The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-02 00:00:00

GERMAN PLUNDER.

" Petrus Desportus," who has travelled all through
Germany, says he saw revolting things there, " such as
are enough to stifle the sympathy I and other worthy
people felt for Germany. I saw at the station of Nieder
Lahnstein, near Coblentz, a Prussian sergeant and cor-
poral escorting a troop of convalescent soldiers who openly
sold a quantity of articles stolen in France. They had,
with the help of sheets and tablecloths, made five
large parcels containing the spoils of two or three house-
holds—clean and dirty linen, men's women's, and chil-
dren's clothing, shoes, candlesticks, chignons, flat irons,
bits of cheese and ham, the main-spring of a clock, chil-
dren's toys. All this was displayed as the curtains and
shirts were moved, to the great joy and laughter of the
peasants and peasant-women, who hastened to buy what-
ever suited them for a few kreutzers. An old man paid
two florins for about thirty little frocks, shirts, aprons,
caps, &c., which had belonged to children. As some
of these things were spotted with blood, the soldier
was asked whether he had killed the children to get them,
`No,' replied ho, but they were all crouched up in a cor-
ner, five crying children. A little girl held a dog on her
lap, which shewed its teeth at me. This vexed me ; I
took the dog and cut his throat, in spite of the cries of
these cursed French little ones.' I never again saw the
same public auction in Germany, but I have ascertained
everywhere, in Wurtemberg and in Bavaria, as in Prussia
that all the sick and wounded soldiers who return are
loaded with booty. Besides this, no train by which
soldiers or war material has been forwarded to France,
returns empty. They come back full of cases or parcels
sent by the German soldiers to their families."

A new kind of mitrailleuse, firing 420 balls per minute
and costing only 150 francs, has been designed by a young
civil engineer of Dragnignan.
It is M. Gambetta, who excludes all correspondents from
the Army of the Loire. Some of the Generals would be
willing to admit them.
A Frenchman in reply to the Bishop of Marseilles who
suggested that the church bells should be melted to supply
metal for artillery, calls upon the housewives of France
to sacrifice their saucepans which would be more useful, as
for one bell there are five hundred saucepans.
Nothwithstanding all General Trochu's precautions, it
is strongly believed that everything which goes on in
Paris is known at German headquarters. It is certain
that Trochu is well-informed of events within the German
lines.

The French bishops are not altogether unanimous in
fulminating against the Republic for converting the
church bells into bronze cannon. Those of Algeria,
Marseilles, and Angers, form the patriotic minority. The
others assume the tone of martyrs.
An agreeable surprise was experienced a day or two
since at Tours by the arrival of several squadron of
Spahis, who rode through the streets in their long cloaks,
and red and white burnous, armed with Chassepots.
Cries of "Vivent les Arabes," greeted the picturesque pro-
cession on all sides.
The German soldiers have taken compassion on the
nakedness of the statues in the Palace of St. Cloud. An
Apollo was clothed with a chimneypot hat with a black
and white cockade, and a black coat with white buttons.
The neighbouring Juno was furnished with .a red crinoline
and a quilted dress.
Zealous correspondents who have been watching M.
Gambetta's countenance since his return from Coulie f orm
very different estimates of the expression thereon. The
Times contributor says he looks very dissatisfied. The
Daily News correspondent reports that he is• " well
pleased with what lie saw at Coulie."
The French papers oomplain that the Germans,lconsider-
ing themselves definitively possessed of Alsace and Lor-
raine, are rechristening their towns with frightful
Teutonic names. Thus, Thionville • has become Ditten-
hofen ; Phalsbourg, Pfalzbur4 ; Saverne, Zabern ; Sarre-
bourg, Sarburg ; Vissembourg, Weissemburg ; Nancy,
Nanzig ; &c.
Prince Frederick Cfiarles's army, on its march from
Metz to the scuth-west, encountered at several points
hostile demonstrations on the part of the population.
At Troyes some of the inhabitants wanted to defend the
city, but the more intelligent and well-disposed people,
headed by the mayor, gained the upper hand, and the
obstructions_to the entry of the Germans were removed or
filled up.

The other day, in the German lines before Paris, there
oecurrod an instance of the danger attending the expo-
sure of lights on the fpreposts within range of the enemy's
fire. A military chaplain and a count, an officer in a
cavalry regiment, shared the same room in a chateau in
that exposed village, and neglected to close the shutters
when they lit their lights. Presently a shell from Fort
Aubervilliers crashed into the room, and exploding killed
them both. •

