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THE CHINA MAIL,
SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 1956.
BRINGING YOU ANOTHER OF THE WORLD'S STRANGEST STORIES
H
49
A
LANDRU
*ENRI DESIRE —LANDRU was per-
haps
the
most
callous murderer in history. He killed women business. He had ledgers in which he get down every detail; the smallest item of his expen- diture a bunch of violeta, Metro tickets, postage-a}}} went down on the debit side to the last sou, though at times the final entry of "aet profit" WYNA often SUP prisingly small,
Indeed six year (1913-19) of this macabre occupation than rather less
this time
vielded
1700.
During
Lundru, a middle-aged man with a bald, dome head, n parchment face. sturing eyes and in spade beard, con- trived to
meet. fucinate
and dupe no fewer than 283
women
Of these he killed ton-- plus one unfortunate youth who
know Luo much. No body wIN
ever found.
Came
to
He
He was methodical, compiled a series of loys' letters copied from novelet- Mme. Cuchet in a furious tex, mumbered and docketed tage. to be selected according to the character of the victim who was to receive them. He regularly advertised in the
column matrimonial newspapers.
Respectable Lifo
of
I was such an advertise- ment that led him to his first kill. His victim was a widow, Mme. Cuchet, with
She was good looking, lively, aged 39 ani had money. She agreed to
one 901.
Her son
Andre had seen him the previous day in the Rue de Rivoll with another woman--a "flashy
She would type"
lenve Vernoullet
und Ulice asked for the return of her
ast
Landra's ingenious Ex- planations calmed her; they hitel a meal together, and alle
he brought out a bottle of Madeira to drink to their "reconcilia- him." Both she and her son died almost immediately.
ان
Later that night a passer- furnish a house he took for by W dense clouds them at Vernouillet. She smoke pouring from the would have been very happy kitchen chimney. Landru with "Raymond Diard," as was destroying the bodies he now called himself, but with An oxy-acetylene for his frequent absences ou burner. business as a "traveller."
He was, in fact, living au outwardly respectable life with his wife and four children
Good Price
WHITHIN at Neuilly, only WH two days hu war
four miles away.
On promise of marriage
widow
entertaining In the same house Mine Labuarde-Line, a from Brazil, She had means but was not disposed to he secured various sums of
hand him any money; however, money from Mine. Curhet, he persuaded her to entrust him But one evening "Raymond" with her furatturi: to sell,
which he got xxx returned from
his
price. one of
Then he invited her to spend to find the lengthy
week-end with him ht
absences
THE MAN WHO
WHO MADE
MURDER
Vermillet
From that dây she appeared Laundry polsoned ha and threw her body into the River Chise The ledger showed a recont of £56 net profit under the treating
ני 1+1
P
He duped 283 women, killed ton of them. Net profit, less than £700.
HIS
BUSINESS
noticed that ono door was al- position
large
than he did of Fer-
ways locked. Peering through hande's... .He wrote to her.. the keyhole she saw a quantity of women'a clathos, shoes and handbags. She men- tioned this to Lundru. From that day the girl was never akain
Landru disposed of many of the bodies in a large incinera- tor he kept in the klichen. But a police officer called to see him regarding a chimney which ap- peared to be on re, NO he sought other methods of posal.
dis
“Fernande, my adored: I am distracted and "distressed_ to think that you have been dragged into this disgraceful busine. ...
ATTIES
There
"Do not worry, my darling. I shall return soon to your
Your devoted Lucien,"
followed one of the most spectacular trials in French history.
two It insted years and the detectives gather- cd enough material to F12 13 Te next "experiment" In- dossier of 4,000 Linges. volved Mme. Guillin. She was Hysterienl women mobbed the plain, elderly, illiterate; but she court. They sent Landru gifts, had £800. It was not duifculi love-letters and offers of mar- to dazzle and deceive her, or to rage. Infantry with Axed induce her to sign power of bayonets were stationed to con-
attorney giving him (he right of the wonnen who tried tu in dispone of her property. swarm into the court,
She died on the night of her The gruesome details of the dinners theolies, arrival at Gambais. Next morn- trial so affected one reporter Kirs. The florist's bill alone Ing Landru packed her body in that he let the press taule, re-
conridernble.
was
Eventually, she consented to marry him at Dijon: but sho refused to le hitu have any
band In ht innaces.
Then something extremely
unpleasant happened.
him that her friend.
She tell Marcelle,
had told her she knew him us
Henri Mignet, u swindler
women
" am going to inform the police at once," she theclared.
Landru pretended to fly into passion, dashed out of the slamming the door, and without stopping to collect any of his belongings, justici out of the house. Mme, Laport pul
the police on him, and' for longt time he lind to go utte
hiding.
Nrx!
Mine. euine
Buisson, plump. jolly and Invistent on marriage She introduced him
relatives, proposed motus tour through the South Now of France, she paying EXPENSES. Tiny would meet her con Bay une
Large Sums
ANDRU
was
at
not prepared to meet any more of her relatives. He knew the danger
of ii.
