The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-04-18
VISIT TO 1.-THE GARDEN OF DEATH.
WHAT WAS SEEN AND HEARD THERE.

IL is sc0undrelly quarter OF the town-nOt merely
poor, but vllanous. We had neglected to make
ourselves look like blackguards cutthr0as before
starting, for which reason VIC were observed for
strangers on the instant and were received all
along the way with scowling looks Nobody spoke
to u.s. however, or put the least impediment In the
way Of our ascent At the highest part OF the hill
we came upon the Rue des Rosters. 1t Is o narrow,
crooked street. 400 or 500 yards in It's extreme
length. 1t contains just twenty-five houses-N0. %
being at the Of the street by which 1t must be
reached. We had therefore, to 60 nearly the whole
length Of the street to reach No. AS we approached
1t we saw rough crowd In the now disgraceful uni
form OF the National Guards standing In the street,
and o moment later saw that they were In front OF
No. 6, and that 1t was the post or headquarters of
their force IN that vicinity This was not an agree
able surprise. We had heard and believed that the
instruction, finding no foe to oppose IL In the
city, had abandoned Its first position. We went
forward, however, and presented ourselves at the
entrance OF No. 9, o porte coclsre, surrounded by
a crowd Of Ill looking fellows. We were stopped
Of the entrance and We asked for the captain. He
came and we showed the laisser passer Of his
commander. He scarcely troubled himself to look
at 1t, but with a true Revolutionary contempt for
any authority but such as he chose to respect in
formed US it was insufficient. We could not visit
the garden, therefore, and as we did not ind our
selves In very agreeable company the next thing
was to get down the hill again. There Is universal
weakness in regard ito returning the same way"
80 chose to push on through the street. expecting
to find way down OF the other end. At the
other end we came upon an abrupt descent, at the
top OF which was barricade, and the
man on guard would not let US pass.
Here also we would have shown our latSser
passer in the hope that was at least good to let
up; but we had been followed by man from the
crowd about the headquarters, who rushed forward
dennunoina NC for tina worry attempt to show again
pass that had been once declared insufficient. In
the heat OF his denunciaon he seized the pass from
the hands OF the soldier who held IT, tore 1t 70 pieces
and scattered the pieces to the wind In all this
that Ia the first specimen have OF the celebrated
Jt0ia Jfancese He had his gun slung loosely on
his arm by the strap, and was under the influence
either Of very exalted order Of patriotism or OF
capable Of any violence, within nifty yards
murders had been committed within few
days by such men as were all about us, and
was destroyed, while the man who had already be.
gun his attentions to US b. that act or violence, not
US as spies and seemed determined to hound his
fellows on to our destruction, as the scent OF the
scarcey dried blood were s 81 ~ ms nos we
neighborhood by the way we came. In doing this
we had 70 pass through the ugly looking crowd IN
followed US. We had gone but q few steps beyond
the group when this man had so far gained the
enough to stand In the way and stop US altogether.
lie was the exponent OF the popular viii IN this
post in mat fatal No. 6. This time it was easy to
get In. We crossed little courtyard and taken
into the room III which Thomas and Lecomte
passed the last miserable moments before the
murder.
Here we were confronted by the captain who had
few moments before declared our pass worthless
and by some other officers, one among them having
the advantage OF being reasoning human creature,
and we were surrounded on every side by the horri
BILE faces OF the brutalized crowd. One man. how.
ever, controlled and commanded all the rest. 1t was
one S 81 Ine Gnce wa Was SIMPLY inc most
strOyed our pass.
Here we were, therefore, face to face with band
OF wretchcs whom 1t was impossible to restrain In
any whim Of fury that might suddenly seize them
and whom ono OF their number was doing his utmost
taste Of blood. We were able not only to see the
room but to experience little OF what Thomas and
LecOmte felt when they were In It,
We got out OF this company by the cooler man In
the number proposing to take US ''beiore the com.
mittee." AS the committee was not IN Montmarire
1t was not SO wild as it might have been, and we
were set free.
To-day ! procured another laisser passer from
General Bergeret, who assured me that ne would
supply me with them as often as they were torn UP
by his men, and awaiting myself OF the company Of
Montmartre once more. ihus armed and defended
felt sure OF success, and this time was not mis-
taken. We took very circuitous route to get up,
my guides giving as reason that we would 10y
tnat means avoid good many ugly sentnels. We
passed through number OF narrow winding,
crooked Ginning streets, Of them half full or
ashes and garbage and Nth, Overhung by dark,
smoky dirty shaleless masses OF brick and mortar
In the form OF houses inhabited by Inulti,udes OF
human beings, swarming with life, like ant hills.
Mounting long Nights OF steep stone steps that have
been worn away by the retreating footsteps OF ages
until at last we arrived In front OF the little old
church had seen the dty before, ana passed into
the Kue DIES Rosters. The sentinel here looked at
me closely, as though saying to himself en- nap
in that looks suspicious or the pleasure Of nabbng
them just when they think they are out OF danger.
Arriving at No. my tassser posser was examined
man from the stupid looking Fellow who received
me yesterday. He was very polite aud
gave interest to VISIT place
fatal garden where Generals Thomas and
Lecomte met their fate. This naturally determined
dirty stone CORRIDOR opened door aud found nv.
self upon the scene OF the tragic event. 1T place
for sucn crime garden about hundred ieet
long ana nifty WIDE, running back from the house to
the verge OF the descent surrounded on all sides by
walls ten feet high, except ON the back, where an
iron piked fence OF the same height opens vista TO
the plain and village OF ST. Denis ana The heights II
Montmorency beyond. Tie garden was half grown
up with rank weeds, which have been trainped
down by the furious mob that rushed IN aud took
possession OF IL TO perpetrate their mad act of ven.
geance AT the left, as you enter, about halfway
a0o hue and ,se ,uHo scratched
written over II, marking the spot where the un.
happy general stood. The wall around the cross Is
honeycombed with bullet holes, some or which are
two or three inches Deep but he stains OF blood
which covered II have been removed. Ten feet
further on Is another cross and more bullet holes~
showing where Lecomte fell, and small peach tree
Is trained against the wall with one broken shat
tered limb. as II mourning over the SPOT where o
Tie murrierers stood about the middle OF the par.
den az the distance OF twenty feet from their