The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-02-16
fHE STORY OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.

The STORY OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
The judicial blunder which sent Le-
surques to the scaffold grew out of his
fatal resemblance to a villain named
Dubosc. 1t is famous in the annals of
French Jurisprudence, and is celebrated
in one of the most popular, powerful
and exciting dramas on the French
stage.
Joseph Lesurques was born at Douai,
of respectable parents. He entered the
army at an early age, and served in the
Auvergne regiment until 1889, when he
was honorab y discharged, and soon aft
er married and settled in Douai.
He acquired a small fortune during
the Revolution by lucky speculations,
and removed with his family to Paris
late in 1895, where he took up his abode
with his cousin, Andre Lesurques, pend
ing repairs ON the house that he had
hired. He was still living with this
Andre when the crime was committed
for which he suffered.
On the morning of the 9th Floreal,
an ~. (2Sth April, 1850, some peas
ants found the mail-coach that ran be-
tween Paris and Lyons abandoned in
the woods, near the hamlet of Lieur-
saint, few leagues distant from Paris.
One of the horses was missing; the
other was still harnessed to the vehicle.
Near by, among mass of papers
smeared with blood, lay the dead body
OF the position, and q little further on
that of the courier; both disfgured by
dreadful wounds, that, together with the
trampled grass, gave evidence of des-
perate struggle. The peasants imme-
diately alarmed the neighborhood, and
summoned the proper officers, who pro-
ceeded to an investigations
A few steps from the victims they
found several articles that had evidently
belonged to the murderers, namely,
great-coat with q narrow dark blue bor-
der, a broken saber with it's sheath, the
sheath of large knife, another saber
sheath, and plated spur with chain
attached, which had been broken, and
mended by means of bit of large cord.
The blade of the saber was red with
blood, and bore the legend,
"EhOnneur me conduit,
Pour lie salut de ma patrie,"
a strange sentiment for highwayman
to carry about him.
The time of the murder, as nearly as
could be ascertained, was nine o'clock
of the night before. The courier's
papers showed that on setting out he
had had in his possession ten thousand
francs in coin and several millions in
assignats, all of which were missing.
An inquest was next held, when it APP
peared, from the testimony of several
witnesses, that four men On horseback
had been along the road, on the after
noon of the 9th of April, as far as
Lieursaint, but not beyond; and that
these same men, in company with a fifth
horseman, had returned towards Paris
in the night 1t also appeared that the
coach had carried but one passenger, q
man wrapped in ga great-coat with a
narrow dark border" who had taken
his seat beside the courier at Paris.
This man was nowhere to be found.
He was clearly an accomplish, who had
made good his escape on the missing
horse, and was the fifth horseman" Of
the witnesses. A bloody saber was pro-
duced that had been picked up on the
road near Melun. 1t fitted exactly the
odd sheath found at the scene of the
murder Finally, the volunteer who
had mounted guard in Paris at the Bar
riere de Rambouillet, between four and
five o. clock, on the morning of the 28th
of April, testified to the entrance into
the city, at about that time, of five horse
men. riding at full speed upon horses
reeking with sweat and almost spent.
The police now took the matter in
hand. After securing the missing post
horse, which was found astray in Paris,
near the Place Royale, they proceeded
to look up the other four They soon
discovered that at about five o clock, on
the morning of the 2Sth of April, man
named Courriol had left at certain
tavern in Paris four foaming horses,
which he and another man had taken
away again at seven O clock; that this
Courriol had lodged in the Rue de Petit
Reposoir before the 9th of April, but
had not slept in his lodgings ON the
night of the murder, or returned to them
since; that from the 2Sth of April to
the 9th of May he had lodged with his
mistress in the Rue de la Boucherie, at
the house of one Richard; and, in fine,
that on the 9th of May the two had
taken out passports for Troyes, and left
the city together in post-chaise. The
tugitiyes were traced to the house of a
man named Collier, in Chateau Thierry.
The police found there also citizen of
Douai, named Guesno, who had arrived
Anew hours previously from Paris, where
he too had lodged with Richard. This
Richard, it should be remarked, had for
merly resided in Douai. Guesno and
Golfer were arrested, as well as Cour-
riol and his mistress, and ali four were
taken to the capital
AS about one fifth Of the stolen prop
erty was recovered from Courriol. he
was at once committed for trial; but
Guesno and Collier easily convinced the
magistrate. Daubanton, OF their limo
cence, and were discharged from Gus
tody. GuesRo was told to call the next
day and get his papers, which had been
seized in his room at Richards.
Now Guesno was well acquainted
with Joseph LeSurque, and happening
to fall in with him the morning after his
release, while on the way to Daubanton' S
Office, he very naturally RECALLED his
friend with the story of his late unpleas-
ant experience. Lesurques no less nat
urally inced great interest in Guesno S
recital accompanied him to his place of
destination, and readily consented to 90
IN with him and see the end of the mat
ter Ihey. accordingly passed into the
magistrate 5 Office, and seated them
selves IN the ante-room, which was full
OF country people, witnesses in Cour-
riol $ case Two of the women present
eyed them curiously and closely. and
kept up brisk whispered conversation
until summoned to Laubanton. GLesno
and Lesur ues little thought what was
the tenor Of that conversation, although