The Democratic Whig. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1842-1843, 1843-04-20

ed feeble denialsto this declaration and was |
consequently taken TO the Concsergerie
On the morrow, Durochat was transferred |
to Versailles, where he was to be judged.
Daubenton and huissier departed with the
prisoner. aud four gendarmes. As they reach |
ed the village of Grosboia. he demanded some
breakfast, for he had eaten nothing since Inc
preceding day, They stopped a. me 1lst
GuberQe and there Durochat MANIFESTED 0ss-
ire 10 sneak to the ma gistrate in private.
Daubanton ordered the gendarmes to leave
:hem together and even the hulssIer, though
he made him understand by sign the danger
of being alone with SO desperate Williams was
begged to retire. A breakfast was ordered for
the two. II was brought-but, by the order
of The huissier, only one knife was placed on
the table. Daubenton took il up, and began
careless,y to break an egg with il.
Dubenton looked at him fxedly for mo-
ment and said.
'Monsieur le Judge, you are afraid T. :,
GAtraid!' replied he calmly, Hand Of whom!
GOf me" said Durochat.
.aFolly ~ continued the other breaking hls
egg 49,
,aYou are. Yon arm yourselfwith knife"
sand he sarcastically.
.sBah 2, replied Danbenton, presenting him
the knife, sscut me piece of bread, and tell
me what You have To communicate TO me res
pectIng the murder of the courier of Lyons"
There is something in the collected courage
of a brave man more impressive than anr
menace and courage is a thing which acts
upon all natures, however vile. Strongly
moved by the calm audacity of the magistrate
the rufian who had seized the knife with mem
acing vivacity, now set it down upon tie table
and with a lettering voice said, sVOuS etes at11
braae citOyen :" then after pause,"l am lost
man--it's all up with me but you shall know
ALL"
He then detailed the circumstances of the
crime. as we have related them above and
confirmed all Couriol's declarations naming
Couriol, Rossi Vidal, and Dnbosq, as his ac-
completes. Before the tribunal he repeated
he &C count, adding, s'that he had heard an IN
div idua named Lesurques had been condemn
ed for he crime, but he had neither seen him
at the time Of the deed nor subse quently. He
did not know him."
He added that it was Dubosq whose spur
had been broken. and was mended where
they had dined /; for he had heard them talk
about is,and that he had lost it IN the scuff1e.
He had seen the other spur in his hand, and
heard him say that he intended throwing 1t IN
the river. He further gave a description OF
Dubosq's person, and added that on that day
he wore f1axen peruke.
Toward the end of the year 8-four years
after the murder of the courior OF Lyons
Dubosq was arrested for robbery and was
transferred to Versailles, there 10 be judged
by the Tribunal Correctional The president
ordered that he should wear a faxen peruke,
and be confronted with the witnesses from |
Mongeron and Lieursalnte, who now unanI- !
mously declared that he was the man that |
they had seen. This, coupled with the declar- |
alton of Couriol, Durochat, ard Madelaine |
Brehapsufhced to prove the identity and he |
did not deny his acquaintance with the other |
culprits. He was therefore condemned, and |
persisted on the scafold for the crime.
Vidal was also arrested and executed, |
though persislng in his innocence and finally |
Ross was shortely after discovered and con- |
demned.. He exhibited profound repentance |
and demanded the succors of religion. To
his confessor he left this decaration-"I assert |
that Lesurques is innocent but this must OIL |
ly be made public six months after my death"
Thus ends this strange drama !; thus were
the proofs of Lesurque's iHr 5cence furnished
beyond a shadow of doubt and thus, we may
add, were seven men executed for a crime
committed by five men two therefore were in
nocent-were victims OF the law.
VI1I.-THE Way IN WHICH FRANCE REcTI-
FIEs AN ERROR.
1t is now forty years since the innocence of
Lesurquts has teen established, and ] tile
has been done toward the rehabilitation of his
memory the protection of his children, and the
restitution of his confiscated goods! Forty
years has the government been silent.
NJ. Daubenton, who took so honorable and
active a part in the detection of the real Grim
mails, consecrated great part of his life and
fortune TO the cause of the unfortunate widow
and her children. wThe declaration he address.
ed to the minister of Justice commenced thus
1.-THE error on which was founded the con
demnation of Lesurques arose neither with the
81
the dispositions Of the witnesses, manifested
that conviction judicially; and the judges
after the declaration of the jury pronounced
according to the law.
'sThe error of his condemnation arose from
the mistake of the witnesses--from the fatal
resemblance to one of the culprits not appre
hended Nothing gave reason to suspect, at
that time, the cause ofthe error in which the
witnesses had fallen.'
We beg to observe that the whole trial was
conducted IN a slovenly and shameful manner,
A man is condemned on the disposition of witt
nesseS witnesses be it observed of such dull
ness of pei ception and such confidence in their
notions that they persisted in declaring Guesno
to be one OF the culprits as well as Lesurques.
Yet the abb OF Guwno was proved beyond
doubt. How, then, could the jury, with this
instance of mistake before their eyes, and
which themselves had condemned asa mistake
by acquiring Guesno-how could they place
such firm reliance on those selfsame testimon.
les when applied to Lssurques But because
one foolish friend perjured himself to serve Les
urques, the jury hastily set down all his friends
prejurers they had no evidence of this; it was
mere indignant reaction of feeling, and,as such
violation of their Office: The case ought 10 have
been sifted TWAS shufaed over hastily. a
verdict passed in anger, was executed though
at The time strong doubt existed in tie
minds Of the judges as to its proprely
Neither the Directory nor the Consulate
neither the Empire nor the Restoration, paid
attention to the widows suppIieations for
revision of the sentence, that her husbands
mama rnirhf hn clna rad na his r,n..r.,na. -.