The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-08-21
A ROMANTIC CAREER.


:, A fault committed early in life ofte
: throws a shadow over all the after years
. and the one false step-although atone
i for by long career of excellence
wont sooner or later to bring bitter re
] tribution. This strange story, takel
j from the late reports of late Frencl
newspaper, is a striking illustration 0
, our remark:
:, In the year 1855 Alfred Eripe, thel
, only twenty-four, was employed in the
Department of the Seine Prefecture witt
salary of 1850 francs per annum. His
father was an old taxpayer, and his fam.
lily one of the most honorable. The
young man had a mistress whose capricee
he found it difficult to crafty on his
slender salary. In December, In the
holiday season, his evil genius overcame
him, and he distracted from the Office IN
order for 8, 435 francs, drawn in the
name of III. Milcent, dealer In cattle.
He changed the date of this draft from
September 81, 1854, to the 9th of De
cember, 1856, presented it for payment
on the same day, and afterward, owing
to the opportunity his official duties gave
him, he succeeded in destroying it. In
the same way he disposed OF 1900
| francs in certificates. His extIavagant
mode of life awakened suspicion, and
when questioned by the cashier he con
fessed his guilt, and restored 1000 francs,
the balance left of the amount embezled.
He failed to appear on trial, and was
condemned TO ten years hard labor by
the Seine Court of Assizes in July, 1856.
He obtained possession of registry of
birth of one of his friends named Jules
Victor Adolpe Lemaitre, whose name
from thencefOrward he assumed. Armed
with this document, he enlisted in the
army for seven years. He was incOrpOr-
ated in the 4th regiment of Hussars, in
garrison at Mauberge, where his conduct
was exemplary, but he deserted in April, |
1859. Some time after the true Lamaitre /
was arrested as deserter, when the de- |
ception of Eripe was brought to light. |
For this new offense our hero was con |
demned again by default in August,
1860, to an additional term of ten years
at hard labor.
Meanwhile he escaped arrest, and as at
one time he had studied in the Louis-le-
Grand Lyceum, he succeeded in obtain
ing place as Professor in a school at
Nogent IArtauld.
In this new position he showed such
intelligence and devotion to duty as to
win general esteem. He became success
lively professor at Belleville, Concise and
Fere-en-Tardenois. He left in every
place the best reputation. AT length he
settled down at Fismes, where, after hay
ing given lessons for some time in
school, he became interested in the i'm
p0rtant sugar establishment Of Goumont
During all this time he preserved the
name of Lemaitre.
While at Percent ardenois, in Octo-
Der. 1863, he married Mademoiselle Eu- I
genie Coutant, whose parents had GER
ain amount of property. On this occa-
ion he produced the birth registry of
4emaitre, and the marriage certificate of
lis old friends parents, and affirmed
lnder oath, before Justice of the Peace,
hat he was ignorant of their place of
Iecease or of their last domiciI. He lost
lis wife in March, 1868, and three
months later he contracted new mar
iage with Mademoiselle Helen Fagnon,
f Fismes, who brought dowry of 500
rancs.
At Fismes he continued to enjoy the
onfde2ce of his patron, ana was consid- f
red one Of the most worthy citizens of I
he place, when on the 18th of last Feb
uary the genuine Lemaitre, who is an
ngineer on the Eastern Railway, while !.
t the station it Fismes, happened to hear b
he Assistant Station Master address a a
erson by the name Of Lemaitre. He d
recognized Eripe. He learn
d that Eripe had been married under
is name, and uneasy on his own account
nd that of his children-as he had tt
lready been victim Of mistaken iden-
ty-he made a complaint against his :
Id comrade. q,
The trial recently took place at the il
ssizes Court of the Seine. NJ Lachaud
offended the accused with fervent elo- L. L.
uence. He recounted in detail the W
areer of his client, who had labored all a
is life to eface his first fault. and who at ls
he moment when the twenty years of u
IMPRISONMENT to which he had been con Al
emned had almost run out, had been \,
In the midst of general +
notion the jury acquitted the prisoner z
lis wife, the family of his first wife, his Il
atron and host of his friends were 4
resent. The announcement of the YER
let was greeted with applause and the
,cused was surrounded by his friends. a,
no congratulated him. da
Had the jury been less sensible or hui q
ane, and found the Eripe guilty, he NJ NJ
ould have been cast into prison and dis vi
raced forever. His young wife would be
ave been broken hearted, and several TO
Apply homes would have been sorrow =,
ricken And all would have been of ~
, benefit, for as the object of punish t
ent is not vindictive, but rather to make al
paration or to serve as deterrent, it as
ould have done no good to punish Eripe I'll
this late day for his Youthful offense. t