The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-03
THE REAL JEAN KALJEAN.
(chlcago Inter-ocean.)


Chicago Inter-Ocean.)
II. Moreau-Christoph the inspector of
prisons under the second empire, knew
tue man who served as the prototype OF
Jean aljean. and whose story haunted
the brain Of Victor Hugo and inspired his
famous "A1iserables.H n. MoFeau-Chris-
topne had q passion for reforming con-
Vcts. He gathered many confessions,
ana knew many strange secrets. The fol-
lowing story OF the convict Urban lie
melle is taken from his notes:
Urban Lemelle. like Jean Vatican.
was the abandoned child of a drunken
father. When he was only years old he
went rom farm TO farm 10 offer tOr a
piece Of bread the work that his little
hands could do. lie was first taken III
hand by a kind-hearted peasant named
Brlsset, who kept him minding cows for
three years. Then he was employed by
two neiSnboring farmers, VINO sent him
TO tend sheep for three years more Ur-
balm tired of the life Of a shepherd and de-
t6Tmlned 10 become d sailor when he
reached the age OF IA. he began as cabin
boy in river boat from Anglers, whose
captain generally spoke to him with the
end or a rope Three years passed in this
way. during which Urbain's only cOnsOla-
ton was IN his friendship for the son Of
the captain, young man named Ger
Vals, who was no less badly treated than
himself. This friendship was unfortunate
Tor jrDain. One winters day. when the
waters of the Loire were frozen and nav
igatiOn was suspended, Gervais proposed
10 Urban to take away the money that
was in the safe of the boat for the pay Of
the hands.
Then, said he, I'VE viii 90 to Nam
tes. where we will become real sailors"
But that is robbery you propose to
me, said Urban.
Don't my father owe you 50 francs2
Wen. you can pay yourself the 50 francs
out OF the sack. and then you will be
An hour afterwa I'd the money was no
longer on board the boat Gervais had
taken 1t away, and Urban had hid it in
the trunk of a willow tree Next day the
imprint Of his feet upon the snow led to
the tree, where the treasure was found
UrDaln was arrested and the lock OF the
safe having been broken, he was con-
demned to seven years penal serVitude
he was then only II.
During his seven years Imprisonment
JfDdln was resigned, Industrious. Telig-
iouS and exemplary in his conduct. When
ne lett the penitentiary where he had lost
seven years. he thought he had nothing to
90 but TO return to Anglers purified COM
pletely. IL was at Anglers that he com
mitted his crime. and he wanted to prove
that ne was reformed. This hone was dis
slpatod The fact that he was an ex-con-
Vet closed AL doors and all hearts to him.
he found 1t extremely difficult to get
work. and when by chance ne did pro-
cure some ardUOus employment the other
Workmen refused to associate with him.
and theft.
One Sunday while roaming through the
country ne stopped fdIiglIef to resi- him
self in a field where there were some
horses at liberty. He thought of the sea.
IhaL was only thirty league from him.
anu OF america, the new world where he
eNpeCI6Q TO live as an honest working
man. The idea turned his head. He
Jumped Ike mad man upon one of the
horses and started the animal along the
fOad, without saddle or bride He set out
IN the evening and arrived at brpaI- of
gay at lngrandes. Nearing that place on
Ine edge Of the road there was a prairie.
mere ne turned loose the horse and en-
tereu the town An unknown person turn
ing morse loose was suspected He was
followed, arrested and brought before tba
mayor He gave his name without hest
tauon, put while they were discussing
h.s case ne managed to escape. He reach
ed nantes and tried to shin with some
captain on long voyage. But to en-
park 1t was necessary to have uaDers. and
Orbain didn't have them.
,,, or some time he. wandered along the
quays almost on the verge Of suicide
When a big hand touched his shoulder
the nand of bOatman of Anglers. who
recognized him. The boatman wanted
T IL SO Urbaln went with him to Anglers.
ne ndQ haTd4y arrived before he was
arrested and put in prison on the com
paint or stealing a horse. Now. It han
pened that the honest peasant, Brisset
he TESTIFIED before the court that his
horse came back to him and that Urban
Was TOO honest a fellow to want TO steal
H. But he pleaded for him in vain The
unfortunate young man was convicted a
second time by the aSsizes court of
Malne-et-LOire and sentenced to twelve
years, penal seTvitude.
At BreSt he served his time Just as he
nd formerly at TOulOn. In prison his con-
duct was lrrepr0achable but after four
years of tOrtures inflicted upon him in
tnat dreadful place he escaped. Where
was ne to GO. EariS was the only mace
that could hide him from the police He
went there without encOuntering any diff
culteS, and the very next day after his
arrival he was on the Place de Greve
among the labOring men. There he was
taken by a building contractor with
whom ne remained for three years. whose
regrets followed him to the eStab Ifshme0t
OF NJ maSse, a dry goods manufacturer.
where he received better wages. For four
years M. Masse kept him and intrUsted
TO his hands large sums of money. which
Urban always handled with zeal and in
uelligence and perfect honesty. He com
menced 10 prosper and married an honest
working girl. Happy in the thought that
at last he was loved and respected. he
lived with her for seven years.
One Sunday. while he was walking in
the suburbs with his wife. he met a
policeman who was a former convict. who
knew him at BreSt. This policeman de-
strOyed his entire happiness. He ar
BiCetre and from there was taken to
Brest to finish the eight years of penal
servitude that he had still to serve, in
addition to the supplementary years for
the crime of escaping.
1t was during the few months of his de-
tentiOn at Bicetre. IN 1893. that MOreaU-
ChTistOphe knew Urban and learned his
story. NJ. Moreau-ChristOph obtained
for him the favor Of exemption from the
first chain gang, on leaving BiCetre for
Brest: and a few months later he man
aged to send him back to Paris. IN other
words, he brought the case to the atten-
ton of the king, who DardOned the man
upon the spot.
Urban Lemelle lived to a great old age
He was the best of husbands and wished
to be the best Of fathers, but that joy
was denied him. He COnsOl6d himself,
nevertheless, by making pets of ali the
children in the place where he lived, and
he amused them often by telling them
stories Of bTigands. Heaven only knows
what queer stories he must have learned
during his ten years in the Bagnei
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