The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-07-22

OF tlils kind who are engaged In operations
OF this sort Of one mind when the question
Is murder and plumber, but who do not
agree SO well when the time comes for
dividing the SPOIL The witness-"There
Is great deal of truth in that. | must
ask your pardon, for that view Of the
question escaped me-" The prosecutor
1T was quite in the regular course Of
things, you see, that those persons should
have fallen out with each other" The
cloquenCe, too, when It came to the Com
missary Of the Governments reply, was
amazing. Here is choice specimen; !;
You, it is you who dare to say that the
French army Is wanting In loyalty and
generosity towards its enemies, We're
there need, and without passing beyond
France, ! would appeal to the shades Of
all those who have laid down their lives
in battling with US, and would say, Rise
up, you English and Spaniards, who saw
US at Toulouse. Rise up, you Russians
and Austrians who met us In hundred
battles, at Montmirail and Champaubert
Rise up, even you Prussians, or all men,
who have seen US so often, alas atSedan,
COulmiers, and other places--come to this
bar and say II ever the French soldier,
whether conquered or cOnquerlDg, was
wanting In loyalty or generosity towards
his enemy!" 0utbursts Of this sort were
invariably followed by enthusiastic ap.
plauso from the audience. When Mon
sieur Chevrieu had stated that he had
seen one Of the accused at the execution,
aud a question of disputed identity arose,
our prosecutor was again equal to the
occasion. "What!n said this feryii orator,
"when q witness like this inspector Of
the Lyceum-n man who refused the
noble offer made him by one Of the mis-.
sionaries to take his place: aman fOstered
in a university, and with a past history
worthy of being compared 10 the most
splendid achievements OF Greek and
Roman history-whcn man like this
steps on this platform and says, | recog-
nize him, ne was there, saw him from
my CELL defy any mortal to have the
least dOubt Of his sincerity" This was
very well in It's way, though, unfortunately,
wholly beside the question, which was
whether this witness might not have
been mistaken. And very awkwardly for
the eloquence of tho prosecutor II turned
ont that he rdS mistaken. One Of the
most exciting and dramatic episodes that
ever occurred during trial was connected
with this incident, and Is worth recording
in this place.
A certain Pigerre was among the
prisoners, and lay under the serious accu'
saiiOn of being one Of the officers of the
party told off for shooting the hostages.
This was supported by the testimony Of
several witnesses, and above all by several
of the accused. The prosecutor fairly
enough considered that he had secured
this prey, whose fate might be considered
certain. The man, indeed, denied the
charge, and said lie was fighting In
different part of tue town At the time, but
this was only too common a form of de-
fence. Witness. after witness came up.
Ralnain recognised him distinctly as the
leader who had threatened him with the
sabre. "lIe is the cause" he added, "oi
my being in this place., Waiter, who
carried the light for the dismal procession,
recalled his face at once. Latour did the
same. Then Pgerre, being interogated,
spoke out, and told his story frankly. He
soid he had never even known Of the exc
cutlon of the hostages until lie was taken
up and put in prison. "PieOn, one Of my
fellow prisoners, came up to me one day
and said, ais It possible that you don't
know what took place at La ROquette on
tho cath of Mayi" "NO,n | answered
"for the five months that have been
here, ! have seen no one from outside
"And you don't know that they shot the
archbishop and Gye Othersi" / was
thunderstruck. lie then called over Vat
tier, and asked him il he knew me. To
my nmazement the other replied, "Yes,
he commanded the firing party" ]
thought this was o joke, and took no
notice to 1t. But two days later Vattier
came sgain, and sat down by me. $50
you weren't at the prison on tile 24thf"
he asked. | said "Eo." "You are Jean
Bptiste Pigerre, amt you I" "of course
1 am.' "Well, then, 1t was you who
commanded the firing party?" Ny arms
fell to my side, my tongue seemed par.
alyzed. They had all made plan to
destroy me. lie then questioned the wit
nesses against him, and asked them all u
they recollected how he was dressed and
how he wore his beard. One said he had
a cap: another that he had more beard
than he had at present; third that he
had a inOustache. Now said Pigerre,
al think can show the court that there
Is mistake. never had hair upon my
upper lip In my life, as doctors can prove,
| ifthey examine It." The president said,
dryly, that the court wonld give Its
value to the fact" Then another wit
ness came up, the respectable Monsieur
Chevrieu before alluded to. " was par.
ticularly struck" he said, "by tho face Of
an officer, In the dress Of a National
Guard, with scabbard trailing after him,
marching with a curious nOnchalant ex-
preston, and appearing to take the least
interest in what was going on, and /
shall never forget him. The face was
fixed in my memory. Ny duty Is to tell
the court that It was very like his
(Pigerre's.n When he had finished his
evidence, Pigerre begged ofhim to come
close to look at him again The other did
so, and after fixed stare adhered to the
opinion he had given. "Then," said the
accused, "as he recognized the sabre. |
notice a member Of the court with one ex-
actly like mine. Q.aughter). lie was
asked what officer. "Captain Reporter, y
said our prisoner, "wonld you 10 kind
enough to show your sabrei" Q.oud
laughter). The president: "silencel gen.
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