Thursday, June 16, 2022

Rose Marie Bobillier, Double Black Widow – France, 1908

FULL TEXT: Vesoul. - Mme Barbe-Bleue, that's how we nicknamed Rose-Marie Bobillier, a peasant woman from Montigny-les-Vesoul, who appeared today before the Hautè-Saône Assize Court. The nickname exaggerates. However, the accused is not an ordinary woman: she killed, during their sleep (which rather reminds the ogre of Little Thumb than the cruel husband who murdered seven wives the other tale), she killed her husband in 1905, and her lover, her farmhand, in 1907. It was this second crime that led to the discovery of the first.

On May 18, she informed the police that Monigoz, her valet and lover, had just injured himself in his barn. The police ran there and found him moaning, a gun beside him, a large wound on his head.

The unfortunate man died the same evening. When questioned, the widow Bobilier declared that he had committed suicide. But after the autopsy she had to make a confession.

She had killed him while he was sleeping drunk in the barn. She had stabbed him three times in the temple with the ax and, in the hope of diverting suspicion, had placed a revolver near him. She had killed him because he was constantly quarreling with her and beating her.

Witnesses confirmed the reality of these quarrels. But they put forward the idea that for such a motive, in 1905, the husband must have died in such a manner.

She had told that he had died from a horse kick and we had believed him. The examining magistrate had the corpse exhumed. It was found that the skull was fractured on the right and on the left as well as the two jaws were broken. It was proof that the head had been hit while resting on the ground. Bobillier was dead as his servant was to die later. His widow had to confess this first crime, after the second.

Information established that the household was the most disunited. The man was drinking, the woman behaving badly. One day she was boasting to her husband that she was pregnant with the child of another man. He had beaten her, kicked her out and then picked her up.

Examined by alienists, the Bobillier woman was declared responsible for her actions, but the alienist doctor, Doctor Lalanno; concluded a serious psychic debility. After indictment from the prosecutor Blondeau, the widow Bobillier, very skillfully defended by Me Morel, of the bar of Vesoul, was sentenced to fifteen years of forced labor and ten years ban on residence.

[“Mrs. Bluebeard.” (“Mme Barbe-Bleue.”), Le Figaro (Paris, France), Feb. 4, 1908, p. 3]

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Rose Marie Bobillier, Montigny-les-Vesoul - Montigny-lès-Vesoul is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France.

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FULL TEXT: Vesoul. – Mme Barbe-Bleue, c'est ainsi qu'on a surnommé Rose-Marie Bobillier, une paysanne de Montigny-les-Vesoul, qui a comparu aujourd'hui devant la Cour d'assises de la Hautè-Saône. Le surnom exagère. Pourtant, l'accusée n'est poin tune femme ordinaire: elle a tué, pendant leur sommeil (ce qui rappelle plutôt l'ogre du Petit Poucet quele cruel époux sept fois meurtrier de l'autre conte), elle a tué son mari en 1905, et son amant, son valet de ferme, en 1907. C'est ce second crime qui a fait découvrir le premier.

Le 18 mai dernier, elle informait le garde champêtre que Monigoz – son valet amant venait – de se blesser dans sa grange. Le garde y courut et le trouva râlant, un revolver auprès de lui, une large blessure à la tète.

Le malheureux mourait le soir même. Interrogée, la veuve Bobilier déclara qu'il s'était suicidé. Mais après l'autopsie elle dut faire des aveux.

Elle l'avait tué pendant qu'il dormait, ivre, dans la grange. Elle'lui avait porté trois coups de hache à la tempe et, dans l'espoir de détourner les soupçons, avait, près de lui, places on revolver. Elle l'avait tué parce qu'il la querellait et la battait sans cesse.

Des témoins confirmèrent la réalité de ces querelles. Mais ils émirent l'idée que pour un motif pareil, en 1905, de pareille façon avait dû mourir le mari.

Elle avait conte qu'il était mort d'un coup de pied de cheval et on l'avait cru. Le juge d'instruction fit exhumer le cadavre. On constata que le crâne était fracturé à droite et à gauche de même les deux mâchoires étaient brisées. C'était la preuve que la tête avait été frappée posant sur le sol. Bobillier était mort comme devait plus tard mourir son domestique. Sa veuve dut avouer ce premier crime, après le second. L'information a établi que le ménage était des plus désunis. L'homme buvait, la femme se conduisait fort mal. Un jour elles'était vantée à son mari d'être enceinte des œuvres d'un autre homme. Il l'avait battue, mise à la porte et puis reprise.

Examinée par des aliénistes, la femme Bobillier a été déclarée responsible deses actes, mais le médecin aliéniste, le docteur Lalanno, concluta une grave débilité psychique. Après réquisitoire de M. le procureur Blondeau, la veuve Bobillier, très habiliment défendue par Me Morel, du barreau de Vesoul, a été condamnée à quinze ans de travaux forcés et dix ans d'interdiction de séjour.

[“Mme Barbe-Bleue.” Le Figaro (Paris, France), Feb. 4, 1908, p. 3]

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For links to other cases of woman who murdered 2 or more husbands (or paramours), see Black Widow Serial Killers.

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[70-1/2/21; 864-7/16/22; 1945-9/9/22]
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