But pretending ugrez, Lan- dru tucked her up with rugs in The back of the car, gave her het coffee and set out. They never reached Bayonne. Within hour the poisoned coffee took effect. He burled her in a wood near Biarritz,
Ilis
WBY
By Florence A. Kilpatrick
DI
her own large trunk. took ji in turned to us hotel stef shot his car to the Quiz/ d'Orsay himself, Stution in Paris and scinti the Hitle senajde
Lundru Throughout the Irial Arcachon, near Bordeaux. This protested his innocence. He becue (for a tine) just AL- went on hunger strike. But in other unsolved murder. Menn- the end he showed a certain while, Landru drew out Mime, dignity, i jast letter Guillin's balance and securities, Budressed to Fernande from La Sunte Prison the night before his execution. He wrote:
At Hues woman for Such one who had no 13
began a new phase In Landru's activities.
Driving
through the forest of Rum-
bouillet,
caine across UE Isolatet villa near Gambals. It had high ledges and walls and roomed admirable for use in his "business." He rented and
Maria
here he brought a succession of his victims. Many of them were polsoned on the night of their arrival as they sat at a meal in the living-room (ironically enough beneath a print of "The Last Supper that hung on the wall).
Curiosity
ut
wouki kill
trifling L
gu, Mme. Hem money, but some furniture The furtinve glassworks near Vierzy, which was always burning. Wus Jeft unguarded at night, and ther he threw Mine. Heon's
body. The "prot was a lile more than £5.
Hunger Strike
WHAT happened next is hard W to belleve of
such a cold- blooded monster. Landru fell violently in love. He was in fatuated with a blonde midinelte called Fernande Segret.
was
"Fernande: The last words I shall write will be to you. These long drawn out months of thy trial have been a tor- ture. Through it all you have not written me. Not a single line.
"Bui, Fernande, I shali dia still loving you.
This is, Indeed, Adieu. The end ta near. I shall not allow them to cut my beard, because I re- member how much you ad- mired that beard, chære ande, My last thoughts will be of you.
For cuer, Your Lucien,
Ho protested) on the day of his execution in 1022, about his She agreed to leave her Job cleep
being disturbed by the to live with him in his flat in noise that was made by the Rue Rochechouart. Wishing erecting of the guillotine a few to buy her an Easter gift ho feet away from the prison, and took her into a chop in the Ruo that he had been awakened in ANDRU did not invite all his de Rivell. Here, face to
Aviator do not invitoandre
street.
Ho
turned
the
the crowdo who had
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be
be met Mile, Lacoste, sister of the ear
face, the early morning by the up- Mme. Bulsson, his third victim come from all over the coun-
away, hoping she try to make holiday." had not recognised him. But
Lacosio
the to went
He added: "What could who got the address more inconsiderate than to rob
shop of M.
Lucien
n man of sleep on his last night on earth?"
next case," however, treat with the intention of mur- not so accomodating. He dur, lie took under his protection was thrilled and flattered when one young girl whom he had
found desiitute in the
Mile. he caught the attention of Mme. Laport, whom he met by chance.
police, She later agreed to stay for She was a widow, young, pretty time at the villa until their and wealthy. He realised
that "marriage"
could be arranged. she was not the credulous type lve, and as she had no posses seemed to And her attrac of his former conquests. and adopted different factics,
sions he would have no object in killing her.
for
He spent large sums on her, entering in his ledger many Curiosity sealed her Items relating to her entertain- Left alone in the villa
doom.
she
from the GuBirt."
Next morning. whlic For- nande and Landru were sitting at breakfast, four men entered and arrested him.
Talcen to La Sante Prison, he seemed to think less of his own
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ANOTHER LETTER FROM GILESIN LAS PALMAS
dear seals,
just a few more lines from me to let you no margiles is hopping mad. evry morning mr giles is more hopping mad than the day before. he is ever so happy that evryone at home is nice and cold but what makes him wild is because he is nice and cold as well and he says when he was a littel boy at at they
tell him africa was nice and warm but skchool they tell him whic our littel and near africa where lord beaverbrooks sends us is about as hot as d fridge. another thing
mr giles dont like is the man next door whose got a camel that "keeps scratching itself all night on the was which is the same wall as mrgiles bedroom.
he also dont like sand in his wisky and he don't like us putting litte! catcusses in his bed for fun and he dont like grandma singing all day with the man whose got the camel
and plays a littel, whisle nor do ?.
and out his window.
twins
on
.
sun.
Sk me giles says when it isn't blowing hurry cains its blowing littel locusts in aunty vera got sand in her nose and caught a fresh cold and mrgiler lands the one with a palm tree leaf evry time they call him "bwana' because he is a white man
italyan man in a ferrari account of there not being very much
this afternoon mr giles had a go in his jaguar with a
giles went the fastest the policemen could not car round the mountains and as me catch him but in his mirror he sees them catch the ferrari man and give him a dressing down and this is the first time mrgiles laughs since has been hear
mrs giles says if mr giles is going to play manty carlo races all over the shes
going to stay indoors so ami.
giles is about as hot at spanish as he is at evrybody here speaks Spanish and mr french and when he ordered tea today in spanish the lady, slapped his face so he slapped ours.
they had a lovely Bernardo in the siland next to us so perhaps we shall get one tomorrow hoping this finds you as it can leaves me but i doubt it if
you knew what the air mail is like from hear yours truly my feet prints. pes, we are all getting as brown as snowbalis-
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