The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-01-12

indeed, a singular one. Twenty-Five
years ago he was arrested for compute
ity in q murder the charge being
brought against him by two men.
Abadie and Knobeloch, who were
caught in the act The three were con-
demned to penal servitude for life, XII
rails protestations of innocence being
over-weighed by the accusations Of his
supposed accomplices, although he Of
fered proof that on the day of the
crime he was confined to his bed with
an injured foot. After thirteen years Of
hard labor in New Caledonia Abadie
and Knobeloch confessed one day that
they had perjured themselves to in
criminate Kirail. One of them bore him
a grudge, both wished to have a good
joke at the expense of the law. I'VE
played the judges like SO many mon
keys on sticks,' they boosted, laughing.
Probably it was for the pleasure of
Notifying the legal authorities rather
than doing tardy justice to their victim
that the two made the avowal The af-
fair was thoroughly investigated and
Kirail's innocence conclusively proved.
He was released and returned to
e''iSS. LII plilSC liiCAl ilS lietf' peS+A
unable TO obtain work. since he is COM
PEELED to show his certificate from the
penitentiary, and were he to be arrested
for the veriest peccadillo the full rigors
Of the law would be served on him 4ei'
having been previously condemned to
"trayaux forces a perpetuite." Nat
tiers will remain thus until a decree of
reha Utilization has annulled his former
sentence, and this seven years Of efforts
have not succeeded in doing.
Another man, a soldier named Voisin,
is in an analogous position. Con-
demned to be Guilotined for murder,
his sentence was at the last moment
committed to penal servitude for life.
That was eight years ago and now the
true culprit, who had succeeded in
proving absolute innocence, has made
full confession. Voisin has been re-
leased, but for him, too, the whole cum
brous machinery of the law must ba
put in motion before he can earn an
honest living as citizen.
Similar difficulties and risks con-
fronted the courts in the trial of the
famous Milo, who, on outside evidence
solely, has Just been condemned for the
murder of an old woman. He and his
two accomplices, Decourcelle and De-
main, kept the courts puzzled for four
days, each accusing the other two and
branding as false their accusations
against him. The only definite clews
were given by the convict Verbecque,
who, at the head of a band of his own,
had concerted with Milo's band On
his evidence the three were condemned,
but by singular combination of cir
Decourcelle and Denain,
whose culpability there was
no remaining doubt, since they were |
found in possession of Jewels belonging |
to the old woman, were given life SEN |
fences, whereas Milo against whom |
there was only a bad character and I'M |
suspicious, was condemned to |
death. Five days before he had been |
on another charge to ten |
years hard labor and the day before
that to six years. These previous con-
formations were responsible for the |
verdict of the jury In his re- |
gard The judges almost apologized |
for the death sentence, saying that the |
verdict left them no alternative.
1t Is this serious question of previous !
conduct which causes Frenchmen to |
quail at the mention Of the law |
Though 1t may have been q matter Of I
4 franc fine that sufflces to establish
what is called the "dossier judiciare,"
after which no prisoner can hope for
,lemency, be 1t for wholesale slaughter
Or for jostling a gendarme in the street. |
rhe first measure taken when an arrest |
s made Is to examine the papers Of the |
prisoner and to see IL he has dosster
IL nothing Is found In his name all his
are taken by the anthro-
pometric system, and all peculiarities
If body bearing or gait are carefully
noted. Then another search is made
through the dossiers to see If a cores
bonding description is registered under
another name. Thus change of name
S generally useless subterfuge. If
rom these researches nothing results it
$ concluded that the prisoner is at his
Irst offense and he is very gently dealt
With. When acquittal follows his first
rial does not necessitate a dossier u
But If he be melted out any sentence,
owever insignificant, even though the
entence be entirely committed in virtue
f the Loi Beranger, which allows, at
he discretion of the judges, free par
on over any sentence for a first Of
ense, the dossier Is nevertheless filed
> be relentless witness on any future ,
ccasion. A dossier prevents a man
rom being made Chevalier de la Lee |
ion Honneur; it cuts him off from {
ivil functions Not long ago the son
q prominent politician was fined one
ranc for scorching on his automobile. 7
lis friends protested, as he was in a
ew weeks to come up before the bar,
nd the existence of dossier would
lake it impossible for him topass. All
greed that for such trifle 1t was
ity to wreck the career of a promis-
lg young man; but formal appeal had
be made to the higher courts to an
I'll the sentence. The most extraordi-
ary instance on record is that of the
ardinal of Rheims. A law was passed
religious street professions
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