The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-01-03

Two Notable Cases I'm France,

Two Notable Cases in France.
A petition has just been presented to
he French Assembly by M. Varambon,
member from the Department of Rhone.
The matter involved is curious as show
ing phase of justice, or injustice,
which is not wholly confined to France.
Some thirty-six years ago an inn
keeper living in the neighborhood of
st. Symphoriensur-Coise was accused
of murder. Very soon after he was ar
rested and taken before the examining
magistrate. The latter, pompous, pu-
ritanical official, was DESTROYS of giving
himself some reputation in the case.
1t never entered his mind that the ac-
cused might be innocent. Believing in
his guilt in advance, he sought only for
his conviction. Finally, brought be-
fore the Court of Assize, Dussud-such
was the name of the prisoner-endeav-
ored to preserve calm bearing, and to
present some clear explanations of the
circumstances which weighed against
him. This very fact damaged him in
the estimate of the President. His
calmness was the hardihood of brazen
crime, his ingenious explanations were
the cunning of an astute criminal. This
view. taken and boldly announced by
the President, had its weight with the
jury. This fact overcame the poor
devil, and he burst into tears. "At last"
said the President, "the truth prevails.
The jury, have no doubt, in fixing
your punishment will take into account
your repentance" 1t was in vain that
the accused endeavored to explain that
there was nothing of which be could re-
pent; the assurance only strengthened
the impression that his apparent de-
spair and exhibitions of grief were the
acting of confirmed criminal. The
case was vigorously presented for the
state by three lawyers; and the jury
found him guilty with extenuating cir
cumstances; the Judge therefore SEN
fenced him to the galleys for life.
Dussud served fifteen years at hard
labor, and then was pardoned out, and
permitted to go home, but subject to
police surveillance. His life was thence
forth wretched one. Despised or for
gotten by all his former friends, he be-
came vagabond without a home or
means of subsistence. In 1871, upon
his death-bed, another individual con-
fessed himself guilty of the crime for
which poor Dussud had so long suffered.
To-day, the heirs of Dussud, through
Varambon, have petitioned the French
Assembly for the sum of 100000 francs,
rs compensation for the material losses
which they have endured from the alb
sence of their father, and the disgrace
of a crime of which he was not guilty.
That the amount will be paid seems to
be the general belief.
The French paper which relates these
facts also recalls the celebrated case of
a woman named Doize, accused of at
tempted assassination. The same kind
of Judge seems to have presided in
her trial. He believed her guilty, and
gave himself to the labor of proving it
with all the ardor OF a prosecuting Off
Ger. He was an ingenious man, and he
hit upon a happy expedient to force the
woman to confess her crime. She was
about to become a mother, and this fact
gave the Judge his cue. He said to her
should have her accouchment in the
finest apartments 10 be had, and should
be treated with every attention that
would be given TO Duchess. The
woman was affrighted at the vision of
her child being born in the damp,
meage1, and unwholesome appointments
of prison The instincts OF the mother
prevailed, and she confessed that she
was concerned in the attempt to- assassi-
nate Henry ". The Judge kept his
word. The child was born amidst every
possible luxurious surrounding. The
jury found her guilty, but with sxtenu-
ating circumstances, which saved her
life. She was condemned to- perpetual
imprisonment with hard labor; and SIX
months later was released, her entire
innocencs having been established be
yond any question.