Courrier de Lyon case
Encyclopedia
The "Courrier de Lyon" case is a famous French criminal case. It occurred during the French Revolution
. During the night of 27 and 28 april 1796, a mail coach was ambushed outside Paris
(commune of Vert-Saint-Denis
) by several men who stole a large sum of money (7 million livres). The stage coach was supposed to go to Lyon
from Paris, carrying money for the Army of Italy. Both the driver and the armed guard were brutally killed. A third man onboard (whose identity was never established) disappeared without a trace.
Following investigations, six men (Couriol, Guénot, Richard, Bruer, Bernard and Lesurques) were arrested. After a trial, all of them were guillotined (except Guénot and Richard). Later, Joseph Lesurques was rehabilitated: he always claimed innocence (the other convicts also said he had nothing to do with the robbery). Due to a physical resemblance with one of the suspects, he probably was mistaken by witnesses. Today, this case is remembered in France for being a famous example of miscarriage of justice
.
(1931).
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. During the night of 27 and 28 april 1796, a mail coach was ambushed outside Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(commune of Vert-Saint-Denis
Vert-Saint-Denis
Vert-Saint-Denis is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * * *...
) by several men who stole a large sum of money (7 million livres). The stage coach was supposed to go to Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
from Paris, carrying money for the Army of Italy. Both the driver and the armed guard were brutally killed. A third man onboard (whose identity was never established) disappeared without a trace.
Following investigations, six men (Couriol, Guénot, Richard, Bruer, Bernard and Lesurques) were arrested. After a trial, all of them were guillotined (except Guénot and Richard). Later, Joseph Lesurques was rehabilitated: he always claimed innocence (the other convicts also said he had nothing to do with the robbery). Due to a physical resemblance with one of the suspects, he probably was mistaken by witnesses. Today, this case is remembered in France for being a famous example of miscarriage of justice
Miscarriage of justice
A miscarriage of justice primarily is the conviction and punishment of a person for a crime they did not commit. The term can also apply to errors in the other direction—"errors of impunity", and to civil cases. Most criminal justice systems have some means to overturn, or "quash", a wrongful...
.
In popular culture
The case is featured in a 1937 French movie L'Affaire du courrier de Lyon. There is also a British movie The Lyons MailThe Lyons Mail
The Lyons Mail is a 1931 British mystery film directed by Arthur Maude and starring John Martin Harvey, Norah Baring and Ben Webster. It was based on a play by Charles Reade and was also released under the title Courrier de Lyon...
(1931).
External links
- Histoire de France et d'ailleurs (in french)