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