The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1896-09-03
HISTORIC TRAGEDY.
CONVICTION OF JOSEPH LESURQUES
AND THE SAD SEQUEL.

An Unfortunate Resemblance and Fatal
Combination of Circumstances Caused
the Execution of a Man Whose limo
cence Was Afterward Established.
Although Lcsurqucs was executed as
far back as 1896, though his innocence
was established in 1901, though his
property was restored to the family in
1924, the corps legislatif, after the fam
lily had tried for over half century to
have his memory judicially rcbabilitat-
ed, definitely refused III 1869 to per-
form this last remaining act of justice.
The pedantry of French law forbade the
questioning of a jury verdict by any
one save the person directly interested.
But though the law has failed to re-
move the stigma on the name Of an in
nocent man. literature and the drama
have made him "a popular hero. The
Lyons Mail, in which his honor is
thoroughly yindicated. has been one Of
the most popular of all French melo-
Charles Reade and of Henry Irving have
made it one of the great successes of the
modern English stage.
Poor Lesurques, who, when he perish
ed on the scaffold, was but 33 years of
age, was good husband Il good father
and good citizen. He married, in
1890, Mile. Campion. "a lady of respect
able family II Douai and possessed of a
handsome dowry. Their children there
fore were very young and 1t was in or
der to give them the benefit Of supe-
rior education that he relinquished a
public appointment at Douai and came
to Paris, there to live ON his own private
fortune, which amounted to about I, 300
francs year. He had but just arrived
in the capital and was experimenting
the furnishing of his new home when
the thunderbolt fell.
On April 81, 1896, the mail coach be-
tween Lyons and Paris was attacked
and plundered and the position and
courier We're murdered. There We're no
witnesses to the crime, but it was re-
ported that a party of horsemen had
been seen in the vicinity at about the
time it was committed. These horsemen
had taken dinner at an inn at Mont
geron. One of Lesurqucs friends nam
ed Guenot was arrested on suspicion and
his private papers were seized. There
was no evidence to hold him On except
that he answered the description of one
OF the supposed murdcrcrs, and he was
dismissed. Next day he was told to call
for his papers at the central bureau. He
was accompanied thither by Lcsurques,
an act of madness ON the part of the
latter had he been guilty.
1t happened that just Mt that time the
judge was taking the dispositions of wit
nesses who lived in the neighborhood Of
the scene of the murder Among these
were two maidseryants of Montgeron,
who uttered simultaneous screams at
the appearance of the two friends. They
were put into the witness box and swore
positively that two Of the horsemen
were present in the audience. When
confronted with Lesurques and Guenot,
they positively identified them. Both
were arrested and thrown into prison.
At the trial four other witnesses cor
roborated their testimony with equal
emphasis as regarded Lesurques, but
were doubtful about Guenot. The latter
succeeded in establishing a satisfactory
alibl and was released. The formers at
tempted alibi seemed to break down
badly when the daybook of the jewelcr,
Lagrand--to whom he swore he had sold
bill of goods ON the very day of the
murder--was produced III court and the
date of the charge was found to have
been altered. In vain the jcweler pro
tested that the first date was mistake,
which he had Immediately corrected,
and he and all the other witnesses for
Lesurques were looked upon as self con
victed perjurers. Lesurques was found
guilty and executed, together with one
of the real murderers, named Courriol,
who, on mounting the scaf1old, confess
ed his own guilt, but declared the in
nocenco of Lesurques Doubts began to
arise as to the justice of Lesurques' sell
tence and finally ii was discovered that
he had suffered through an extraordi-
nary resemblance to one Dubose, the real
criminal, who was brought to justice in
1901, convicted and executed.
This deplorable case had most deplor-
able sequels. The unhappy Mime. Lee
surques went mad ON hearing the news
of her husband condemnation. The
children We're as yet too young to under
stand their trouble, but az they grew
nm mo thouuht 81 ana DOgSpecp6 thptO--.
that of indicating their dead father. 1t
is easy to understand how brooding over
this purpose drove one daughter to the
madhouse in which her mother had been
confined.
1t is curious that one of the witnesses
against Lesurqucs-the woman Alfroy
also went insane from grief and re-
morse at her error. Still another victim
was another daughter of Lesurques, who,
worn out by the fruitless struggle with
the pedantry Of the French laws, drown
ed herself i'll the Seine. His son left
France, took service i'll the Russian
army and courted and found death
there. AS regards Lesurques' fortune,
which had been confScated, his unhap-
Ply family were more successful. In
1924, just 28 years after their fathers
death, they obtained grant Of PA, 600
francs, supplemented i'll 1895 by another
grant of 2o2, 600 francs. London Pub
lie Opinion.
seasickness.
Remedies for scasickness are so nu,