Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1846-05-26
MARIE THE MURDERESS,
AN INCIDENT IN REAL LIFE.


tie took place near Array, between the
insurgents and certain skirmishing parties,
who were usually designated the "Blues.'
The affair was SO minute spark Of civil
war, that it deserved no mention in history
yet It cost the lives Of some hundreds of
men, whose blood was poured out like wa
ter in the trenches of the deep and suuAen
roads which traverse that country. 1t was
in those trenches that most Of The bodies
were found, and the magistrate whose duty
it was 10 clear the field of battle after the
fight; exclaimed, with sort of barbarous
naisette, 'that it looked like the end of a
harvest frolic, where the men were sleep
ing off their drunkenness"
On the sec ond day after the battle, just
at the grey of the morning, young peas
ant girl, with her sickle on her arm, took
her way 10 her usual daily labor in the
fields. AS she proceeded slowly along The
road, she curiousIy gazed upon the trees
pierced with bullets, the hedges torn and
broken, and the ground beaten, and tram
pied as by many feet. For a great dis
lance, the road was literally s,rewn with
buttons, BITS Of braided wors,ed, the re-
mans o! epuet!es, cartouch boxes, frag>
ments Of Breton caps, pierced by balls or
bayonetts, FLASHES Of half CONCEALED blood,
and all the horrible indications of fierce
and recent conflict. But the bodies Of the
slain had already disappeared During the
night the peasants had given them Chris.
tan burial, and the women had traversed
the batIe ground with sacks upon their
shoulders, alternately despoiling dead en-
envy, and offering up prayers for lost
friend. Much rich booty had been obtain
ed, and, to judge by the pre-occupied man
Of the peasant girl as she now scrutinized
the thickets on both sides Of he road, she
was not without expectations Of cleaning
some remarks of the plumber.
But her hopes seemed TO grow fainter as
she proceeded; and as she reached wide
marsh, overgrown with thick brushwood,
she quickened her pace, when she was
startled by sudden movement among the
rushes that bordercd the marsh. Almost
nj the same instant the clashlng of iron
struck upon her ear, the poin, Of a bayo~
net appeared glistening in the folage and
a bIood-stained figure ieebIy and painfully
dragged itself forth from its lurking place
in the marsh. The girl stopped; she utter
ed not the slightest sound but she held
with lirmer grasp the handle Of her sick
lie. The implorlng gestures OF the woun-
ded man, together with few words which
lie uttered in the language of the country,
seemed TO excite her interest. and she ap-
preached few steps towards him. He
had by this time succeeded, by the aid oc
his gun, in raising 10 his knee, and the
girl discovered by his blue jacket and the
device on his buttons, that he belonged to
one Of those companies of marines who had
fought 80 valianty at the battle Of Aurav
As she paused with an air OF indecision, the
wounded man entreated her to approach,
and in order TO assure her that he had no
power, even if he possessed the will to mo-
lest her, showed her th't his leg was bro
ken by musket ball Emboldened by
this, the girl advanced nearer, and deman
ded what no desi ed Of her.
"W here are my comrades, the blues?"
was his first question.
"They are gone"
"Gonel since when?"
''Thoy went yesterday"
"lmpossible! why surely we we've victo
rous"
The girl made no reply, but stood silent
and unmoyenble as if she had not compre
hended his question. She replied in such
manner as to make him believe that he
was abandoned, without hope Of succor
from his companions. The poor fellow
had boon wounded al III close of the day.
while pursuing the the Cho1nas. AID had
passed the night in the morass, suffering
The most eXcruta,ing pain, AM only sus-
tanned by the hope that some lucky chance
might discover his condition to his com
rades The news oftheir departure almost
drove him to despair. He had no strength
20 follow them, and he dared not show
himself in open day, lest he should be as
sassinated by the hostile peasanry His
only hope new rested on the girl. He was
a naive Of her own province; his fathe
and brothers were fishermen Of Locmaria
ques. only a few leagues distant, and they
could save him if Informed Of his danger
He conjured her, therefore, TO seek them:
he employed supplicatons, tears ,evenmen.
aces, but she was insensibe 10 all, While
he was talking with her, she remained stan
ding at little distance, with her eyes
greedily searching for something she might
appropriate, until they accidentally fell
upon the poor sailor al her feet. That
look discovered to her prize. Eagerly
approaching him, she said in low, hoarse
whisper
III you would have me go TO Locmaria'
quer. you must give me your watch."-
AS she spoke she seized The chain. but the
wounded man, throwing himself back, and
repuslng her with all his remaining
strength, cried: "Not now, not now; when
you return with my father, you shall have
the watch and the money"
"Have you money toog' asked the girl.
eyes, il shall be yours when -=''
''Where is the moneys"
Il have it safe"
"Show il me-"
"Promse. then, 10 save me-"
"Show me the money"
The poor fellow drew toward him the
knapsack which he had flung off, and bent
over it, while his feeble hands began slow.
| ly TO loosen the buckles that closed il.
The girl made one step backwards. &c