Henri Desire Landru (‘The French Bluebeard’), Found Guilty of Eleven Murders on 1 December 1921

Henri Desire Landru, the ‘The French Bluebeard’ who killed eleven women who he met via the lonely hearts advertisements in the Paris newspapers, was found guilty of these murders on 1 December 1921 and was sentenced to be executed.

Here is a newspaper story from 2 December 1921 that reports on the trial of Landru – spookily, the newspapers reported that Landru had ‘hypnotic eyes’. Hmm.

Landru’s story was the inspiration for the Charlie Chaplin film, ‘Monsieur Verdoux’.

Western Times – Friday 2 December 1921

Image © Local World Limited. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000265/19211202/131/0012

The Sunday Post – Sunday 6 November 1921

Image © D.C.Thomson & Co. Ltd. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000566/19211106/115/0016