The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1877-03-20
Selfrf Shry.
An Historical Jean Vatican.

An Historical Jean Vatican.
The Ill-Luck that Pursued Fran.
coils DubOls, Hero and Con.
vict for Forty Years,
This is the story Of Francois Dubois,
hero and galley-slsve, as 1t is written in
the police archives. the army records,
and the Gazette des Tribunaux:
Toward the close of 1913 he present.
ed himself 10 the commandant of Wesel,
Prussia, haggard and in rags, saying
that he belonged to the chasseurs, and
had been dismounted during the retreat
and compelled to skulk slowly after the
army, and asked to be forwarded to his
regiment. In those terrible days men
were precious, and officers we're not sur.
tprised to discover veterans in rag-clad
skeletons. Dubois was sent to the hus.
sar regiment attached to the Marshal
Martier's army, where he soon became
the talk of the corps. He never was
known to laugh, spoke but rarely, and
fought With reckless daring uncommon
even in those times. At Bars. s.sur. .Aube,
when the hussars charged the battery at
the bridge of Bout-de-Lain, he was the
first to reach the guns and falling with
Bersirkir rage on the cannoneers Of one
piece killed, wounded and dispersed
them, and had taken the gun single-han.
ded before the squadron could seize the
others. The Marshal had seen the bat.
terry carried, and sending for Dubois
praised him highly and promised him the
Cross.
Not long after, Cue Maj ishal had occa.
sion to send dispatch from Troyes to
the Emperor, then at Pine, on the Bri.
enne road, and selected the hussar as bis
messenger. The country was thick with
hostile pickets and scouts; he was fred
upon several times but by good luck and
good management, now fighting, now
running, now hiding, he made his way in
safety to Marmont's outpost, and was
conducted to the Emperor. Napoleon
gave him brief written reply, instruct
ling him In the presence of his staff ia
conceal it In his boot leg. Dubois hai
made his way back as far as the mill o.
Sanciere, near Ia Belle: Epine, when hs
found himself hemmed in on all sides BY
a squad of Cassocks. He rode resolutely
at the thinnest part of the line AID triet
to cut his way through, but after des
perate fight was unhorsed, disarmed ant
led to the headquarters of the Russian
Emperor.
"What orders were you carrying p
asked the chief Of staff.
"Verbal orders"
"That's lie. Search the lining Of hi'
left boo:," replied the Russian. TIL,
guard did so-Who had betrayed tn,
Emperor from his own headquarters p
and the paper was found. Dubois wa'
locked up, prisoner, with Lieutenan,
Anger, of the lancers of the guard, and
Auguste Bernard, one of the Emperor's
couriers. Two days later, at St. Marc
| be and Anger escaped and rejoined tht
French army. The Duke de Trevisst
welcomed him warmly and rewarded hin
for his services. At Bergere Dubois wa
1severely wounded while fighting with hi
usual .headlong bravery. Napoleon wa'
forced back on Paris, stubbornly thougl
he resisted. March u, 1914, at Bondy
Dubois, his wounds not yet healed, bu
attached to the Commissariat staff, wa
ijust about to enter the headquarters o
Count Millott, who had proposed hi
name for the Cross, when three of vi
docq's agents arrested him as fugitiv
lgalley-slave!
At the police Office he was identi6e
and ordered aside to be returned to tn
galleys. He gave up to the police sur
Of 1000 francs belonging to the reg
mental chest, with which he had been in
trusted to make some purchases at Bor
dy. Brincart, the colonel Of his reg
|, ment, made the most earnest attempts t
secure his release, but all in vain. Th
mighty fabric OF the First Empire wa
|. falling to pieces, and officials had some
thing more important to think abor
}. than the case Of a private soldier-a
escaped convict.
J. Dubois was born at Prauthoy, in Uppt
Marne; he was sent to the school of Br
enne at the age of twelve: in 1870 b
father placed him among the students
Mars. After Robespierre's downfall D.
bois was returning homeward when,
Bar sur-Seine, he fell In with soldier
g the Fourteenth Dragons. They becau
o friends, visited the different places of Il
town together, and dined with much jo
llity at the Crown, pablo house kept |
:. one Chevlerat. At dinner the dragoe
stole three silver spoons, which coup
= of days later, as they were about to Sc
arate. he sold to Dubois, at low pric
saying they were his own. Meanwhil
the landlord missing his silverware, So
< pected them and followed them to
Marc, where they were arrested. T.
dragoon escaped from the gendarme
the spoons were found on Dubois 81
he, then being only twenty years of az
was sentenced to eight years hard lab
as an accessory to the theft.
He was FIRST sent to the galleys Of To
Ion, whence, January 81, 1796, be esca
ed, enlisting in the Seventh Chasseurs.
D He was sent to the army of Italy, whe
he served with marked courage, recei
ing several wounds, notably one in t
face from an Austrian saber, at Mare
IT. 60. Being honorably discharged
g. went to work at Ancerville; one Of |
men identified him as convict and
" had to fly to Troyes. Here. too, after
" considerable interval spent in labor