The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-04-13
THE CRIME OF THE REDS.
Murder of Gems. Thomas and
tt LeComte.


The Figaro relates as follows the cap
ture and death Of Generals Thomas anc
Lecomte, who were assassinated by thu
Reds:
"Having heard that one of This tormel
aides.de'camp had been seized by the in.
surgents, Gen. Clement Thomas deter.
mined to look after him, and with that
object reached the Place Pigalle about
tive O'Clock. He was in plain clothes,
one Of the insurgents having recognized
nm by bis full white beard went up to
him and said, Are you not General
ihomas? No, was the first reply. Il
don't think am mistaken said the in
surgent, though you are easily recognized
by your beard We'll, suppose it Is r.
replied the General firmly; what then ?
Have / not always done nv dutvT
Iou are =" wretch and traitor said the
lnsurgent, siezing the old man by the col
Lar. Others came to his aid, and they
dragged the General toward tie Rue des
Rosters, where the Central Republican
Committee Of 1Iontmartre held its sittinps
The late Of the unfortunate Clement
Thomas was decided oft.hand, At six
o'clock body Of National Guards
charged with his execution led him into
the garden. In that trying moment the
old General evinced the most heroic com.
posurc. He stood upright, facing his ex.
ecuttoners, and holding his hat in hi,
hand. Instead of firing upon him BY o
platoon vOlley, as Is the military custom.
his exeCutioners fred upon him one after
another. AS each ball struck, the bsdy |
OF the victim became convulslvely agitat. !
ed, but still remained firm in its
place US o statue. Alter the fourteenth
shot the General was still erect,
looking fxcdly upon his executioners, and
yet holding his hat. At last the fifteenth
ball struck him beneath the right eye and
brought him TO the ground. Gen. Le.
comte was brought to the same spot soon
ltter.ward. He was very pale, kept his
land halt folded upon his chest, and nut.
cred q few words Of protest. The firing
!arty in this case was composed of sol.
iiers belonging to the 99th regiment of
he line. 1t Is thy turn they cried:
thou gavest the order to fire upon the
,eople.' An instant later and General
4eComte had fallen dead. A Lieutenant
# the 2OOth battalion present at these
nassacres could not refrain from exclaim.
ng, To shoot them without hearing
hem. II is too horrible |"
A correspondent says: Poor Thomas
have often seen him. He was fine look.
1g, sturdy, brave and honest. He never
'iled In his duty during the siege. He
las one Of the faithful "lcaders" so often
lamored for by those very demons who
ave acted as cowardly toward him when
o was In their power as they did when
nder his orders In the lace OF the enemy.
he poltroons wanted leaders" and when
ley get an opportunity they shoot their
'aders for being leaders.
Thomas had been a lifelong consistent
'epubllcan. In 1884, when he was a
lere boy, and a non.commissioned officer,
9 was imprisoned for his republicanisln, {
nd for the same cause has been in exile
y the last eighteen years. Immediately
pom hearing ol the restoration Of the re.
nblic, he hastened to offer It his services,
ld, as l have said before, the besieged ]
lpltal had no more earnest or faithful
,ldier.
Lecomte, was n good officer and GOOD
epublican, and one Of the "leaders" who
ere hrst clamorod for and then murder.
by their followers. In the murder of
ese officers the Republicans Of Paris E
I'VE committed the Crowning crime of {
70 war.