Evening journal., 1897-01-09
HISTORIC TRAGEDY.
CONVICTION OF JOSEPH LEsURQUEs
AND THE SAD SEQUEL.

An Unfortunate Resemblance and "a Fatal
Combination of Circumstances Caused
the Execution Of Man Whose limo.
cence Was Afterward Established.
Although Lesurques 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 a century to
have his memory judicially rehabilitat-
ed, definitely refused in 1869 TO per-
form this last remaining act Of justice
The pedantry Of French law forbade the
questioning Of a jury's verdict by any
one save the person directly interested.
But though the law has failed to re.
move the stigma on tho 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 vindicated, has been one of
the most popular Of all French melo-
dramas and the combined genius Ct
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, a good father
and a good citizen. He married, in
$780, Mile. Campion, lady of respect
able family in Douai and possessed Of
handsome dowry. Their children there
fore were very young and it was in or
der to give them the benefit of a 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 7, 500
francs q year. He had but just arrived
in the capital and was experimenting
the furnishing Of his new home when
the thunderbolt fell.
On April 27, 1896, the mail coach be-
tween Lyons and Paris was attacked
and plundered and the position and
courier were murdered. There were no
witnesses TO the crime, but it was re-
ported that 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 Lesurques' friends nam
ed Guenot was arrested on suspicion and
his private papers were seized. There
was 10 evidence to hold him ON except
that he answered the description of one
Of the supposed murdereTs, and he was
dismissed. Next day he was told to call
for his papers at the central bureau. 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 wit
nesse9 who lived in the neighborhood Of
the scene Of the murder Among these
were two maidservants 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 tho 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
alibi and was released. The formers at.
tempted alibi seemed to break dowr
badly when the daybool1 of the jeweler
Lagrand-to whom he swore he had solo
a bill Of goods on the 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 pro
tested that the first Gate was a mistake
which he bad Immediately corrected
and he and all the other witnesses foi
/ Lesurques were looked upon as self con
victed perjurers. Lesurques was founC
guilty and executed, together with ont
of the real murderers, named Courriol
who, on mounting the scaffold, confess
ed his own guilt, but declared the in
nOcence of Lesurques. Doubts began Il
arise as to the justice of Lesurques' sen
tence and finally it was discovered tina
he had suffered through an extraordi
nary resemblance TO one Dubose, the rea
criminal, who was brought to justice il
1901, convicted and executed.
This deplorable case had most deplor
able sequels. The unhappy Nine. lie
surques went mad ON hearing the new
Of her husbands condemnation. TIL
children were as yet too young to under
stand their trouble, but as they grew
up one thought alone possessed them
that of vindicating their dead father.
is easy to understand how brooding owe
this purpose drove one daughter to tn
madhouse in which her mother had bee,
confined.
1t is curious that one Of the witnesse
against Lesurques-the woman Afro
also went insane from grief and re
morse at her error Still another victiI
was another daughter of Lesurques, who
worn ont by the fruitless struggle wit
the pedantry of the French laws, drown
ed herself in the Seine. His son lei
France, took service in the Russia
army and courted and found deaf
there, As regards Lesurques' fortune
which had been conhscated, his unhaI
by family were more successful. ]