The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-07-13 00:00:00

MORE EXECUTIONS AT VERSAILLES,

A Paris newspaper correspondent, writing on Saturday
night, says:—

The bloody plain of fiatovy won tha *sena Of two
more executions tins morning. The men shot this time
were obscure individuals belonging to the dregs of the
Paris population, who Were sentenced to death by a
court martial for common law ctiines during the reign
ot the Commune, without, as the pro:mmition tlleged, •
any political pretext. And yet one of them,
Baudoin, was convicted, not only of murdering
a gloi named Herron, but of setting fire to public
builninga. The other convict, Rouillac, killed a man
nrsmed Dubois, and afterward, robbed his Mama. Thl
v&iq,deit, bru.al men, wilt:trier justly conuemneu
or not. assumed the airs of political martyrs. When
warned at four in the morning that their sentence was
about to be executed they abused the gaolers, and said
their friends would avenge therm TM+ boos refused
to!istevi t tha pr.ria, anti repuised Lim rudely. When
asked if they desired anything beforeleaving the prier di,
they took some wine and coffee. Itouillac smoked
a dirty short pipe, laughed frequently, and sang
snatches of songs. Whit* this P,MO 1711.1 ping on
Pandoln recognised hi one of the gaolera an old
comrade in the artillery of the Guard. With him he
conversed quietly, and spoke with great coolness of the
certainty he felt that his political friends would soon
get the upper hand, Afser thtt var'.7 alma intarral for
refrbsbroent and preparation the prisoners were con-
ducted to the execution ground in prison vans. The
chaplain, Abbsi &dot, rode with them. On the plateau
of Satory, at five in the morning, there was the usual
scene, 10,00 troops driwn no oh three sides of a
tputro, etud two firing parties opposite two posts. The
plisoners walked steadily to the posts, but again
repulsed the priest so roughly that he hastily with-
drew to a carriage, quite frightened. They placed
their backs against the posts, Rottillae still smoking
his pipe and singing, rind se‘mte•i to aWait their fate
oravely as many better men have done in
the same place. But, in consequence of its having
Leen found at a recent execution that the soldiers were
made nervous by the sight of the prisoner's eyes, and
could not take good aim, positive orders have been
given the.t bandages nhall. bs Put round the eyes
tf et hry man bronght out to be shot. Both Baudoin
and ilouillac strenuously resisted the soldiers sent
to execute this order. They loudly declared they
would look death in the face. They tore 4 the ban-
dages after they hattheen put or. had viobintly tmahed
the soldier!: r.Way. it was a shocking and unparalleled
scene. Ultimately they were overpowered by numbers,
and not only were their eyes bandaged, but they were
forcibly lashed With strong cords to the poet]. Nth's
position they were 9/10i. Every btllv took eLect.
The bodies were EO strongly tied that they did not fall
till the cords were cut. Then they dropped withait
; the least life left in them. The like of this was never
before seen at Satory.

The Dail!? News remaths
The English public will be glad to hekr that the
kentellee on M, Henri ROehofort ha bi.:en commuted to
banichttent. Our Correspondent adds, that this com-
mutation has taken place at the instance of M. Victor
Hugo. But we regret that, side by side with this act
of wise clemency on the part of the French Government,
we have to record some further executions at Satory.
We need not reproduce the horrors ovir Corrsspndent
descri')O;l. 111 two Voicloore enouga. " The like of
this was never before seen at Satory." If these
men were ordinary criminals, they should have
been executed as such; if they were political offenders
only, they should have been included in the act of
clemency which hap been extended to their leader.
M. PocfroFfrt 1.; not a roan with whom Englishmen
feel any personal sympathy. Vain and impulsive, he
hae had greatness forced upon him by the prosecutions
to which he has been subjected. But as a political
martyr, he has been the object of a good deal of sym-
pathy, and M. Thiers has done wisely in eorsmetieff
! his nntencf::. We should be glad to see in this act the
' beginning of a new reign of clemency in France ; but
so long as the executions at Satory continue such a
hope is vain. When will M. Thiers tell the firing
parties on that horrible plain to omen their work?
' '