Some of the German troops occupy the Prince Impe-
rial's playground at St. Cloud. It is a large grass plot,
with a miniature railway in the middle, with tunnel,
bridges, and a station where soldiers arrived and whence
they were despatched. Of course, these artificial contri-
vances are now ruined, only the foundation of the station

and a few fragments of the carriages remaining. Thenare likewise some remains of a gymnastic apPost,
which the soldiers burn up in making their soup or coe,eci'
In the centre of the ground is a large flagstaff, on will
the princely flag used to be hoisted, announcing to the
Parisians when the " Child of France " condescended t°
play.
The Echo du Luxemburg says that red trousers are 134
longer to be worn in the Belgian army, and a decree "
that effect has been submitted by the Government to the
King. The measure is approved by the Echo, as at Pre;
sent the similarity of the uniform to that of the Folic
troops has occasionally exposed them to the fire of Fr°.
Sian troops, who mistook them for enemies.
A Namur paper remarks upon the gradual disaPPel;
ante of the French bronze coinage from currency
Belgium. Whatever may be the cause, it says, the 11'1:
is certain that upon certain points of our frontiers the to.
five, and two centime pieces of France are being collected
and sent off in large quantities to that country, realizieg
premium which makes the operation a profitable affair'
It appears that the number of forces in the owl' 5t
Coulie is far from being as great as it should be; but the
camp itself is very strong. Two redoubts destined°
defend it, surrounded with moats cut out of the solid rocks
four yards and a half deep, and armed with large 113 r,
breech-loading cannons, carrying five miles, are already
completed. The signal hill, over five hundred feet high'
near the camp, has also been turned to good account I°'
its defence.

----------
The Posen Zeitung mentions the arrest at Bromberg °ll
the 24th of Bertha Weiss, the heroine whose fame
recently trumpeted as having served in the army, aD
received the Iron Cross for rescuing a flag captured 11
the French. The whole story is a fabrication, apParellt.iii
concocted for the purpose of obtaining presents of 0-01,7,
from a credulous public. She has been escorted P,j
soldiers to Kiinisberg, her apprehension creating no little

sensation.
The Germans find some rigour necessary in goverilli''
the occupied provinces of France. At ilheims
physicians have been arrested and sent to Magdeburg, °I
a charge of hostile machinations. At Strasburg, on Set
day, an arrest was made at the Hotel d'Angleterre att.cci
close of a concert given by a Btvarian military band, 01',t
attended by the principal people of the town. The nrret'
is said to be connected with the discovery of a secret P°which /regularly brought letters from the interior of
France, to the adherents of the Provisional Goverionell
in Alsace. In Lorraine, since the recovery of Orleans 1.11
the French, the rural population have regained confidence'
and the most absurd rumours of Prussian losses before
Paris circulate among them.
M. R-, Professor of Belfort College, met with 9,811::„
gular adventure as he was taking his wife and children
Switzerland. The travellers were conducted to the Gene'
ral-Commandant of the German forces on the frontier
order to verify their passports. The General finding tb,4
M. R- knew the German language, exclaimed :
shall require your services, and I shall expect you to giv-,
me some explanations concerning the state of Belfort.
M. R- replied, " General, I shall not give you 5/I,AI
information on the subject ; for to do so would be
-.-
betray my country. Patriotism is an honourable sent
ment in all countries ; and I do not think you can °A
upon an honest man to do that which you yourself wow
indignantly refuse to do." M. R- was compelled „
return to Belfort.

• *
Another exploit by Francs-Tireurs is related 111
German letter. On two Uhian companies being sent ";
Nemours, where they arrived late in the evening, the'
inquired for the Mayor. A suspicious-looking Perse,
officer
presented himself, whom the refused to recogllls",
;
and at length the real Mayor was found. On bei%
questioned, he stated positively that no hostile troort.
or Francs-Tireurs were in the place. A respeea
able inhabitant was detained as a hostage, gad
the troops, consisting of two lieutenants, two ensigns,
about sixty men, quartered themselves in a large foil
house, stationed outposts, and left the horses saddled
bridled. About 1.30 a piercing cry from the sentry
heard, and from all sides, through doors, loopholes, att
windows, shot after shot fell on the sleeping Uhlans•
officer, a subaltern, and four men escaped ; the fate °{
the the others is still uncertain. The next day a detso
ment of the 2nd Array was sent to Nemours to punish tile
outrage.
GARIBALDI AT LYONS.—The Muncipal Con--
of Lyons have decided to confer on Garibaldi the fre.e:,
dom of their city, and have embodied their resolution 1'
highly eulogistic terms. His life, says the propositioni
has been a long and indefatigable struggle again
the enemies of liberty. the scelerat of the 2nd
ber has always been the object of his perseverl
and active hatred, America has constituted him one of
citizens, and to the title of American citizen and nall';
citizen, he will now add the title of Lyonnese citizen as
,„„t
tie to the French Republic. Two hundred Prussr
prisoners, nine of whom were officerss, captured at CI
tillon by Ricciotti Garibaldi, have just passed throlg
Lyons.
A CHANGED CAPITAL—M. Jules Claretie ha°,
made a picturesque sketch of the transformation that 111
taken place in Paris. " The powder that has been burlij
has," he says, " purified the air, and saltpetre has serve
for chlorine. Over the Vari4tes where kings and emit'''.
rors had been wont to applaud the can-can of la Schneidf;
floats the white standard with the red cross of the Swlci
Republic. The Champs-Elysées are a camp where passs
the coupe, filled with insolent occupants ; the 1103"
waggon of the Vosges carries bread or arms. Artilled;
men have pitched their tents at two paces from the sP°t
where stood those noisy restaurants which resounded 133
year to the unmeaning clamour of idlers. Paris is a trans
formed and an improved town."