Show I AMERIC AMERICAN N SOLDIER JAILED IN i f l 0 COUNTRY HE HELPED SAVE tel ter PARIS March h 1 i By U U. P Af P.-Af- 1 Af two years ot of Solitary confInement confinement confIne confIne- ment In a French Louis Ayotte prison John has been notified that he cannot hope fora a pardon from the ministry of justice John is a a. high spirited young American dren with a wife wite and two chil- chil He left his home in Sheboygan Mich gan to come to France to help free It from the German invasion inva inva- sion SST and made an excellent war record record rec- rec ord with the ThirtY fifth States Infantry United lIe met Mlle A Alice I and fell In love with her She returned his love a and they ey were ere married aled At length safe sate from the war war he proudly to her home homo with him They heY were r very happy and life looked But frd after good n four to the y young uns man years the war romance ro romance ro- ro mance is hopelessly shattered The wIfe and tw two chi i e are at Saint Saint- en Valiere Gervais-en-Valiere Vall r ere with Johns John s law father a wealthy farmer who declares John burned down his barn malIcIously The Thenn young man Is nursing his sorrow and disillusionment nn n In the unwholesome at atmosphere at- at of the prison feeling feeling fhe the best years of his life Ufe slip away unable unable un- un aSi able to speak k the language of his fel fellow ow convicts and facing three more years of this suffering He stoutly maintains that he ho Is not guilty ot of arson and that he had an unfair trial RETURNED TO FRANCE The American got into all this trouble out of ot consideration for tor his wIfe who did not like America aI and d home life Ufe there and persuaded him to to return to France Prance with her for a visit Once In her own home she refused to return Ayotte and his I law father could not get along I and friction grew Into positive dis dis- like keThe The farmer ordered the Amer Amer- ican can from his home and re refused used him the privilege of seeing his wife wIte II and children The French girl I aligned herself with her father It was night and John had no place to sleep He crept Into a barn and was quietly smoking there when he heard his laws law's footsteps He didn't want any more trouble so hurried away and sought the house of some neighbors nearby near- near b bj by asking them for shelter The next morning the barn was found burned and the father in law accused the bo boy When gendarmes gendarmes gendarmes gen gen- darmes arrested Ayotte he uttered two words In his broken French He said beau p beau pore re in father-in- law and vengeance The police pollee authorities Interpreted this as a confession thinking that the young man meant he had had vengeance on his law father by burning the barn CONFESSION AT TRIAL Th The confession was made much of at the trial and was accepted as the most Damaging evidence but later Ayotte explained in English that what he meant was that his father law father law in-law was getting vengeance ven- ven on him by accusing him of having burned the barn Ayotte didn't t explain at the trial because he didn't t know what it was all about lIe He couldn't understand what was being spoken and the secretary secretary secretary sec sec- of the tho American society a womans woman's organization said that the interpreter who was called In accordance accordance accordance ac ac- ac- ac with French law although a teacher of English In a lower er grade French school spoke such abominable English that neither she shenor shenor shenor nor the accused could understand d da a word that he said The evidence was entirely circumstantial The young man was convicted of arson and on January 30 1922 sentenced sentenced sentenced sen sen- to five years' years solitary confinement confinement con con- He is only 24 years old and his plight after his Ws splendid army service has bas aroused much In InI Interest interest In- In terest in France For Tor months he I was unable to communicate with friends and not allowed to receive recel letters HELP FROM WASHINGTON At l length relief workers pressed inquiries and his side of the case became better understood Information Information Information mation and documents were sent to Washington and the state department department department depart depart- ment Instructed the American em embassy embassy embassy em- em bassy here to make a thorough In Ins Investigation In- In s Iol The result re of of this w was s I an official request that Ayotte be pardoned The French ministry replied that no pardon would be bo granted as the 1 of the trial show that all was in order Attempts by relief workers to reach President Mule- Mule rand to make a personal appeal on the young mans man's behalf have failed It was alleged in the request for fora a pardon that French legal procedure procedure procedure pro pro- which specifies that before a prisoner is sentenced he must be given an opportunity to know all the tho testimony against him was dIsregarded disregarded dis dIs- regarded The court of cessation in Paris the Paris the the supreme court In in Trance has France has ruled however that the trial was waa valid |