The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-10-12
G0UYET
IS CONVICTED
SECOND TRIAL OF NOTORIOUS
WHITE SLAVE DRIVER RE-
SUITS IN VERDICT THAT
WILL MEAN RISONMENT.


Pete Gouyet, the notorious
Frenchman who was driven from
this city by exposures in The
Press, and whom the federal au-
thorities trailed to France and
back before securing evidence of
his importation. of women for i'm
moral purposes, was finally con-
victed at Helena in the federal
court Saturday after trial which
he fought with every dollar he had
taken from the slave girls he held
in bondage in this city for years.
The principal witness against
Pete was Detective Fred Pearson
OF the Spokane department. Pear
sons acquaintance with the secrets
of the French organization made
him the most valuable witness in
the case He kept in touch with
both Pete and Adolph Gouyet, and
when they embarked for France
notified the immigration authori-
ties They sailed for France on
La Province November Z, 1907, and
returned on the same boat March
8 of this year.
While abroad the French author
tiles followed the INTO Havre and
from there to the Gouyet home in
st. Eatchens. From st. Etchens
they went to Amsterdam, thence
returned to st, Etchens and then
to Havre, where they embarked for
New York. From New York they
were followed to Los Angeles, the
authorities always waiting for the
notorious Frenchmen to put their
women into an immoral business
again. They had failed many times
to convict them and were deter
mined not to fail again.
| One night both the Gouyets left
Los Angeles and for a time were
lost trace of. Then they were To-
Gated in Helena and the evidence
against them was secured
At the first trial Adolph was
found guilty and sentenced to five
years in the United States prison
in Leavenworth, Kansas. The jury
disagreed on Petes case at that
time. But on Saturday the case
was so strong that conviction
was secured against Pete on two
counts, one for importing women
and another for holding Benoit
Devon in bondage This French
girl is one of the most beautiful
white slaves ever brought to this
city. At the trial she repeatedly
swOre that she had never been in
France. She was so fearful of the
Gouyet brothers and the rest of the
dissolute Frenchmen in the gang
that she pNjured herself repeat
eddy. All the other evidence was
against her. 1t was necessary to
break down her testimony by
bringing Mrs. Mary Nichols and
her daughter Rosie of Osnard, Cal,
to the trial. They were on the
ship on which the Gouyets brought
their women to this country. Ed
mund Rose of Spokane and Immi-
grafton Inspector Rothchilds of
New York were also witnesses. At
the request of the immigration au-
thorities Police Chief Rice allowed
Pearson to work exclusively on the
Gouyet case and gather evidence
against the white slavers gener-
ally.
Pete Gouyet's sentence will be
pronounced by Judge w. Hunt of
the federal court on October II,
and it is confidently expected by
local police officers that he will
get the limit.
Pete Gouyet came to Spokane
in 1902 practically penniless. Be-
tween that time and the time he
left for France he amassed for
tune. He was arrested on vag-
rancy charges perhaps hundred
times in this city, but no evidence
of more serious nature could be
secured. He would pay his vag-
rancy fines smilingly and boosted
often that he would make up the
amount again in single night.
Inspector Richardson of Spokane
followed the Gouyets thousands of
miles in the years the Frenchman
made this city his headquarters,
and 1t was Mr.. Richardson's tenac-
ity which did much in finally land
ing probably the most notorious
and debased individual ever in this
country