Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-02-03


receiving several wounds, notably one in
the face from an Austrian saber at Maren-
go. Being honorably discharged he
went to work at Ancerville; one of his
men identified him as convict and he
had to fly to Troyes. Here, too, after a
considerable interval spent in labor, he
was recognized, betrayed to the police
and sent back to the galleys, Fortu-
nately his services in the army pleaded
for him, and as an act of grace the time
he had served was deducted from his
sentence, and eleven months later he was
set at liberty.
Going, on his release, TO La Villette,
Dubois had lived there peacefully and
industriously for something more than a
year, when he was arrested and sentenced
to seven years Imprisonment for--escap-
ing from the galleys in 1896 This time
he was sent to Cherbourg, whence he es-
capped in 1909, fleeing to Paris and enlist
ing in the cavalry. He served in Spain,
as in Italy, with marked heroism and
faithfulness, and won the confidence OF
General Laverdiere, who made him his
orderly and selected him to attend him in
the Russian campaign. Passing by
Chalons on his road to the front Dubois
could not resist the temptation to visit
his family. His brother-in-law denounced
him to the authorities and Dubois was
sentenced to twenty-four years at the gal
leys. They sent him to Anvers, whence,
in 1918, he escaped to reioin the army, as
we have already said, and vanly seek
death.
Retaken in 1914 by Vidocq, the pris-
oner was sent to Rochefort. After seven
or eight years he was pardoned. A mis-
erable thing was freed convict III those
days. For ten years he was condemned
to police surveillance; his yellow ticket
Of leave announced his disgrace to every.
one he could find no employment nor
even shelter. They hunted him from
place to place like wild beast or a leper.
He tried to shoot himself-and failed.
Refused work and lacking bread, he stole
the means to purchase q meal. The court
only looked at his record of escapes and
sentences; counsel were assigned him too
dull to see the magnificent opening such
II case presented, and the poor fellow got
ten years more
For thirty years now he had been con-
Wet and soldier, but he had not lost
strength-possibly even some hope sur
vivsd in him that the luck would turn.
At any rate, he broke jail again--he had
been confined at Dijon-and made his
way to Paris, where, August 10, 1923,
detective recognized him on the Rue ST.
Martin, and hauled him before the COM
missioner of the second division, NJ
Henry. 1t was before NJ. Henry that
Dubois had been taken when he was ar
rested at Bondy in 1914 to him the sol
dier had intrusted the 4, 600 francs placed
in his hands from the regimental chest
he knew all about his case. To his in
delible disgrace the official only recalled
that Dubois had been before him on a
previous occasion, and the prisoner was
sent to Bicetre.
Bicetre and La Force were then literal
hellS. There was no classification of
prisoners; the strongest and most brutal
ruled his ward without interference by
his keepers. The prisons swarmed with
vermin and reeked with malaria. and the
prisoner who could not bribe the turn
keys ran an imminent risk of dying OF
hunger. Dubois remained here four
years, slowly sinking in health and
spirits. Justice seemed to have forgot
! ten him, when he was taken back to
Dion. He had been condemned IN con-
tuUlacjGm for his escape i'll 1922. The
prison doors opened for him again as in
exorably as ever, this time Mont st.
Michel being his destination. On his
way thither, while passing Prez-en-
Pail, he escaped again.
He was subsequently asked why he
had 50 frequently escaped, and an
swered:
81 had lost hope. begun to believe
that l was destined to end-my days un-
der the lock and key, and [ ght to
escape because every day of liberty was
a day saved from inevitable captivity. 1t
had been for more than thirty years my
luck to be rearrested and committed, and
since it had to be 50, / tried when
could to cheat it"
Yes 1t was his luck. November %,
1881, he was entering the diligence, Rue
du Bouloi, wlfen hand was laid on his
shoulder. 1t was the inevitable police
officer. For the first time, gaining
strength and eloquence from his des-
peration, Dubois resolved to plead his
own case. He told his story, insisted OIL
his innocence of the original crime laid
to his charge, recounted his honorable
service in three armies of France, show
ed his scars. The court heard him part
ly through, yawned and sent him bacl
to Bicetre.
Small wonder he gave up for q while
and abandoned himself to despair HI
was almost sixty, and luck had ru1
cruelty against him for nearly fort,
years under the republic, the consulate
: the empire, the hundred days, two res
torations and one revolution. He wa
t destined to Mont st. Michel, most hor
rible of the prisons of the day. Th
$ monarchy of July was then in it's frs
flush and inclined to be merciful, and a
$ a last hope he wrote out the whole stor
: of his life from the time that he entere,
J the school OF Brienne He did not omi
1 an incident, his escapes, the petty thei
he committed after vainly attemptin
suicide.
\ You will find it all in the Gaeette dc
j 1riban0atr of the time. 1t conclude
0 thus
Advanced in age, my strength is fai
y ing. There remain to me but one hop
:. and the sorrow of never seeing the en-
: to my evils. Still the sovereign's mere
g is great. / have never committed
h crime which should make me despair
= pardon. | cannot survive the HARDSHIP,
~ of the fearful route from Paris to MOI
st. Michel | beg, therefore, that IN
:, position may be ameliorated, by sparin
2 me that terrible journey and severe trea
!" ment, and that | may be sent to pla,
(, Of detention nearer Paris, as Poissy
i Melun, where my brother, who will gi,