The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1883-02-23


The judicial blunder which sent Le-
<urques to the scaffold grew out Of his
fatal resemblance TO ) villain named
Dubosc- Il 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 AZ Douai.
a respectable parents He entered the
army 1t an carly agc. and served in the
Autergne regiment until 1859. when he
was honorab discharged. and soon aft
er married and settled in Douai.
He acquired = small fortune during
the Revolution BY lucky speculations.
and removed with his family 70 Paris
la.c in 1875. where he took up his abode
with his cousin. Andre Lcsurqnes, pend
ing rcpairoon the house that he had
hired He was still living with this
Andre when the CRIME was committed
for which he suffered
On tho morning OF the 9th Florcal.
an IN. t2Sth April. 1867. some peas
ants found the mail-coach that ran be-
tween Paris and Lyons abandoned in
the woods. near the hamlet Of Licur-
saint few leagues distant from Paris.
One Of the horses was missing; the
other was still harnessed 20 the vehicle.
Near by. among . mass Of papers
smeared with blood. lay the dead body
o: the position. and little further on
that III the courier: both disfigurcd BY
dreadful wounds. that. together with the
trampled grass. gave evidence Of des-
rerate struggle The peasants inime-
diately alarmed the neighborhocd- and
summoned the proper officers. who pro
ceeded 70 m investigation.
A few steps from the victims they
found several articles that had evidently
belonged % the murdcrers. namely. q
great-coaf v II : narrow dark blue Dor
der. broken saber with its sheath. the
sheath Of large knife, another saber
sheath. and plated spur with chain
attached. which had been broken. and
mended BY means 81 = bit Of large cord.
The blade Of the saber was red with
blood. and bore the legend.
-Lhonneur me conduit.
Pour = >aIut a. ma pafric~
. strange sentiment for highwayman
% carry about him.
The time o. the murder. - nearly as
could be ascerfained. was nine o'clock
Of the might before The courier .
papers showed that on setting OUT he
had had in his possession ten thousand
francs in coin and several millions il
asSignats. al Or which were missing.
An inquest MAS next held. when IL ap-
peared. from the testimony Of several
witnesses. that 70 men on horseback
had been along the road. on the after
noon Of the 27th Of April. rs tar -
Lieursalnt. but not beyond; and that
these same men. in company with = fifth
horseman. had returned towards Paris
IN the night Il also appeared that the
coach had carried but one passenger. q
man wrapped IN 80 grea'-ccat with .
narrow dark border. M who had taken
bis seat beside the courier 81 Paris.
This man was nowhere % be found.
He was clearly ~ accomplice. who had
made good his escape on the missing
horse. and was the NTH horseman 81
the Witnesses a bloody saber was pro-
duced that had been picked Up on the
road near Melun. It fitted exactly the
odd sheath found q the scene of the
murder. Finally. the volunteer who
had mounted guard in Paris % the Bar
riere Dc Eamhcuillct, between four and
I'VE o'clock. on the morning Of the 2Sth
81 April. testified 70 the entrance into
the city. - about that time. Of i've horse
men. riding % 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 II Paris,
near fine Place RotnIc sher urocceIed