The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-17
TEMPERS JUSTICE
WITH MUCH MONEY
One Proverbial Characteristic Of the
Average French Jury.
QUEER KINKS IN HUMAN NATURE
Tears and Acquittal for the Murderer,
Acquittnl for the Man Frustrated in
Murder, and Only in sympathy for
the Young Creature who Drove Men
TO SmicihC,

Paris Letter in the Sun.
The French jury has long been the
laughing stock of the people and the
butt of the funny papers, but it con-
tinues on the ridiculous tenor of its
way because it is supposed to be the
living embodiment of liberty, equality
and fraternity.
There is u very strong sentiment
throughout France against capital
punishment, and to less extent
against any punishment at all. Muir
derers by generalization do not get off
usually scot-free, but they get off en-
trely too often. Murderers who have
committed the crime In hot blood COM
monty get a sentence of less than five
years in prison, and if it be a. first
offense, almost always something far
less severe. in only one class is the
criminal invariably sure of conviction,
and that is in the case of infanticide
by mothers, married or unmarried. In
most of these cases there are strong
eXtenuating circumstances-the strong
est possible--but the French jury stern
ly rejects them; it has in its clouded
brain very obstinate idea that these
mothers must suffer the extreme pen
atty of two years in prison, That is
the invariable verdict.
Mere attempts upon human life are
| as common in France, and particu-
| larly in the capital, as barrOom and
base ball fights in America. During
| the last week there have been eleven
| OF these cases before Paris juries.
| Five of them were exceedingly flag
rant, the victims being all but killed.
| But there was not a single conviction;
| the criminals escaped without 50 much
as lecture from the judges.
A SPECIMEN CASE.
Although the public has resolved
never to be surprised at the mental an
tics of jury, it could not but raise
| it's eyebrows and shrug it's shoulders
at the outcome of another trial of the
| last week, the details of which are
worth recounting not only because OF
the singular verdict but because of the
inherently Partisan character of the
story:
Lucy Jacquillart, a very handsome
young woman, was born twenty-three
years ago in a small hamlet of the
Department of the Yonne. Her father
was day laborer, but Notwithstanding
cation-an education, indeed, including
| many accomplishments. At the age of
II she was to marry a worthy and
prosperous young farmer She object
ed and fled to the nearest town. There
she met and captivated a young cav
airy officer. He loved her, and did
many things for her he should not
have done. 1t took exactly one year
| fnrh n q a
to find himself penniless and dlshon-
ored. She had not only stolen every
centime he had, but she had swindled
everybody in sight, putting the blame
on him.
The young man killed himself, and
the girl promptly found another dupe
whom she subjected to exactly the
same experience. Four men she ruined
in this way before she was arrested
for theft and swindlng and sent tC
prison for three years. She served tn,
term, which expired last year, and a
once started out on fresh adventures
She stole a large sum of money, as
eumed the title of Countess de Cha
leon, and came to Paris. She though
herself accomplished in intrigue, and
as the result above shows, she mad
no mistake. Beautiful, educated, ant
with that naughty bearing whicl
counts for so much in the artifcia
French capital, she regarded hersel
as fit for any line of work. AS a pre-
liminary to successful business sh
rented a sumptuOuSly furnished apart
ment in the Avenue des Champs Ely
sees, hired half a dozen servants, an,
bought a showy victoria and pair The
she was ready.
A GAY ENCHANTER.
} For month she attracted a grea
deal OF attention in the carriage pa
| rades of the Bots. Everybody remark
= ed her. Everybody wanted TO kno,
( who she was, and nobody knew. Tha
| was the first lesson: she was talke
= about, and had become a personag,
, One day she drove in her showy vic
= tOria to the banking house of Open
2 helm Bros. The two young men, Rot
1 ert and Eugene, are bachelors an
t | barons. She was received by the
{ | confidential secretary, Michel BrianC
To this young man she recited a II
2 mantle story. She was on the point {
4 ! receiving, she said, a very large IN
, heritanca, but she had had troubI
t with her husband, and he had place
G obstacles in her way. In substantie
n ton of her story she showed Mr. Br
= and a number of letters from variou
o attorneys, which had been cleverl
4 fnroad Mr. Rriand appor1ip or 10 ~