The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1872-02-22
A Dramatic Trial.

| Another Of those remarkable dramatic ep.
isodes with which the Communist trials have
made us familiar has lately been presented
at Paris. Early in the month was arraigned
the party, twenty-threc in number, accused
of having shot the hostages As usual, the
culpfits embraced every age, and almost eye-
ry condition of life. Men, women, and chill
dren stood shoulder to. shoulder at the bar,
as they had stood before at the barricade, to
struggle for their lives. One Of the prisoners,
Herault, was representative of that pre-
cocious ferocity which the Commane seems to
have developed. lie was boy Of seventeen
whose fair hair, round features and pale face,
says an eyewitness, would have better fitted
a school boy, than a. member of terrible
band of assassins Yet he did not deny hav-
ing served as soldier of the Commune; he
is said to have boasted Of having been one of
the firing party who shot the hostages, and a
witness Of the massacre testifes that it was
pcrpetrated by just such smooth-faced young
lads as Herault.
Another of the accused was bright, hand
some, proud looking young man, paper-cut-
ter, named Fortcri. Hc told the somewhat
improbable story, that during all the reign
of the Commune he had remained quietly
working at his trade. The two "most for
biding looking" rascals Of the lot, indeed,
made out the most plausible story, q fact
which may distress disciples of Lavater. But
the crowning sensation was the examination
of Pigerre, who is alleged to have commando
ed the firing party. His appearance seems
not to have been progressing. Indeed, the
correspondent Of the London Standard thinks
his face must raise up terrible prejudice
against him, 'if it were not sufficient to hang
him." "Pale, with hollow checks, sharp
nose and sunken eyes, narrow, retreatlnS
forehead with thin, lank black hair thrown
behind his cars, he is evidently the true type
of the fanatic. Yet, standing there like a
wolf at bay he extorts the admiration Of his
enemies by his wonderful nerve and audaci-
ty. His eye, deep sunk and intense, fasten-
ell On the face of an adverse witness confused
him and made his truth seem like falsehood.
"They seem like pistol shots" says specta-
tor. A dozen witnesses have identified him
as the chef of the firing party, yet he con-
fronts and ontradicts them all. lie even
invites the scrutiny of those who are to pick
him out from among his fellow prisoners. N
Chivclotte, the mayor Of Partisan arondis-
ment, who had been one of the hostages,
was called upon to identity the chief OF the
firing party.
down from the witness ralhigSuHd sfowrJ-
glanced along the three rows OF captlves, un-
til. amid the bycathlcss suspense Of the audi
euce, he lifted his finger and pointed to Pig
ere. "Eoiiow exclaimed Iigerre, starting
to his feet ID looking him full in the face,
his frame drawn up into soldier-like erect
ness of attitude, his ghastly pale face rigid
with nervous tension. Instead OF avoiding
scrutiny. Pigcrrc invited it, by stepping from
his own seat into the row before him and look
ing at NJ Cheviilot face to face. The men
were little more than yard from each other;
they locked full into eaca others eyes, ana
at lust the witness broke the suspense ol the
audience by saying he believed PlScrrc to be
the man.
The same scene was rcenactcd in every
other case, Pigerr, i'll every instance coming
half wav to me CT his accusor, and almost bat-
asine him witt his basclisk glance.
Add to this extraordinary resolution that
Percrrc, thoigh only cabinet maker speaks
with great lorcc an | precision Of rhetoric,
and has tic stern, pittiless, terribly impassitc
look of ,ne born to command, and we may
agree With the correspondent that he is no
trdipry man. lie will probably be shot, if
he b,s not already been. And yet, however
m.h we may execrate the crime for which
b. suffers, it is hard te avoid the reflection,
lhat with many such Frenchmcn as this Sc,
dan would have been impossible.-NeH
York. Times.