Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-01-10
A HISTORIC TRAGEDY
EXECUTION OF JOSEPH LESuRQUEs
AND ITS SAD SEQUEL.
The Famous Regal Blunder That Oc-
cured In France Upon Which Was
Founded the Popular Melodramn
"The Lyons Mail"

The tragedy Of the execution of Jo-
seph Lesurques, an innocent man, by
the legal machinery of France in the
eighteenth century is an incident re-
plete with pathetic phases.
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 legiSlatil, after the fam
lily had tried for over half a century to
have his memory judicially rehabilitat-
ed, definitely refused in 1863 to per-
form this last remaining act of justice.
The pedantry of French law forbade
the questioning OLA jury's verdict by
any one save the person directly i'll
terested. But though the law has fail
ed to remove the stigma on the name
of an innocent man. literature and
the drama have made him Il popular
hero. "The Lyons Mail" in which his
honor is thoroughly v%indicated. has
been n of the most popular of ali
French melodramas. and the combined
genius of Charles Reade and of Hen
ry Irving made it one of the great sue
cesses of the modern English stage.
Poor Lesurques, who, when he per-
ished on the scaffold, was but thirty
three years of age. was Il good hus-
band, Il good father and Il good citizen.
He married in 1880 Mile. Campion. a
lady of respectable family in Douai
and possessed of a handsome dowry.
Their children therefore were very
young, and it was in order to give
them the benefit of a superior educa-
ton that he relinquished Il public ap-
pointment at Douai and came to Paris.
there to live on his own private for
tune, which amounted to about 1900
francs a year. He had but just arriv-
ed in the capital and vas superintend-
ing 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 it was re-
ported that a party of horsemen had
been seen in the vicinity at about the
time it was committed. These horse
men had taken dinner at an inn at
Montgeron. One of Lesurques' friends
named Guenot was arrested on sus-
picion, 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 ac-
companied thither by Lesurques, an
act Of madness Oh the part of the lat
ter had he been guilty.
1t happened that just at that time the
judge was taking the dispositions of
who lived in the neighbor-
hood of the scene of the murder.
Among these We're two maidservants
of Montgeron, who uttered simultane-
screams at the appearance of the
two friends. They were put into the
witness box and swore positively that
of the horsemen We're present in
the audience. When confronted with
and Guenot they positively
identified them. Both were arrested
and thrown into prison. At the trial
four other witnesses corroborated their
testimony with equal emphasis as re-
garded Lesurques, but were doubtful
about Guenot. The latter succeeded i'm
a satisfactory alibi and
was released. The formers attempted
alibi seemed to break down badly
when the daybook of the jeweler, La
grand, to whom he swore he had sold
a bill of goods On the very day of the
murder, vas produced in court and the
date of the charge was found to have
been altered.
In vain the jeweler protested that
the first date was a mistake. which he
had Immediately corrected, and he and
all the other witnesses for Lesurques
were looked upon as self convicted
perjurers. Lesurques vas found guilty
and executed, together with one of the
real murderers, named Courriol, who
on mounting the scaffold confessed his
own guilt, but declared the innocence
of Lesurques. Doubts began to arise
as to the justice of Lesurques' sen.
tence. and finally it was discovered
that he had suffered through extraordi-
nary resemblance to II Dubose, the
real criminal, who was brought to JUS
tice i'll 1901, convicted and executed.
This deplorable case had most de
plorable sequels. The unhappy Nine.
Lesurques went mad on hearing the
news of her husbands condemnation.
The children were as vet too young to
understand their trouble, but as they
grew up n thought alone possessed
them, that of vindicating their dead
father. 1t is easy to understand how
brooding over this purpose drove one
daughter to the madhouse in which her
mother had been confined.
1t is curious that one Of the witness
es against Lesurques, the woman AL
troy, also went insane from grief and
emorse at her error. Still another
victim was another daughter Of Lee
s,,rn11os who worn nYt NV tho frr,;+i,e,