Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-01-03
LEBOUEF
Continued from page onc.)
and DR.. Thomas L. Dreher
today granted q hearing for
10 a. m, Friday on defense
counsel's plea Of present in
sanity OF their clients.

NN 49,
BATON ROUGE, La, Jan. 3.-OPl-
Only an insanity plea and the state
supreme court today stood between
the hangmans Moose and Mrs. Ada
Lcloucf and Or. Thomas Il. Dreher,
sentenced ID death for the murder Of
the woman husband. James Lebouef.
Governor Hrey y. Long last night de-
clined 10 commute The death penalty
Of the pair to life Imprisonment.
Counsel fer the condemned today
planned 10 -ppc7r rcicre Judge
James D.. S'licr. who presided at the
trial. and request an inquiry by q
sanity COMMISSION INTO the present
mental states Of Mrs. Lshouef and
~. Drsler. A. this move tails. coun-
sci planned 20 apply 20 the state su-
prcule coart to NAT the execution
until o hearing can re hcid.
Tire execution ~ sat Ter saturday.
Makes S',tement
Appli-=t.cn fer communication CT the
Lestn sentenc, ~ life imprisonment
wac rejected ny Governor Long N q
,.tur word statement, IN which he
cItcd the brutality of the murder.
"Eur one thing remains con
finucd the statement, ITO save this
country tom an increasing crime
wave and reckless destruction OF hu-
man life, an er-inc policy u en-
iorccmont not only by state officials
bat by outstanding citizenship OF this
.arsufw~ It fnra fu-n a rnHfr fruf lfFnn
of sentence would be opening the
dco~s of the state vide - those VINO
tgrtly regard human life. ] fail TO
lind one single ccnditicn OF eAtena-
ting circumstances which would JUS
t.iy my thwartinZ the course Of the
law al has prevailed ~ this state and
countrr tor centuries prst.'
James Lcbouef was murdered on
July !. 1927. In 4 boat on Lake
Palourdc. The body was slashed.
weighted and sunk IN the luh".
After reviewing the minute details
Of the case. Govcrncr Long said:
Doubts New Evidence
Snow. when this case has been
tried and the courts of all the laad
have affirmed Tue verdict, We have a
u brought into play, not the auto
matte revolver that they first swoTe
about. but presto, this time It IS a
six shooter.
Mrs. Lcboucf testified that the
first time She had heard Mr.. Lobouef
threaten Or. Dreker was at the time
~ the killing. Now. however, the
tale il told that Mrs. Leboucf was
forced hy her husband % try 70 lure
Dr. Drchcr 10 an automobile To kill
him near Morgan City. When can
anyone rely Oh this kind or testi-
mony FOR the trutha
"Thc next and last bit Of new
testimony which ! am asked to con
eider Il that since the trial q gate
man ut the state penitentisry has
cen Jim Beadle and that Jim Besdle
has said that he fired the shot al
Lehoucf and cut the body up. Sup
nose he did. That would not make
DR.. Dreher and Mrs. Lebouef less the
murterers. But. strange indeed II Is
that this cateman has so silently
kept his counsel regarding this con-
fcssion.
Rejects Recommendation
Gas | have previously said, how
ever. ! I'm not passing upon the case
of Beadle. am concerned with the
guilt OF Or. Drchcr and Leboucf and
unless 7 an 70 permit n mocLery, |
must allow the law e prevail.
"a further plea is made on behalf
IF tho children IN the condemned
d~efcdnsnts. II is urged that the
hanging Of these defendants will he
= stain upon the nam of those chill
drsn. II may be so with some Of the
people Of this state. but in my mind
il is not. To recognize such a plea
| would open the door Of all the jsils
and p~eritentiaries in this country.
Finally as 70 the recommendation
az the pardon board for clemency !
am unable to give II the weight
which | would like. The trial judge,
n OF the three members Of the par
don board has maintained that the
law should take its course. The at
torney general at one hearing took
his position and now changes 10 the
other side. Only the lieutenant gov
erncr consistently recommends this