Calmette, Gaston |
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BORN 28 Jul 1858, Montpellier, Hérault - DIED 18 Mar 1914, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine CAUSE OF DEATH murdered by gunshot GRAVE LOCATION Paris: Cimetière des Batignolles, 8 rue Saint-Just (division 15) |
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Gatson Calmette was the brother of Albert Camette, the bacteriologist who had developed a vaccine against tuberculosis. In 1884 he started working for the conservative newspaper "Le Figaro" and he became its editor in 1894 and its director in 1902. In 1914 he started a campaign against Joseph Caillaux, the Minister of Finance of France. This was because he had introduced progressive taxes and he wasn't anti-German enough at the time. Behind thids campaign were Louis Barthou and Raymond Poincaré. Calmette published private letters from Caillaux. His second wife Henriette feared that letters would be published from which it would become clear that she already had an affair with Caillaux when he was still married to his first wife. She went to Calmette's office on 16 Mar 1914 and shot him four times in the breast, killing him instantly. Caillaux resigned from his post and Henriette had to stand trial. She was acquitted and this led to enormous protests in France. Calmette loved art and was the owner of a collection of caricatures and engravings of the First Empire. Related persons • was murdered by Caillaux, Henriette |
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 The grave of Gaston Calmette at the Batignolles cemetery, Paris. Picture by Androom (23 Aug 2001) |
Sources • Gaston Calmette - Wikipédia (FR) |
