Image TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage Tile
Image size: 6656x7680 Scale: 35% - PanoJS3
Page overview thumbnail

Article text

A MYSTERIOUS MARQUIS.
HIS YOUNG BRIDE'S SUSPICIOUS
END.
INSURED FOR £10,000.
London, August 26, 1898.
The sudden death of Mrs. Possel (nee
Beckett) who was recently discovered lifeless
at the foot of Fontenells Cliffs, near Florence,
Italy, is exciting a good deal of attention both
at home and abroad. The lady had been out
driving with her newly married husband when
the accident occurred. The pair were stop
ping in Florence at the time" and were
not supposed to be on very good
terma. Anyhow the Italian police promptly
arrested Mx. Possel, though he was released
after enquiries. The deceased was, it
transpires, the daughter of & Mrs. Beckett,
who let lodgings in tot John's Wood, London.
There Possel came as "paying guest." He
represented himself as the Marquis de Gondo
ville, and stated that he was a French subject"
The man is described as being very dark and
passably good-loo]diu& - with regular features.
Although he has stated his age to be 23 he
looks older. As a result of bis stay in
the house at St. John's Wood Possel and
Miss Beckett became on very friendly terms.
Circumstances occurred, however, winch com
pelled him to leave, and by other members of
the family it was thought that the friendship
between the two bad been definitely broken on.
But it was not so. Although Porael did not
visit at Mrs. Beckettfs it is known that he was
living in the neighborhood, and that he and
Misa Beckett used frequently to meet. Later
he became a visitor to the house again, and
eventually on March 30 last tbe marriage
took place at St. Augustine's, Kuburo. But
Some strange circumstances preceded tbe
marriage, which, were narrated to press repre-
Eentntivee by Mis. Wood, the sister of tiie
deceased, who was also living Bt the time with
her mother at St. John'B Wood.
"Nellie," she said, "never saw her husband
before he came to our house as a paying guest.
He seemed to possess a peculiar fascination
over her, and it was one of the strangest court
ships one could possibly imagine. He bad a
violent temper, and was very jealous,
and dreadful scenes occurred. One even
ing she ran to, my bedroom, and he came
and kicked the panels of the door in. All
this took place, misd you, before they were
married. He eeemed to fascinate my poor
sister in some way because, notwithstanding
bis treatment of her, ebe allowed herself to be
come engaged to him. We knew nothing
about him beyond what he told us himself.
He showed my mother certain papers, told her
that he was Joseph Possel, Marqois de Gon
doville, and that his father, who was
an aged man living in Paris, has passed
the title on to him. My sister 'had a
reversionary interest which she sold before
her marriage for' close on £1,490. This
money she handed over to Posse], who in
return gave her what he called a bond
for £3,000 payable on the death of his father.
After the marriage they went onto the Con
tinent, but my sister was never allowed to
write to ma She used to write to my mother,
hWever, and the last letter, dated from
Sorrento, was received on July 23, the day
after her death. She always spoke kindly of
her husband and never said anything against
him. The first news we received that any
thing had happened to her was a telegram from
the landlord of the hotel where they had
stayed. It was to the effect that my fister had
had a bad fall and that her life was in danger.
The next telegram was to say that she was
dead, and then a telegram came from bet
husband stating that she had fallen over
a precipice and that be was starting
for England. The version of the affair which
he cavo me when he came to England differed
from that which, he told my mother. He told
me that they went for a drive, that something
got wrong with the harness, that while be was
attending to it my sister (fotoutof the trap
and eat on a parapet. The next thing be
heard was a cry and then two thuds on the
rocks below. On looking up he round. that
my sister had fallen over. To my mother he
said that my sister was tared of sitting in the
trap and that they both got down to examine
tbe scenery. Afterwards she sat on the parapet
and fell over. With regard to tbe statement that
her life was insured for £10,000, all I can say is
that ju?t before her marriage my sister told me
she intended to insure her life, and that Joseph
was going to insure his, and that it was agreed
the policies ebould be in favor of one another.
Whether she did so or not I cannot say, but it
is strange that within the past few days the
representatives of two insurance companies,
one English and the other French, have called
at our house to make enquiries."
Since writing the foregoing the wretched
husband Possel has committed suicide in the
private room of a Paris restaurant.
$