The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-12-07
DoNALDsoNyILLE, La, SATURDAY DECEMBER !, 1917
SEE IL Pom &G11eeaJ dee 1age 5
A LOUISIANA JEAN VALJEAH.

4 -
New Orleans Man Arrested to Com
plete an Unfinished Term OF I'm
8 prisonment Begun Thirty-thres
Years Ago-Fit Subject for par
don.
4 In reproducing the following edito
rial from the New Orleans Daily
States, we take occasion to warm
| ly indorse our esteemed contempo
rary's contention that this remarka
Bile case furnishes an instance where
the power of pardon ought to inter.
vene in favor of the accused:
"The pardoning power ought not
be lightly exercised. Too often II
/ is and the rights of society subor.
dinated to sympathetic impulses or
powerful Influences
Occasionally, however, a case pre-
sents itself which peculiarly calls for
the application of the states elem
ency. Such case is that of Emile
Dealon, Jean Vatican in real life,
whose arrest we chronieled on Sum
| day.
Thirty three years ago Dealon was
a youth of 19. He became involved
in a case of incendiarism, was
caught, tried and in spite of the NIT
lgating circumstances which he now
declares surrounded his offense, was
sentenced to fourteen years in the
state penitentiary.
After serving twelve months he
escaped and went to other parts. But
after several years Of wandering the
lure of home overcame him and he
returned to New Orleans, apparently
to find his crime forgotten. He mar
ried, became an industrious work.
man, reared a family Of children, and
for eighteen years has comported
himself as good citizen.
Saturday night he was arrested.
The secret which he had kept from
his family for nearly a generation
someone else seems to have shared
with him, and he finds himself again
behind the bars with thirteen years
of penal servitude before him unless
the state relents and cancels the
debt.
I'VE have no hesitancy in saying
the. state ught to cancel the debt.
We send men to prison primarily as
a punishment for their misdeeds; but
the theory of the criminal law is that
such punishment acts as a deterrent
and corrective and that its highest
purpose is attained when its victim,
having duly carried his cross, - be-
comes again useful and worthy
member OF society.
Dealon did not pay the full penal
ty which the law exacted for his
crime, committed when he was mere
ly a youth and perhaps under an en-
vironment. that made it difficult for
him to distinguish the enormity of
his offense against society,"; but his
eighteen years of exemplary citizen
ship in the community against which
he offended, it seems to us, has
earned for him that clemency which
the state provides in meritorious
cases.
There is another side. It is that
which presents the wife and children
in an agony. of grief over the reye1a-
tion of this hidden chapter in the
life of a husband and father. It is
enough that this humiliation has
come to them. It would be harsh
and cruel if the state added to their
woe by insisting on her pound of
flesh. 1t would be an act of mercy,
richly deserved, if the state prompt
ly called its account with Dealon
square.
Mr.. Lionel Adams, with character
istic evidence Of mis- broad sympathy
with the unfortunates, has volunteer
ed his services to present and press
a petition in behalf of Dealon before
the board of pardpns. Such peti-
tion deserves to be supported by
every man and woman in this com
munity who believes that mercy
should temper justice.
We hope it is not too late to
have it considered by the board of
pardons and favorably acted on in
time to make a pardon Christmas
gift for this unhappy man and his
sorely stricken family
I a n 80 = fZ5