The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-04-30


1t was brought into court aud identified. 1t
Was then put ON Raymond and Was twice
too large IL was then put ON GonZalve and
hi exactly The case wss plain enough,
but one man, named NcPhetridQe. a car.
Penter by trade and Native American in
politics. hung the Jury. The second trial
was held in the east front Of the court
house, second fner. Ii Was but repetition
OF the first, and resulted likewise in hung
jury. The prisoners were never acquitted
by court or jury.
This was almost the last criminal tljal
conducted by either Gsyer or Bates. 1t
was the last one generally attended by the
elite 81 our female s"cIe'y. Nothing could
exceed tie interest they took in it, Besides
the bloody tragedy ON one side and the pO-
e,ic and touching mi-foriuEes Of the de-
tend,nts, especially Raymond, on the 9TH
er side, il wa- SCI arist".r.iic to side with q
handsome Young. real French Count when
act upon bv tv native American me.
ehani,s and Gerni,n acht- n,i-6er1igers-
forty eigh;er-.
FRENCH COUNT
in those primitive days attracted much
more attention and admiration than King
would now.
At that time the Creote element was still
a very prominen, and perhaps even a pre-
penetrating portion Of our people. Always
gentle. pure and affectionaie. devoted to
their own I" la belle France" and all ito
glorious histories and memories, they were,
oi course, deeply moved to see two Ut iis IL
iustrious noblemen charged with crime
which was due to the visitation of God
alone. MANY Of them, especially Mr.
Charles r. ChOuteau and his family, showed
them devoted attention from first to last.
Their pardon by The Governor Was anom-
alo''s. and although Z mny have to act
somewhat ~ NV own trumpeter, il NAV not
he unintersSting To ~. ate the manner in
which u Wa obtained.
Notwithstanding the failure to convict
after two trials On the merits, the State re.
fused to enter nolle pros.
Mr.. Louis Borg, the Consul, suggested
privately that il appeared to the French
authorities that the defendants were being
| subjected not merely to the demands Of i'm
partial Justice, but to the prejudices Of .
mcb. had been employed as a Young at
torney To do some out ii court work in the
ease. sud had become quite intimate with
the defendants. Mr.. Borg gave me letter
from their mother (which have here) ap-
psiiing to him with the vehemence Of .
mnthsr's affection. for her children to get
them released, and undertook on my own
account and in nv own way To DO il.
| In those days of stages and steamboats, it
took about u week to make q round trip
from here TO Jefferson City. but posted Of
| there with a petition To Austin A. King,
then Governor Of the State.
At first he fatty refused even to talk on
the subject. bnt after a great deal Of impor-
tunity he finally sgreed to pardon Gonzslve,
| il l would get the certificate OF at least
seven doctors to his insanity. Perhaps he
thought in this way to get rid of me, hut
returned to st. Louis, got the certificate
signed by more than the required number
Of physicians, and went back to Jefferson
City. lie was greatly surprised to see me
second time, apologized for being unable to
keep his word, but
PEREMPrORILY DECLINED
to listen to my appeal. He said Col. A. B.
Chambers had made an attack on him in
the Missouri Republican for hrs laxity in
granting pardors, and had given public no
tice that IN investigation would be asked
about the matter "a soon IA the Legislature
me; that he 1.-THE governor) had been too
free in his psrdcns, and the release Of two
French Counts, before conviction, was alb
solutely out of the question. The best I
coula get OFT Os him Was promise to con-
slider the matter fairly il obtained the
signature OF Col. Chambers to the petition,
ur letter from him tn the Governor. I
now returned here second time When I
I spoke to Colonel Chambers he refused sbso-
ln,e!y to address Governor King on any
subiec. whatever, but he cheerfully wrote q
letter to ME in favor Of their pardon, and
I th,,v, 1oi In II IA
also published anedi;Orial in the Republican,
IL the same effect.
When appeared before the Governor
the third time he was abrupt ~ ever. II
was before dinner. After few moments
conversation retired. saying would re-
turn in the afternoon and urge my case
again. He replied il was Of no use. Now,
in those DAYS newspapers came to Jefferson
City n slowly as the stage coaches them
selves, and still more irregular. A | left
I, IA a mere courtesy, handed him the latest
st. Louis papers. Each Of them contained
an editorial
FAvORIN0 THE PARDON.
The article were theirs BY adoption, but, in
point Of fact, had all been written by me.
When I returned after dinner found his
Excellency greatly sentenced. Public opin-
ion had dome its work. Ttheu handed him
the letter of Colonel Chsmbers to myself.
informed him that had permission to use
il al I pleased, and explained that the
Colonel would find il difficult to oppose the
portlOn of Germans and Irishmen, and ad.
vocate the release Of French Counts before
conviction, even. and offered TO give him
the letter for the pardon. He read the let
ter with his eyes wide open, saw the point,
and few hours afterward l was on my
way home with the pardon Of GOnsalve in
my pocket.
Raymond refused to receive . pardon, az
it might imply some guilt or fault on his
part, and finally . nondescriPt document
was drawn up BY Mr.. Bates declaring
his innocence and "exoneraiinz" him
from any legal process or inability,
etc, etc., Colonel Chambers vas we'll
pleased and somewhat amused with the
way in which the matter had been
managed. take pleasure in stating here
that the final release of those unfortunate
gentlemen and their return to their own
country, after 80 many calamities and such
. long confinement in Jail. could not have
been obtained By me without his generous
aid. Gever, Bates, Primm and myself all
agreed that pardon before conviction,
although We could find no precedent, vas
valid. lha validity was not questioned BY
the court when offered a. q warrant for
the release Of the prisoners, and they
we're
ACCORDINGLY DISCHARGED.
Immediately alter their return to
France, Gonzaiye was placed in Maison
de Santa, where he remained until his
death. Raymond was appointed BY the
Emperor atiacLe to the French embassy
to Spain. In order to show that he was
grateful to lis ST. Louis friends, / will
state tia, correspondence, in French,
was kept up between him and myself for
many years. and he always spoke with
gratitude oi the ladies and gentleman Who
6~trien.ied him here. The following n an
extract of q letter from him to myself,
dated at the French embassy, Madrid, De-