The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-01-09


-. 80 ru f" rr.N I'D
Although Lesurques was executed a
far back as 1906, though his innocenc
was established in 1901, though hi
property was restored to the family il
1894, the corps legislatif, after the fam
lily had tried for over half century Il
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 tn,
questioning of jury's 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. 1.-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 Of
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, good father
and good citizen. He married, in
1890, Mile. Campion, lady of respect
able family in Douai and possessed of a
handsome dowry. Their children there
fore were very young and it 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 2, 500
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 were murdered. There were no /
witnesses to the crime, but 1t 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 man,
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 murderers, 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 dispositions of wit
nesses 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 the audience. When
confronted with Lesurques and Guenot, | I
they positively identified them. Both | 8
were arrested and thrown into prison. | 7
AT the trial four other witnesses cor
roborated their testimony with equal | G
emphasis as regarded Lesurques, but
were doubtful about Guenot. The latter | :
succeeded in establishing satisfactory '
abb and was released The formers at
tempted abb seemed to break down | /
badly when the daybook of the jeweler,
Lagrand-to whom he swore he had sold
bill OF goods on the very day of the
nurder-was produced in court and the | y
late OF the charge was found TO have | =
oeen altered. In vain the jeweler pro- | r
ested that the first date was q mistake. a
which he had Immediately corrected. | Il
Ind he and all the other witnesses for -
|esurques were looked upon as self con- {.
Noted perJurers. Lesurques was found | r
'ulIty and executed, together with one a
Il the real murderers, named Courriol. | n
Vho, on mounting the scaffold, confess Il
q ms own guilt, but declared the in N
ocence OF Lesurques. Doubts began TO n,
rise as to the justice Of Lesurques' sem n,
ence and finally it was discovered that o.
o had suffered through an extraordi-
airy resemblance TO one Dubose, the real &"
rlmlnal, who was brought 10 Justice in h,
eOl, convicted and executed. y
This deplorablo case had most deplor- yy
bic sequels. TIE unhappy Mime. LIE. n
argues went mad on hearing the news II
her husbands condemnation. The | a,
1lIdren were as yet too young to under 10
ana their trouble, but as they grew hi
one thought alone possessed them "a
lat OF indicating their dead father. It ~
easy to understand how broodinp over
rs purpose drove one daughter to the
adhouse in which her mother had been
nfined
1t is curious that one Of the witnesses ~
salnst Lesurques-the woman Alfroy 10
also went insane from grief and re- 20
orse at her error. Still another victim M
as another daughter Of Lesurques, who. dr
orn out by the fruitless struggle with 20
e pedantry Of the French laws, drown ad
herself in the Seine. His son left Ia,
'ance, took service in the Russian ~
my and courted and found death ,.1
ere. As regards Lesurques' fortune, Ar
nlch had been confscated, his unhap. an
family were moro successful. In sL
"a, just 2S years after their fathers
ath, they obtained grant of PA, 600
incs, supplemented in 1885 by another
ant OF 252, 900 francs. London Pub ~.
, Opinion. m'
seasiclkness. tn'