The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-13
PARIS BEFORE THE FALL.


OF FIourcns--A sulIIed Page in the Histsrv OF
the Siege.
The Paris correspondence of the Pal MGI
Gazette, dated January 30, supplies the most
coherent account of the capture of Mazas
and the subsequent disturbances. 1t runs
thus:-''The capture of Mszss by the gentle
men of the commune will not rival the taking
of the Bastile, This morning we have the
whole account of the affair from an eye-wit-
ness, who relates how the Governor of the
prison, on hearing of the arrival of the
rioters, and that three delegates desired to
speak with him, finally went out to
parley with the multitude, which demanded
the release of Gustave Flourens. While the
| Governor was parleying, much to the disgust
of the captain of the National Guards who
commanded the garrison and desired to re-
sist, one of the insurgents quietly took the
keys out of the concierge's room and opened
the large gates. The Commune Immediately
rushed in, and M. Bayet, the Governor,
politely pointed out the room where Flou-
rens was confined. The door was
opened, and the celebrated major,
dressed in full uniform, found himself
in the arms of les fTereS ct dnats, who en-
braced him. Flourens, however, objected to
leave Mazas before his fellow-prisoners had
been liberated and the obsequious Governor
candle in hand, lighted the way to the cells
where Leo Melliet, Bauer, and other political
prisoners were incarcerated. When these
worthless had been set free, the Commune re-
turned in triumph to Belleville, and no doubt
celebrated its successful raid in the usual
manner. Work of more serious nature took
place at the Hotel de Vile, which fortunately
was prepared for an attack. About o'clock a
couple of hundred rioters, most of them in
the uniform of the National Guard, came
along the Rue de Rivoli, loaded their mus
kets, and marched up to the Hotel de Vile.
One of the gates opened, and a dozen
Mobile Guards made their appearance;
both parties brought their wea-
pons up to their shoulders, but sudden
| panic seized on the rioters, and they fled in
company with some spectators, who began to
think matters we're looking more serious The
| fugitives rallied near the Bridge of Notre
Dame, and returning to the Rue de Rivoli,
fell into line on the pavement, crying 'Vive
| la Commune! A bas les Bretons' These
misguided and determined men were ad-
dressed by an officer of the National Guard,
and retired. 1t was hoped that the emeutC
was over, but about three clock another body
of rioters made its appearance doming down
lhe Rue du Temple, shouting a bas Trochu!
Vive la Commune!' The men drew up in
front of the Hotel de Vile, and endea-
vored to tear down the ratings. Three
| OuuC6I6 W6ut anu IRON D6Q1nQ JQ6
railing asked the rioters what they wanted.
will your men fire on the people p said a
man in the uniform of an officer of the Ma
| tional Guard. To this Colonel Vabre an
swered that his men would not fire while they
were parleying. The men of the Commune
were not 30 particular, for Colonel Vabre had
hardly uttered these words when the rioters
fred on him and his friends, and wounded
one of the officers in three places. The Colo
| mel and cOpnn1an6apf triad fo ba
Hotel de Vile, but could not open the
door, and several shots were fired at
them, which fortunately did not take
effect. Happily, the Mobiles quartered in
the Hotel lie Vile opened fire from the win
dows, and soon threw the rioters into con-
fusion; they beat hasty retreat, but con-
tinued to keep up fire on the Hotel de Vile
from distance, and behind corners, etc.
| After the firing had lasted half an hour, a
white flag was exhibited on the Place de
Greve, and an officer of the National Guard,
| with yard of white calico at the end of his
sword, implored both sides to cease firing.
| The facade of the Hotel de Vile had been
pitted with bullets, and the hands of the
clock, struck by projectile, stood still at
81 p. M. When the firing ceased, some
100 bodies strewed the ground but most
noise of musketry stopped. However, seve-
raj men were killed, and among the
slain was an officer, supposed to be the ex-
Commandant Sappia, dismissed the service a
couple of months ago. The dead we're
quickly removed, and sand was thrown over
the pools of blood in the Place de Greve.
When the battle was over, strong reinforce
ments arrived, and in a very short time
Paris was swarming with troops, which had
been called out for fear of another attempt
being made to disturb the peace and unseat
the Government. In the evening M. Jules
Ferry, Maire of Paris, issued circular to the
other Mares and the commanders of dis
tricts in which he said that some factious
National Guards of the One Hundred
and First Battalion had attempted to take
the Hotel de Vile, which had been fired at
from the opposite houses, occupied before
hand by the rebels. Bombs, says the Marie,
'and explosive balls were fired at us. The
aggression was of the most odious and cow
ardly description from beginning to end, as
first of all colonel and two officers were fired
on when parleying, and afterwards, when we
had ceased firing, muskets were discharged al
us from the houses in front of the Hotel de
Vile M. Jules Ferry regret that gloriou!
and unhappy Paris should have been exposed
to such an attack, which, 'as cowardly as il
was foolish, has sullied SO pure page