY JAMES
Star staff Writer

Life can be as painful in
Pasadena as Elsinore for a
boy shattered by his mothers
remarriage, Charlotte Arm
strong demonstrates in A
LITTLE LESS THAN KIND
(Coward-M &C ann, Inc,
$3.95). Ladd Cunningham is
convinced his fathers death
was an unnatural one. and
that the man who took his
fathers place in home and
office is the man who killed
him. Good writing and a gift
for story telling. even when
the story is a variation on an
old theme, make the book
good reading. But the authors
compulsion to moralize mars
her work.
Evening star., 1963-04-21
GENERAL
GREAT JEWISH THINKERS
nF THE TWENTIETH

OF THE TWENTIETH
CENTURY and CONTEM-
PORARY JEWISH
THOUGHT. Edited by ST.
mon Noveck. (B'nai Birth,
distributed by Taplinger;
$4.95 each.) Two new vol
umes in the B'nai Birth
Great Books series.
RAISING YOUR CHILD IN
A FATHERLESS HOME.
BY Eve Jones. (Free Press;
$4.95) A guidebook for
mothers who must rear
Evening star., 1963-04-21
FICTION

NICKEL MISERIES. BY Ivan
Gold. Viking; $3.95) A
Collection Of two novellas
and three short stories.
Evening star., 1963-04-21
DEAD MEN RISE UP
NEVER. BY Christopher
Landon. civilian Sloane
Associates; $3.75)

Associates; $3.50
An improbable story about
a crafty dreamer and schemer
who leaves behind a post
humous novel accusing his
wife of his murder. It's up to
his best friend to see that
justice is done, in spite Of the
friends love for the novelist's
wife. A promising beginning
is lost in the unlikely byways
of the plot.
-
UNTIMELY RIPPED. BY
Mark McShane. Double
day g. Co.. Inc; $500
Mark McShane writes orig
inal books. His second is less
effective than the admirable
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1963-09-12
From This Angle
Public Schools in Peril !?

The editors of Cosmopolitan Magazine
have performed notable public service in
the September issue by publishing an article
entitled, Have The Public Schools Had IT,"
This article should be read by every American
parent and grandparent
In period of so years, 1870 to 1920 225
million immigrants came to our shores where
they found for their children and grandchil-
dren much richer and fuller life than most
of them would have enjoyed in the country
OF their ancestors Most of these children
were formed into Americans to consider.
able degree, by our public school system
AS the article in Cosmopolitan points out,
the American public school system is unique
The school systems of most nations make no
effort to educate all of their children to the
extent our public schools do Many foreign
school systems fail dismally, and doubtless,
some do this deliberately, for an uneducated
people are easier to keep subservient. AS
Henry Brougham put it, Education makes a
people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy
to govern but impossible to enslave" A quick
look at two or three European nations edu-
cational systems and their citizens longstand-
ing inability to support free government
shows the truth of this statement
Our public schools are far from perfect.
Distinguished educators and scientists have
expressed concern about the quality of edu-
cation in many of our school systems. Their
concern is based on a genuine knowledge and
understanding of education, not on some half
baked emotional slogan. The Improvement of
our public schools will come, not from huge
slashes in school funds but by those who are
primarily rOnPprnnd with fav
but from changes made by officials who make
a real effort to understand education and it's
problems.
Percentage wise, non-public schools in the
U. s. are enrolling more and more children.
Division of the American people on such
issues as aid to private schools, prayer and
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1963-09-12
That Lovely Vase
Welsh Rare Bit

Harlotta Gopher and left the National
Airport this past Saturday September morn
ing to meet daughter Margaret at Idlewild
Airport at the end of her race with the sun
which started that same morning from Milano,
Italy
And that is the start of the story of the
red and gold Venetian vase, or, how it is that
people are more important than glass
We were there when the Alfalfa jet let
down from the sky in the evening, like a
bird winging home at nightfall. We waved to
Margaret when she walked out of the plane
and we watched her go through customs, and
finally could run downstairs and squeeze
her welcome home while lets of Younger
men looked on as 1 exerted my fatherly
rights.
We took a prophet back and in that hour
learned about summer in Italy; and how
dark-haired Italian girl and a light haired
Mungummery County girl toured the cities
Of Italy but spent most of their time in the
Alps with family Of seven boys and girls
heard OF how it was to visit the Vatican
and how not too devout devotee of John
wesley reacts to seeing the Pope, and view
ing the Sistine Chapel and eating pasta fasta
Harlotta and Margaret exchanged notes on
American and Italian boys and what was
oelng sung and danced Margaret began to
tell me that all of the presents but one were
oelng shipped back, and this one was in the
suit case which had just gone through GUS
toms.
This was special present for Viola, who
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1963-09-12
Disquieting Zoning Thoughts

