The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1914-11-07
AN ERROR
OF JUSTICE
b. BERTHA D. AISOP
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.
b. BERTHA D. ALSOP

The Lyons mail coach was bowling
along over q road nanked IN each side
By q wood Among the inside pas
sengers was a gentleman notable for
a white wig. He chatted freely with
the others. making himself generally
agreeable, SO that when he alighted
ut . village midway between Paris
and Lyons he raj greatly missed.
Not half an hour after he left the
coach a mar riding a black horse left
Q thicket beside the road. shot the
courier Of the mail. robbed him and
made way with the booty In the d.
rection from which he came.
Several Of the passengers. hearing
the shot, put their beads out Of the
window and saw the robber.
Great heavensr' cried one. TT Is
the gentleman who was riding with
NJ awhile ago. l would know him any
where. especially by bis white wig"
"And / would know him without the
wig" said another.
The courier was dead. having been
shot through the heart His body was
left at the house Of a peasant. and the
eoach proceeded. Arriving at Lyons.
the murder and robbery were reported
and mounted police N back to scou
the country for the man in the white
wig. He was found In the town at
which be had alighted. A couple Of
gendarmes ran up to him and seized
him while drinking a glass of wine in
q cafe.
"What does this meanT" he cried.
you think to throw the police OF
the track by assurance" said one of
the g~endarmes. You got of the
Lyons mail yesterday at this village.
rode ahead by a circuitous path. stop
ped the coach, shot the courier. robbed
him and dashed away. What have
you done with the plunderT"
'aThis IL q mistaken cried the a
you can prove the mistake before
the magistrate. Come along"
The magistrate asked the prisoner a
number Of questions as to his bust
ness, what he was doing on the mail
and his name. He said that he was a
wine merchant Of Paris and travelling
for the purpose Of buying wine. His
name was Jean Lesaurques. The mag
istrate upon a statement Of the facts
attending the crime concluded to send
the suspected IA to Lyons for trial.
Lesaurques was thrown into prison
to await trial for murder and robbery
The driver of the coach identified him
as one who had Travelled inside for
some distance and as the mar who had
committed the crime. Several of the
passengers who had caught sight of the
murderer testified to the same thing.
Lesaurques claimed that on reaching
the village where he had left the
coach he had mounted a horse-black-
and ridden out among the vineyards.
Unfortunately he had not stopped to
speak except with n vine grower.
but ~ he would have had time to rob
the coach and talk with this man aft
erward an alibi was not proved.
The prisoner was convicted and was
about to receive sentence when a wo-
man rushed into the court and said
to the Judge;
'Your worship Is about to send an
innocent man to be guillotined. This
man IL not the murderer"
"How do you know that?" asked the
Judge.
Because I know the man who plan
ned the robbery. and he told me all
about It. The man who committed the
murder IL one Dubosq. The prisoner
very much resembles him."
"Where Is this Dubosq to be found?'
asked the Judge.
THAT question is not easily answer
ed. He Il a professional criminal and
the worst Of the gang that conspired
to commit this robbery"
The judge thought for a time and
then said:
1.-The testimony of this woman is moi
admissible. She admits that she has
the confidence Of the gang that did
the murder. 1t is a very natural de
vice for them to send her In here to
tell this story In order to save the muir
derer. This case must rest on the ties
ttmony of those who rode with tht
prisoner In the coach and those who
saw him shoot the courier. Jean lie
.saurques, have you anything to say
why sentence of death should not b
passed upon your"
This woman's story Is doubtless
true" replied the prisoner. Il nevel
saw her before In my life. In reject
ing her testimony you are condemnint
an innocent man. This Dubosq will II
time be captured. and it will then com
out that he committed this crime"
LesaurQues died protesting his limo
cence.
Four years passed, during which
several members Of the gang wit
were implicated In the murder were
captured, and 1t became known tina
there was such a man as Dubose
among them and the prime mover ane
executor of their crimes. Finally Du'
bosq was captured. but be escaped
A.x