Tag: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Posted on

The Parisian Bluebeard is Guillotined

I suppose I gave away the ending of this story via the title of the blog. But don’t worry, I think you’ll enjoy the story (unfortunately, the victims and their relatives didn’t).

I previously introduced you to the infamous French serial killer, Dr. Marcel Petiot, in my blog Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (click here to read). I jokingly refer to him as “Jacques the Ripper.” Today, I’d like you to meet another serial killer who, in the early 20th century, became known as the “French Bluebeard.” Ironically, his beard was red and not blue. Despite different circumstances, he and Dr. Petiot met the same fate.

Did You Know?

Did you know we get the most hits on our blog posts when we use the word “guillotine” in the title?

Let’s Meet Henri Désiré Landru

Henri Désiré Landru (1869−1922) was born in Paris to working class parents. They were so overjoyed they bore a son that they gave him the middle name Désiré which means “much desired.” By all records, Henri’s mother and father provided a loving family atmosphere and did an exceptional job at parenting the boy. Henri was schooled by monks, served as an altar boy, and sang in the church choir. Henri was very intelligent and by the age of sixteen, he was studying mechanical engineering.

Henri Désiré Landru. Photo by anonymous (date unknown).
Henri Désiré Landru. Photo by anonymous (date unknown).

At the age of eighteen, Henri began his four-year service in the French army and eventually reached the rank of sergeant. After his discharge are when the problems began. Henri had been raised in relative poverty and he made the decision he would not return to that life style, whatever the cost.

Within two years of leaving the military, Henri had married his cousin and ultimately sired four children. Instead of finding gainful employment, Henri decided to pursue a life of crime and started with petty theft. He landed in jail many times and never showed any remorse for his actions. His father was so distraught over his son’s behavior that he hanged himself believing he had failed as a parent.

The Bluebeard Fairytale

The popular late-17th-century French fairytale of “Bluebeard” tells the story of a very violent but powerful man (with a blue beard because he was of the aristocracy—in other words, a blue blood) who murders his wives for disobeying him. After killing them, he would hang their bodies on hooks in a basement room of his large château. The French folk tale was inspired by the 15th-century Breton serial killer, Gilles de Rais (c. 1405−1440).

His last wife, the youngest daughter of a neighbor, was given a set of keys by Bluebeard with the admonishment that she could go anywhere in the château except for the locked basement room. Then he was off on a trip and left his wife all alone in the château.

Barbe Bleue (Bluebeard). Engraving by Gustave Doré (1862). Bibliothèque nationale de France. PD-100+. Wikimedia Commons.
Barbe Bleue (Bluebeard). Engraving by Gustave Doré (1862). Bibliothèque nationale de France. PD-100+. Wikimedia Commons.

After a while, she grew naturally curious about what was inside the locked room. One day, she took the keys, opened the door, and stepped into the room. There she was faced with the hideous remains of her husband’s previous wives. The floor was covered in blood and at one point, she dropped the keys and they became stained red.

When Bluebeard returned, he asked for the keys and became enraged when he saw the blood. He knew she had disobeyed his orders and had entered the room. Bluebeard became violent and threatened to kill her. As he dragged her to meet a similar fate as her predecessors, her brothers showed up in the nick of time and killed Bluebeard. The wife buried Bluebeard’s former wives’ remains and inherited his fortune along with the château.  Read More The Parisian Bluebeard is Guillotined

Posted on

“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”

Most of you are likely familiar with Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. You’ve read the book, seen one of the movie versions (including The Nutty Professor), or know the story just in passing. By chance you don’t, it’s the tale of a respected doctor, Henry Jekyll, who experiments with and drinks a serum that changes him into an evil, demented, and murderous thug, Edward Hyde.

Doctor Petiot. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). PD-Expired Copyright. Wikimedia Commons.
Doctor Petiot. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). PD-Expired Copyright. Wikimedia Commons.

Today’s blog is about a man who comes as close to the story of Jekyll and Hyde as anyone I’ve ever run across. About the only difference is that Dr. Petiot did not drink serum to transform into the serial killer he was—he did it all on his own.

Did You Know?

After the Nazis successfully invaded France, Hitler decided he wanted France’s occupied zone to be on the same time as Berlin. So, he made Vichy change it. Today, Paris is still on the same time zone as Berlin (UTC+1; CET). France has thirteen separate time zones when its overseas territories are considered. Metropolitan France has only one-time zone called “Central European Time” or, CET. While we are familiar with the American time zones (Pacific, Mountain, Central, and Eastern),  the world uses “Coordinated Universal Time” or, UTC. It is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time (it does not observe daylight-saving time). UTC is interchangeable with “Greenwich Mean Time” or, GMT. So, France and Germany are one hour ahead of UTC + 0 which runs through Great Britain. Prior to 1891, every French city and town was allowed to set its own time. However, once the trains started running, the government recognized the need to standardize the country’s time and they based it on solar time of Paris (historically speaking, hasn’t everything in France always revolved around Paris?).

After the August 1944 liberation, France decided not to return to the old time as the Allies were using the current one. I’m not going into the daylight-saving time issue as it really makes things complicated. Florida just passed a bill eliminating daylight-saving time but Congress has to approve it. I’m sure the Democrats and Republicans will find some way to bicker about this as well.

Let’s Meet the Good (but Crazy) Doctor

Marcel André Henri Félix Petiot (1897−1946) was born in Auxerre, France. During his childhood, Petiot committed many criminal acts including discharging a gun in school, robbery, and destruction of public property. It was also documented that he tortured small animals and enjoyed setting fires—all classic signs of a serial killer. Petiot was diagnosed as mentally ill and finished his basic education at a “special” school in Paris.

He served on the front during World War I where he was wounded and gassed. Sent to various rest homes, Petiot was arrested for multiple thefts. Thrown into prison, Petiot was again diagnosed with mental illness. So, what did the French officials do? They sent Petiot back to the front where he attempted to blow off one of his feet with a grenade. This exploit managed to get him honorably discharged (Corporal Klinger from M*A*S*H certainly would have been proud).

Petiot earned his medical degree in 1921 whereupon he set up practice in Villeneuve-sur-Yonne. He soon earned a nefarious reputation as a drug supplier, abortionist, and a thief. He also likely claimed his first victim in 1926. That same year, Petiot won the mayoral election which gave him the opportunity to embezzle the city’s funds. One year later, Petiot married Georgette and within a year, a son was born. By 1932, the citizens had figured him out and he moved his family to Paris. Read More “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”