The Donaldsonville chief., 1914-03-14
bert Fl. Landry, DonaldsonviIle.
F7ashlg photo AIberH Donadsonvile
PAUL FALCON, UNDER SENTENCE Of DEATH FOR MATRC|DE

he was not only intoxicated on
the day Of the tragedy, but had
been in an inebriated condition for
several days previous. The coro-
ner of the parish and one of DON
aldsonvilles leading physicians ex-
amined the man to determine his
degree of mentality, and reported
him to be of low order Of intellect,
but capable Of distinguishing right
from wrong. The accused himself,
on the stand in his own behalf, cali
ed upon God Almighty to witness
that he would not Wilfully murder
his old mother, the best friend he
had in the world, and declared that
his mind was blank concerning the
awful affair, made SO by the power
ful fumes of drink, which had rem
dered him for the time being an
insensate demon. Every artifice
known to the law was employed by
the prisoners attorney in an eff
tort to mitigate the degree Of pun
ishment to be meted out to him,
h14t- "a no aVstsl. Asta1 a lar and
! impartial trial the jury Of twelve
declared the accused guilty as eharg-
led, and in due time the plying
judge sentenced him to be hanged
by the neck until dead, and may God
have mercy on his souli
Fighting against hope, Falcons at
torney filed a motion for a new trial,
advancing the formal plea that the
verdict was not in accordance with
the law and the evidence, and al
leging further that the physicians
appointed by the court to examine
into the mans sanity did not have
time to make a thorough examination
and reach a positive conclusion.
With the oyer-ruling Of this motion
Falcons fate was sealed, and at
the expiration Of the delay allowed
by law he will be taken to Baton
Rouge, where the last chapter in
the tragic story will be enacted with
in the bleak walls of the state peni-
tentiary, to which all convicted
criminals are sent for execution.
In the meantime the doomed man
leans dejectedly against the cold
iron bars of his cell, Or slow
ly PAGES to and fro within the cramp-
ed confines of the grim prison, say
ing nothing, asking nothing, but
staring always into the peaceful
scene outside the jail window,
where men and women come and
go, where the glorious tide Of life
pulsates at its fullest ebb, where
little children, in the enjoyment Of
priceless liberty and freedom from
sin, play the innocent games of
youth and gambol like lambs on
the tender green. At times the
murderer, strong man though he is,
vita soul stepped in sin and
the polluting evil Of life vilely
lived, breaks down and sheds bitter
tears, but always without word to
reveal his inner feelings or dis
close what is transpiring within his
grief-racked brain. At times such
as these who shall say whether he
is cringing from the inevitable
doom hanging over him. or yainly
deploring the terrible crime that
sent into an untimely grave the
devoted mother who brought him
into the world and lavished upon
him during the years Of his child
hood the untold wealth Of moth
ers love; the crime that consigned
him to a felon's cell, from whence
he shall emerge to expiate his sin
upon the galloWs and pass into that
unknown world beyond the skies,
where awaits him-what?
Who shall say?