The Detroit times., 1908-12-12
DYING man GIVEN
YEAR IN PRISON
AND FINED $500
JUDGE SWAN WILL PROBABLY
SEEK PARDON FOR FRED Du.
MoucHELLE. couNTERFElTER
CHILDREN WEEP.

A DrOken-QOWu ana CTlppicu AAoA
stand.ng bent and trembling In front
OF him, six boys and girls sobbing be-
hind their father at the doom about
to be pronounced upon him, q group
Of court officers and attorneys with
their hands shading their eyes or
holding hadkerchiefs-this was the
scene as Judge Swan steadied himself
Saturday morning to pronounce upon
Fred Dumoucne1le, of Walkervflle.
what all present believed to be prac-
tically q death sentence.
Ii was a scene such as has seldom
been seen In the federal courtroom
here. Even Judge Swan was some
what shaken In nerve as he sentenced
Dumouchelle to a year and q day In
the house Of correction with a fine or
500 added. SO iii is the prisoner that
the federal officers do not believe ne
can live more than a very brief time
In prison.
Judge Swan and district Attorney
Watson will probably join In an APP
peal to President Roosevelt to pardon
the man. Other federal officials are
also expected to join in this plea for
clemency.
| II had been thought that sentence
would be suspended. but Judge Swan
reads the law to mean that sentence
Of fine and imprisonment is mandatory
in counterfeiting cases such as this.
Dumouchelle had to be assisted into
court Saturday morning as he is a
physical wreck. His six younger chill
dren-two boys In their teens and two
girls OF similar age, with two little
girls In tam o'shanters--were ranged
upon the front row Of benches and
their red eyes told of weeping. The
wife whom Dumouchelle married since
his Imprisonment was not present.
When called on to plead. the prss-
oner's whole body shooko and he could
hardly be heard. Attorney f. F.
Bumps therefore pleaded for him. He
said that Dumouchelle belonged to a
family which had never had a criminal
in Its number, and that he had lived
to pass his fiftieth year as an honest
man.
Then Fred Paquette, cousin. came
to Dumouchelle's little hotel near
Walkerville PaQuette was q counter
feiter Just released from prison. He
fell into his old ways and Dumouchelle
fell also. Hard times and sickness.
the loss of his wife. were all urged as
reasons to account for this. Letters
were read from Hon. H. r. Suther-
land, Hon J. o. Reaume. Mayors
Wigle, OF Windsor, and Russell, ct
VAUDEVILLE, and other distinguished
Ontario citizens to prove Du-
mouchelle's previous good character.
In Dumouchelle's present state.
Bumps urged. confinement would mean
speedy death.
"The condition OF the prisoner and
the fact that he has family OF young
children makes my duty very pain
full one" said Judge Swan. The bur-
den of crime. II men would stop TO
think OF Il, falls not on the criminal
alone. but on the innocent wife and
children"
He then prounced sentence OF
year and day, stating that under the
4 law he could not make It less. He
granted two weeks stay to permit
an appeal for clemency to the execu-
tive.
Dumouchelle had been raised to his
feet for the sentence and he stood there
Gazed and apparently unable to under
stand until deputy marshall touched
him on the shoulder. when he col.
lapsed into his chair. The children
ran to him crying.
| II want my papa TO come home"
walled the youngest.
The spectacle was so touching that
every one except the deputy on guard
left the courtroom. Most OF the spec.
tators were In tears and II was some
time before the weeping family could
be quieted Dumouchelle sat In tho
midst OF them with motioniess face
and open mouth. not seeming to under
stand.
cit was almost like pronouncfng
death sentence" said Judge Swan af-
terward. However. the law reads
shall and had to do my duty a.
saw IT,"
THAT man will never live to serve
out his sentence" said Deputy Marshal
Lyons, who has been In charge OF the
prisoner His mind Is giving way
and we will probably have to take him
10 the federal insane asylum In Wash
ington soon. He is in fear all the
time"
II was necessary for Lyons to al
most carry Dumouchelle out OF tho
courtroom.