St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1910-10-22
END COMES TO c. c. d.
SON, AFTER FITHFUL LIFE
Continued from first page)

(ContlnQed from hrst pager
brother Michael, having secured her
marriage name. Senator Duson ask
ed her if she did not once have a
lover by the name of Michael Duson,
and related the incident. She said
she had never before heard that
name; but that she was once engaged
to Michael McNaughton, with whom
she fell out. Thus bafled, the SEN
ator and his brother, proceeded to
the house of S. L9mbert, the COM
panion of their fathers earlier years,
certain that they would at once learn
all; but when they mentioned the
name Duson he said he was sure he
had never heard it before. Senator
Duson insisted that Lombert and his
father had often rowed together the
same boat and played at the same
games when boys, and when on the
verge of manhood they had enlisted
in the political scheme which was
the cause of their separation. But
when they mentioned the name Duson
he said he had never heard it be-
fore. Senator Duson then
repeated the story of his fathers
political adventure, and how Lombert
had induced him to join the French,
repeating the christian naaes of his
fathers brothers. Twas then the
feeble old man burst into tears, and
with an effort rose to his feet and
said No. no! I see it all now; you
are Cons children (Con, abbreviation
for CorneIius.) Your name is not
Duson, but McNaughton; let me lead
you to your people," The Duson
brothers were thunderstruck. SEN
ator Duson, with bis characteristic
readiness, retorted, No, if my father
has had sufficient reason to change
his name, and there is something dark
in the background, I will never see
my people" But the old man soon
assured him that the rebels Of 1887
were the patriots of 1884; that the
McNaughton family had long since
procured a pardon from the English
government for their brother Corne-
Illus McNaughton, and had sent
agents to Boston and elsewhere and
advertised for him in all directions,
but all in vain.
The Dusons spent several months
visiting their people in Canada, whom
they found to be wealthy and among
the. most cultured people in Canada.
They returned home with the intelli-
gence that they are McNaughtons,
and not Dusons, and that instead of
being Of French blood they are purely
Irish-Scot Canadians; their grand
father, William McNaughton, having
been a native Of Ireland, who settled
in Canada. AS subsequently ascer-
tanned, the father Of the Duson fam
lily dropped the McNaughton part cf
his name on leaving Boston, Mass.
1t was further learned thatshe had a
confidential friend il st. Martin par
ish, who repeatedly visited the neigh
hood in Canada where the McNaugh-
tons lived, and that under a pledge
to Cornelius Duson he kept him
always informed of all particulars
concerning the McNaughton family
lin Canada, but never divulged his
secret to them. Cornelius Duson
McNaughton knew Of his people adj
vertising for him, and Of their secur-
ing the pardon from sthe English
government; but with terrible de-
termination he kept his vow, and his
people never did hear Of him till
green grew the grass over his grave
"Hon. G.. G. Duson was reared on
a farm, and received q common
school education. He commenced
his official career as a deputy sheriff
of st. Landry parish under Sheriff
Hayes, in 1866, and served until
1873, when he was elected sheriff of
St. Landry, and served for fourteen
consecutive years, when he resigned
the Office to accept the position of
State Senator. The appreciation Of
these long years of service by the
people of St. Landry is shown in the
fact that the last time he was a cam
didate for the office, Mr.. Duson re-
ceived, in a total Of six thousand
two hundred votes, a majority Of one
thousand eight hundred and forty
three over a strong candidate. No
other man in the same capacity in
the State of Louisiana eVe gained
the reputation that Mr.. Duson did
during his fourteen years service as
sheriff.
lone of the first things he accom-
plished was the breaking up of or
ganized bands of outlaws. who had
for years scourged the country and
bafled all attempts to execute the
law. In doing this he has followed
criminals to the border of Mexico,
into the mountains of the Indian Ter
~ritory, and as far north as Illinois.
He had three desperate fights in his
attempts to capture fugitives from
Justice; he was at different times the
target for the bullets Of those whose
only chance of escape from their just
deserts lay in his removal from their
path. A recital Of some Of his ac-
complishments in this capacity will
prove interesting. When he was
acting deputy sheriff under Sheriff