There two disturbing things that stick in mind
after attending last weeks memorable hearing in Rockville
the application by Jack Kay ct al to 43 of
land in Four Corners to high rise apartment category
that about 1850 apartment units can be built there.
One of these disquietng things is that the public
entered the auditorium they informed by printed
message from the County Council that 'the courts have
clearly stated that coming is not granted by pebscite
This is, of course, true. But the coldy impersona
printed message telling the people whose homes and life
savings at stake that in effect they have nothing to
say about the decision in the coming they inter-
ested in, is little frightening The because the
Maryland Court of Appeals has ruled-much to the
elaton of the coming lawyers and the people who make
fortunes out of land dealsthat county heads cannot deny
property owner the reasonable of his land.
The other disquietng thing that has stuck with us
since the hearing the heavy that the coming lawyer
in the made of the Court of Appeals ruling cited
above Are entering where all the rezonng
applicant must do is introduce testimony favorable to his
side from people he Identifies experts and the Council
then-fearfu of being reversed by the cours-wi give
him all he asks?
We would indeed hope this is not the case
If something like that should be about to happen,
would like to remind the Council of two things that they
should not really need to be reminded Of
/. There many experts whose expert" opinion
be coored by the size of the fee he receiving and
q The people, although they seemingly helpless
in the face of Court of Appeals rulings and impersonal
printed messages telling them governmental decisions
not made by plebiscte, have long memories.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1963-09-12
Our Zoning Morass
County Affairs

In an earlier column we suggested that
the zoning procedures in Montgomery County
are no longer fair to the Councilman, to the
property owners, to the taxpayers, or the
citizens. We pointed out that the tremendous
number of zoning applications keeps the
Council SO occupied that there is a real ques-
ton as to how much time and energy remain
to devote to fair and clearcut effort to other
public problems. We suggested that, in the
public interest, and in their own welfare, the
Council should dust off some of the prior
governmental studies of the problem and ana
lyse the whole planning, zoning and develop
ment process.
In the absence of councilestablished de-
velopment policies or plans, rash of radical
changes in land use have aroused property
owners indignation. On the other side of the
coin there is the problem of the property
owner with an unfair zoning classification
which prohibits any reasonable use of his
land. The problem of both, in our present
zoning procedures morass, has been accentu-
ated by recent court decisions concerning the
sufficiency of evidence to justify a coming
decision.
The courts have made it clear that re-
zoning decision must be supported by COM
petent, material and substantial evidence The
substantially of the evidence must take into
account whatever in the record fairly detracts
from its weight. Unsupported conclusions can.
not be a substitute for evidence. Nor can pro.
fessional reports dealing largely in abstrac-
tons without meaningful specifics be given
much weight.
This certainly focuses attention up on the
present rule allotting one half an hour to each
side in presenting evidence in a coming appli.
cation. The rule is necessary to preserve the
health and well being of the Council mem.
bers who must sit through so many of such
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1963-09-12
by Barney Welsh

,eally has raised Margaret. The story is, as
1 get it, that the girls were shopping in the
square of St Marks in Venice and they went
They asked glass blower to make them a
vase for someone back home, and the Italian
glass-blower made them vase of grace and
delicacy. 1t was red and he trimmed it with
gold and upon the gold he placed little flowers.
1t was wrapped with care and then this little
vase began its long journey home.
1t went through most of the cities of
Italy 1t travelled by air, bus and train. 1t
lodged on the mantel of an italian home with
seven youngsters. 1t was specially packed to
come to Mungummery County. 1t crossed the
Alps, the continent of Europe and the Allan.
tic. 1t went through customs. 1t flew to
Washington and survived a minor traffic
accident on Constitution Avenue. It was I'm.
packed in Rockville, greatly admired, and
awaited for Viola to arrive on Sunday morn.
ing to be taken to its ultimate home.
She came as she has for the past IS
years, on Sunday morning to fix a special
homecoming breakfast of hot biscuits saus.
age, fried tomatoes and eggs. Margaret heard
the door open. She grabbed the vase of vene.
tan glass, and, holding it out in front of her.
rushed forward to greet Viola and give her
the present. They collided in the middle of
the kitchen The vase shot from her hand to
the ceiling and crashed to the floor. Tears
were shed. But we still have the glass blowers
address and can get another one, and the
meeting was worth vase.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1963-09-12
Unfair Representation

