A Sham Suicide.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2657, 12 November 1909, Page 3 (Supplement)

A Sham Suicide.

CURIOUS CONDUCT OF A FRENCH

WOMAN

Clad in- white linen and lace, writes the Paris correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph,” a lady with a sombre look sat down at a cafe table and ordered writing materials. The waiter noted her agitated manner and her mlitterings. She wrote three letters, which she carefully sealed and gave to be posted. Then she asked for a cup of black coffee, and, from a large bottle-, labelled “poison” in red, poured a powder into the coffee and drank it. . The waiter was more and more interested but it was not his business to interfere ivith customers’ desires. The lady paid, got up, walked- a few steps up the boulevards, leant against a tree, drew a large revolver from her reticule, and fired deliberately three times on tlie pavement A crowd rushed up-- “Help! ‘Police !” One more unfortunate has taken her lue.The lady bleeds, she- expires, she has. two bullets in- her heart- and one in the brain! Having got at the desperate female through tlie- crowd, the police' found her quite able to walk to the nearest chemist’s.There she'insisted on being undressed so that the chemist' might find out whether she' was badly wounded, hut he discovered no trace' of injuries. Then .she said lie must examine her, to find symptoms of poisoning by corrosive sublimate, the powder winch she had put into her coffee, but his examination was again fruitless. me lady then 'dressed, and was going to leave without explaining, . when she' suddenly had a fit and this time had really to be .attended medically. Inc white' lady’s- “suicide”' remains a mystery. Perhaps she lost her wits drying to keep cool. .