Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1921-12-29
Famous Trials
LYONS MAIL ROBBERY


the Kue s.. Martin was, on the 27rh
OF April, 1898 filled with an excitable
crowd of people, many Of whom would
rush to the end of the rue and ioox
eagerly up The boulevard alo1g which
Inc overdue mail from BresH travefSed.
The highways Of France at that tin.e
were overrun by highwa y.nnn ard
robbers and the people of Paris had
keen terrified by the number OF afro
eious thefts which had been CONN It.
ed.
/ The Brest mail would change eeur-
icrs here and would then depart for
Lyons. Napoleon at this time was fight
Ing in Italy, and in reply to his 2p-
peals for money, valuable consign-
ment of specie was to be dispatched
by the Government.
The Government courier, Jean Elk
| COTTON, who was making his last jour
ney, breathed a sigh of relief when
the mail, an important looking vehi-
Gle With three horses, drew in safe
| ly. The courier and position, Nam
teau, now compared notes and made
| everything safe from any unexpected
| attack. One passenger who was to ira
vel by the mail and wha gave his name
as Laborde, was settled inside and
| the coach with more than 1000, GOO
| llvres under its basket shaped hood.
clattered off in the direction of Villen-
euve ST Georges where the horses
were changed.
As the mail pulled up, we'll dress
ed young man jumped hastily on his
horse, and galloped off in the direc-
ton of Melum. Having changed horses
the Lyons mail moved off once more.
Here Nanteau was relieved in the sad
die by Etienne Audbert The next
morning, a pestillien of the }Pouilly
mail were amazed to see the grea
Lyons mail standing on the road, scat
tered papers and bloodstains being
mute evidence of the dastardly .rnpr-
der that had been perpetrated. A EUR
ther investigation revealed the blood
/ stained bodies of Excoffon and Aude-
bert. But nothing was to be found OF
the passenger Laborde. The story OF
: the crime is as follows:
Hardly had the coach with It's val.
liable cargo passed Lieursaint wher
: tine figures of four mounted men ap.
: peared and the leader imperatfv+eI,
ordered Audebert to stop. He was made
| conspicuous by the smart little mare
which he rode and the fair wig which
he wore. Close beside him was a mar
OF fepp1sh devil-may -eareA appear.
teNRiNSs %AiiotiOt, Il0IcG I06klnG Pro-
vencal and the third a crafty LOOKING
: Italian. 1t was now quite dark ane
: the italian striking, as he thought a
1.-THE courier, Excoffon, gave the 9th
: er inmate, Laborde. a nasty scratch
What are you doing? 2" angrii,
shouted the latter. throwing off hi.
cloak: We are here for robbery ant
not for butchery.''
The Provencal (Vida) by name. tn,
Italian Rossi, and Laberde, then fierce
" attacked Excoffon, who was. al
though he fought bravely soon over
come. The postillien was ordered /,
b take the coach down the PouiIly Roa,
and when being attacked put up ,
stubborn resistance, his hand befn,
: found hacked in four places. The maj
$ was then hurriedly riffed and the han
less bodies were thrown. Audebert,
into a spinney. and courier's into
corn field.
The next morning the horrible dis
: covery was made by the Pouilly mali
S postillion.
The foppish youth, whose name wa
Courfiol, the next day went to Pari
y TO return the four horses. This bein
y noteo ne was traced and was arreste
o1 with criminal, Richards, who kne,
pplunder. In spite of his bad characte
lie THIS man was acquainted with man
V honest men, two of whom were wit
e him. Joseph Lesurques ana Gueno
They were all four arrested.
Two witnesses from small inns wer
sure Of the youth courriol, but to th
10 surprise Of everyone they also charge
g Lesurques and Guenot as being tw
10 of the four who had committed til
crime. They. however. set up an ali
to the effect that on the 8th LestI
re ques had spent two hours in the morr
ty Ing with jeweler, one Legrand. ar
in In the evening with Guenot and
painter Hilaire Ledru. But the pre-,
tdent calling for the entry book
l. the jeweler and found that it had orr,
:. inately befn 9ths and then erased.
The president was then sure Of L.
ne surque's guilt and although Courrl
persistent in his protestation of b
own guilt and the innocence Of Lesu
- cues they were both convicted. N
ng-i other TWO prisoners proved their 4,
II nocence. Many people testified to d
Innocence Of Lesurques but all was
no avail, for Lesureques, after wri
he ing a public letter to Dubosc, the re
~ murderer. together with Courriol. w
- executed.
The passenger on the mail, who
real name was Durochat, was arres
ed short time after and being ida
reg titled confessed and implicated I
% tring1eaders, Dubose and Vidal, and he
to having feigned sleep most of the ws
ct. the crime was carried ont a. befc