It's all very simple the lawyers point out in their
printed brief filed with the United States Supreme
Court five of Maryands most popuous with 76 per
cent of the states population elect only 55 per cent
of the members of the House of Delegates and "a per
of the members Of the State Senate while 10 rural counties
with only "a per cent of the states population elect
4 per cent of the House of Delegates and GO per cent of
the State Senate.
1t these obvious dsparities in representation in the
Maryland General Assembly that the Maryland Committee
for Fair Representation is trying to eliminate in their
appeal to the high court.
The people of Montgomery County-one of the states
five most popuouS areas-should wish them well and COM
mend them for this effort Our senator from Montgomery
County represents p times many persons the senator
from Kent County And each year the Montgomery County
population increases by figure which is greater than the
total (and stabe) population of Kent County Our county
Isl of four who with Baltimore City, contribute "a
per cent of the state income tax 70 per cent of the sales
and tax 80 per cent of the corporation finance tax and
Topper cent of the business license revenue not to mention
724 per cent Of the motor vehicle registration
The NICER is of course contendng that the gross dis
PARTIES violation of the 18th equa protection and
due process amendment to the constitution 1t disagrees
strongly with the Maryland Court of Appeals ruling which
held that the present system of each county being allotted
state senator regardless of its population, is equitable
majority of the state believes the system of each
county having state senator proper each state
having two US. Senators-the so-caed federal plan"
The NICER and minority of the state high court believes
the federal PLAN is not analogous to the state situation
in part because Maryland counties creatures of the
sate-not autonomous the so states of the union
SO now the situation will be settled by the us. Su-
preme Court And we hope it is the side of rep
resenation in the Maryland General Assembly by Mont
gomery County and the states populous
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1963-09-12

and threat. The only refuge of
the community has been to
keep it in weeds as long as
possible. This is no answer for
the Kay property either.
For all practical purposes,
the land is not now zoned. The
existing category is nothing
more than a frame of refer
ence around which to hang a
fight. There is no question
that the land is ripe for diff
ferent use or uses, because of
its newly created strategic To-
cation. The answer lies in a
thoughtful evaluation of as
sorted possibilities, rejecting
profit to the owner and uses
which would meet the needs of
a growing County.
For all of these reasons, I
urge the Council to send Zon-
ing Case 1860 back to the
Planning Commission for fur
Their study. This is the only
way in which zoning can serve
need, now as well as in the fu-
ture. The purpose of zoning,
after all, is to guard the public
interest in how land is used.
Mrs. George Barshay
Silver Spring
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1963-09-12
Fair Trade Hit

One of the worst forms of
price fixing additionally has
been hidden under a verbal
sugar coating. Fair Trade"
has been the name given to a
form of price fixing by which
a manufacturer of a trade
named article could require a
retailer to sell the article to
the consumer at the price the
manufacturer - not the retail
er = wanted to charge.
PRESUMED through most
states by strong druggists
lobby under the name of fair
trade" this kind of price fixing
became legalized in most
states - one of them Mary
land.
For some years, however,
there has been strong revul-
sion against such price fixing.
In state after state it has been
outlawed until now more than
half of the states and the Dis
trict of Columbia have reject
ed this type of price fixing.
Until now, it has been a mat
ter for each state to determine
its own policy in this respect.
Now, however, the same pres
sure interests are behind a bill
H. R. 1869, and S. TIA, to
make such price fixing a fed
eral right, regardless of
states present policy. And
what do the proponents of this
bill call it? They call it "Qual-
ity Sterilization Bill"
1t has been estimated that il
this bill is passed, it will mean
a 20e6 increase in cost of the
articles covered by the bill,
and will add 5000 to $500 to a
family's yearly expense. Last
year, in a comparative shop
ping test in the District of
Columbia and Maryland of
some half dozen items, the
same items that cost 1921 in
Maryland, cost $9.03 in the Dis
trict.
Besides its inflationary eff
feet this bill deprives the re-
taller of his right to determine
his pricing on the basis of his
costs, his services to the pub
lie (his customer, and his
competition. 1t makes him the
captive of the manufacturer.
Because of the pressure
groups behind it, this bill is
given a good chance of pass
ing. 1t should be defeated, but
to do so, members of Congress
will need to hear from people.
You may be sure they have
heard from the pressure
groups.
Philip Marcus
Wheaton