The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1924-11-13
AMERICAN VETERAN FREED
FROM FRENCH PRISON
Falsely Accused BY French Father
in-law.

From The New York Herald Tribune
The French government has par
doned, at the request of this govern
ment, John L. Ayotte, young
American ex-soldier sentenced to
five years solitary confinement on
conviction of arson. The pardon stip-
ulates that Ayotte must leave
France. Word of his liberation was
received in a dispatch last Thursday
by the State Department at Wash
ington.
The release of Ayotte termin-
ates the efforts being made In his
behalf by influential Americans in
this country and in Paris and State
Department officials for the past
ten months. His case was taken up
last summer by The Herald Tri-
bune. The youth, who lived in She
boygan, Mich, and who served in
the Beth Infantry during the war,
was sentenced by the court at
Chalon-sur-Saone January 80, 1922,
after his arrest and conviction on
what he declared to be the trumped
up charge of burning the barn of
his French father-in-law.
The case was first brought to the
attention of President Coolidge by
Representative Winslow, of Massa-
chusetts, whose interest in Ayotte's
behalf was sought by George
Crompton, of dorchester, Mass. Mr..
Crompton was in Paris early this
year and was informed of Ayotte's
plight and the efforts being made
to obtain his release. The case
was referred to Secretary Hughes,
who Immediately directed Ambas-
sador Herrick to investigate, with
view to seeking favorable action on
an application for a pardon. The
unsettled political conditions in Paris
prevented prompt action.
experimenting the action through
diplomatic channels, American Le-
eion officials in Paris gained the
support of NJ. Bertrand, Deputy, of
Paris, and president of the Union
Rationale des Combattants, an or
ganization similar to the American
Legion. He made an appeal for
Presidential clemency for Ayotte,
after failing to obtain pardon
through an appeal to the French
Minister of Justice.
While serving with the Beth In
fantry, Ayotte met and married
Mile. Alice Larinier. He brought her
| to this country when be was demob-
| ilized, but later at his wife's insis-
tence, he returned to France. Once
| in France, she refused to return to
America with him. Ayotte and his
father-in-law, with whom they were
| living, found it impossible to agree.
There were numerous discussions,
after one of which the father or
lered the American from his home
and refused to permit him to see
either his wife or his two children.
Ayotte, after an argument with
his father-in-law one night, left the
house, and, having nowhere to sleep,
crept into a barn. He heard his
father-in-law's steps soon afterward,
and fearing further trouble hurriedly
left the barn and sought the house
Of neighbors nearby, asking for
| shelter.
| The following morning the barn
was found burned, and Ayotte's
| father-in-law Immediately accused
him of the crime. Gendarmes were
sent to the neighbours house to ar
rest Ayotte, who, when informed
of the fire, uttered few words in
broken French. These words were
"beau pere" and vengeance which
the police had interpreted as mean
| ing that he had had vengeance on
his father-in-law by burning the
barn, and which they called Ayotte's
Confession" Ayotte later explain
|
was that his father-in-law was get
ting vengeance on him by accusing
him of having burned the barn.
Herman C. Huffer jr., former COM
mander of the Paris post of the
American Legion, who arrived in
the United States Saturday. Novem-
Der /, on the steamship Berengaria,
told The Herald Tribune that he had
been working to free Ayotte ever
since the soldiers Imprisonment. He
had little success until a week be-
fore, when he obtained the interview
with President Doumerque which, he
said, resulted in Ayotte's pardon.
"Ayotte had good record in the
war, being twice wounded" Mr.. Huff
fer said. Ellis case attracted inter-
national attention"
Ambassador Herrick took Ayot-
te's case up with Poincare, who was
then Prime Minister, but no action
was taken because, our State De-
partment, feeling that Ayotte had
had a fair trial under French law,
was unwilling to request that he be
set free. As head of the Paris post
of the American Legion | also took
an interest in the case and. work
ing in conjunction with the French
Legion, did what could to influence
the government in his behalf.
"In the spring Poincare's govern
inent fell, and we had to begin all