The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-02-15

death.
Ret,kcn in 1914 hy Nidocl. the pris-
ouer Was sent t. Rochefort. After seven
or eight wears he Was parionel \ ms
erahie thing WAS "a frooi convict IN thusJ
days. For ten years he MAS condemned
"a police surveillance; his yellow ticket
~ leave announced his disgrace % every
one he could find no employment nor
even shelter. They hunted HIM from
plsce 10 place Ike a Wild beast or leper
He triei o. shoot himsclf-and iailei
Refused work and lacking bread. he stole
the means to purchase meal The court
only looked at his rts,uri of escapes and
sentences; counsel were assigned HIM tou
duh to see the magnificent opening such
csase presented, and the poor fellow got
ten Years more.
For thirty wears now he had been con
yict and soldier. but he had not lost
strength-pussihlv even some hope sur
yivei in him that the luck would turn
At any nate, he broke jail ag'lin-he had
been confined at Djon-and made his
way Il Paris, where, August 10. 1928 a
detective rccoguiZe,l him ON the Rue ST
Martin, and hauled him before the com
missioner of the second division, NJ
Henry. II WAS before NJ. Henry that
Dubois had been taken when he was ar-
rested at Bondy in 1914 10 him the sol
diev had iutrusted the 4, 600 francs placed
IN his hands from the regimeutal chest
he knew al about his case. To his in
dehble disgrace the official only recalled
that Dabois had been before him ON "a
previous occasion, and the prisoner WAS
sent - Bicetre.
Bice;re and La Furce were then literal
hells. There Was no classification Of
prisoners; the strongest and most brutal
ruled his ward without interference bv
his keepers. The prisons swarmed with
vernin and reeked with malaria. and the
prisoner who could not bribe the turn
KEYS ran an imminent risk Of diving of
hunger. Dubois remained here four
years, slowly sinking IN health and
spirits. Justice seemed 10 have forgot
ten him, when he was taken back "a
Dion He had been condemned ia con-
ttamaciaUI for his escape in 1922. The
prison doors opened for hmm again as iu-
eXoably as ever, this time Mont ST.
Michel being his destination. On his
way thither, while passing Prez-eu-
Pail. lR escaped again.
He WAS subsequently asked why he
had 50 frequently escaped, and an
swered:
i hal lost hope l begun TO believe
that I was destined Ia end my days nm
der the lock and key, and | sought t.
escape because every day OF liberty was
a day saved from inevitable captivity. 1t
had been for more than thirty wears my
luck Il be rearrestcd and committed, nud
since il had to be So, | tried when
could 70 cheat it,
Yes. Ii was his luck November -,
1881. he was entering the diligence, Rue
du Bauloi, when a hand was laid ON his
shoulder IL WIS the inevitable police
officer. For the first time, gaining
strength and eloquence from his dcs-
peratIon, Dubois resolved t. plead his
own case. He told his story, insisted on
his innocence Of the original crime laid
10 his charge, recoItoi his honorable
service in three armies Of France, show
ed his scars. The court heard him part
" through, yawned and sent him back
10 Bicctre.
Small wonder he gave up for while
and abandoned himself 10 despair He
was almost sixty. and luck had run
cruelty against him for nearly forty
years under the republic, the consulate,
the empire, the hundred days, two res
toratlons and one revolution. He WAS
destined 10 Mont ST. Michel. most hor-
rible Of the prisons OF the day. The
monarchy Of July was then IN its first
flush and inclined to be merciful, and as
a last hope he wrote ont the whole story
OF his life from the time that he entered
the school Of Brienne He did not omit
an incident, his escapes, the petty theft
he committed after vaInly attempting
suicide.
You VIII find it all in the Ga-sttc dcs
Tri6RGtLr Of the time. 1t concludes
thus
Advanced in age, my strength is fail
ing. There remain to ne but one hope
and the sorrow of never seeing the end
to my evils. Still the sovercign's mercy
is great. / have never committed a
crime which should make me despair Of
pardon. | cannot survive the hardships
Of the fearful route from Paris to Mont
position may be amehorated, by sparinC
me that terrible journey and severe treat
mcnt, and that l may bc sent 10 place
+ Of detention nearer Paris, rs Poissy OF
T Melun, where my brother, who VIII give
security for me, can find me work at my
trade tsaddlcry), and / can await in pa
tience the moment when your majesty
will deign to take pity on my misfor.
tunes"
1 This plea he sent to Queen Amelia
most pious and venerable Of sovereigns.
And now with tender hearted woman,
and she a queen, on his side, Dubois
luck turned. The queen had the whole
story hunted ont.
III was all true
The reZimental records attested the
bravery and scrupulous honesty Of Fran.
co.'s Dubois.
Old Marshal Marticr told how the hus-
sar had hidden first and heailOng into the
battery Of BOut-de- Lain.
The Duke de Trevise bore witness be
fore the queen Of the hussar's repeated
gallantry and Of his services b France rs
a dispatch carrier, and interceded warmly
for him.
The prefecture Of police itself could
only report that the worst offense against
Dubois was his breaking jail it was for
this that he had been 50 rclentlessly pur-
sued and 50 often arrested there was no
reason why he should not be pardoned.
( He was, for the next weeks Gdzctte
\ des Iri6uHaur contained this an.
nouncement
1--WE have the satisfaction Of announ.
cling that this unfortunate prisoner has
been liberated and that her majesty the
queen has presented him with a sum OF
money sufficient 10 prevent him for the
rest Of his days from again falling into
misery"
We never heard of Dubois after this,
and it is pleasant TO think that at last he
found rest, peace and comfort.
That is the story Of FRANCOIS Dubois
hero and galley slave, as it is written II
the police archives, the army records anc
( the gazette des Tribundur, how the
blind fury of the law hunted him fol
forty years, and to the verge Of the grave
for an offense which he never committed