The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-07
DID IN PARIS.
Prominent ami interesting Character
of the q Z aud Drama.

of the q and Drama.
The Anaconda audience which wit
messed the production of the Courier
Of Lyons" by James ONeill and his
company in this city a few days ago,
will be interested in knowing that one
of the principals i'm the incident upon
which the play was founded has Just
died in Paris at the age of so years. He
was NJ. c. Vicomte Clary. He was a
nephew of the wife of Joseph Bona
parte Of Spain, and also OF the wife of
Marshal Bernadotte, king of Sweden.
But he Is chiefly known for his connec-
ton with the case of Joseph Lesurques
the most famous instance of mistaken
identity in all legal history. AS coun-
sci for the family of the unfortunate
victim, Vicomte CARY worked hard, but
Intellectually to have the sentence re-
versed. Although Lesurques was exc
cuted as far back as i'm 1896, though his
innocence was established in 1901,
though his property was restored to
the family In 1924, the Corps Legisla-
tiff, after that family had tried for
over half century to have his memory
judicially rehabilitated. definitely re-
fused in 1860 TO perform this last re-
naming act of justice. The pedantry
OF French law, says the New York
Herald, forbade the questioning of a
Jury's verdict by any one save the per-
son directely 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" or the Courier of Ly-
ons," in which his honor is thoroughly
indicated, has been one of the most
popular of all French melodramas, and
the combined genius of Charles Reade
Henry IRVING nd Of Ya4l
have made 1t one of the great successes
OF the modern English stage.
Poor Lesurques, who, when he per-
ished on the scaffold, was but 80 years
of age, was a good husband, a good
father and a good citizen. He married,
In 1880. Mile. Campion, a lady of re-
spectacle family in Douai. and pos
sessed of a handsome dowry Their
children, therefore, were very young.
and IL was in order to give them the
benefit OF superior 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 81. 500 a year
He had but just arrived in the capt.
tai and was experimenting the fur
ntshing of his new home when the
thunderbolt fell. On April "a, 1896, the
mail coach between Lyons and Paris
position and courier were murdered.
There were no witnesses to the crime
but IL was reported that a party of
four horsemen had been seen in the
vicinity at about the time Ii was COM
mitted. These horsemen had taken
dinner at an inn at Montgeron.
One of Lesurques friends named
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 murderers and he
was dismissed. Next day he was told
20 call for his papers at the central bu-
reau. He was accompanied thither by
Lesurques. an act of madness on the
part of the latter had he been guilty.
1t happened that Just at that time
the judge was taking the depositions
of witnesses who lived in the neighbor-
hood of the scene of the murder
Among these were two maid servants
or Montgeron, who uttered simultane-
Gus 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
robborated their testimony with equal
emphasis as regarded Lesurques. but
were doubtful about Guenot The lat
ter succeeded in establishing a salts
factory alibi and was released.
The formers attempted alibi seemed
to break down badly when the day
book of the Jeweler. Legrand-to whom
he swore he had sold a bill OF goods
on tke very day of the murder-was
produced in court and the date OF the
charge was found to have been altered
In vain the Jeweler protested that the
first date was a mistake. which he had
immediately corrected he and all the
other witnesses for LesurQues were
looked upan as self-convicted perjur-
ers. Lesurques was found guilty and
executed, together with one of the real
murderers. named Courriol. who on
mounting the scaffold. confessed his
own guilt, but declared the innocence
Of LesurQues. Doubts began 10 arise
as 10 the justice Of Lesurques' SEN
tence, and finally II was discovered that