The Warwickshire Herald. — 1885-04-25 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

TERRIBLE CRIME IN PARIS.  A terrible crime has just been committed in the heart of Paris, Madame Cornet, a Creole lady. living in the Rue de Sze, within a few doors of the Great Boulevard, having been murdered. Madame Cornet was the wife of tbe wealthy proprietor of a large establishment for the dyeing of cotton tissues at Pendicherry, where some 8,000 workmen are employed. For the past 12 months her husband has been absent in India, looking after his business. When he left Pans Madame Cornet had living with her an only daughter, who was engaged to be married to a naval officer. A few weeks ago this young lady died, and Madame Cornet has since lived alone with no other attendant but a young female servant. A few days agb she applied to a local registry office to find her a man servant. Amongst those recommended was. one Hem Maltin, a good-looking youth, 22 years old. On the afternoon of the day Martin entered upon his servi‘e he disappeared, after borrowing , :of. from the woman servant. The same night the girl left her mistress as usual, and went rip to her hod-room four floors above. About 2 o'clock in the morning, the concierge, hearing loud groaning and other unaccustomed noises overhead, went upstairs and awoke the servant, telling her that her mistress must be ill. She came down with Lim, but could not get in with her key, the door of the room being bolted inside. After listening for a few minutes and hearing no sound, both concierge and servant concluded that nothing was amiss, and went to be I again. Later in the morning, on obtainirr, no response to her repeated knocks and rings, the gii I desire -I the concierge to send for a locksmith. Vsrlien Madame Cornet's bedroom was entered, a horrible sight presented itself. The unfortunate lady, in her night dress, lay dead on the bed, her head hanging over the side. Her throat had been cut, the carotid artery being completely severed, and she had received a fearful knife wound in stomach. The room was in confusion, a packet of bonds had been dropped in the kitchen, and there was an empty bottle and two wine-glasses on the mantel. piece. The police were quickly in attendance, and searched the premises, but no trace MIS found of the murderer. It is supposed that Martin, instead of going out, secreted himself under the bed, or elsewhere, that he perhaps admitted • confederate, and that he or they tried to strangle her in bed, but, on her offering resistance, dragged her out on the floor and cut her throat. The window was open, and it is believed that by means of the signboard over the shop below the murderer macll his way down and escaped without notice. Very little money is believed to ;have been carried off, as Madame Cornet used cheques, and had only the day before paid her rent in that way.  In various parts of Warwickshire, Leicestershire, and Staffordshire very extensive floods prevail, in consequence of the heavy rains which followed the snowstorm. River, bare in many places overflowed their bar ha  . A proposal to levy a heavy duty on slates _hall been rej cf.c.d by the Gprmqn Reirbstaa% Some very interesting and successful experiment. with the electric bat displayed from a captive balloon, have been made by the German Army Balloon Department. This new proce.ss (a c,,rres• pondent says) will probably greatly modify Light operations in future campaigns. _ .  Mr. Justice Day has decided for the plaintiff in an action brought by an architect, who was a liveryman of the company, to compel the Masons' C pany of the City of London to elect 11 new members, to make up the total of 21. Counsel stated that the company often found it difficult to form • quorum to transact business, though there was never any difficulty in obtaining a quorum of members, with their wives, at the annual dinner at Ricb. tumid, where they held a court first, getting twit isthassi (loch foriltair attendance.