Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-11-15
A DASHING EXPLOIT.

n OAOhANu
WHEN the Revolution of 1880 set In,
Alexandra Dumas, then very young
man, and seeing nothing In life but one
series of tableanx, took his share in the
more stirring scenes In the capacity of q
skirmisher. He tells the whole story in
his memoirs, and his account seems an
anticipation of the best portions of Raba-
gas. But his narrative of his expedition
to Scissors to seize some powder will be
found one of the most stirring bits of ad-
venture in modern times.
He had heard Lafayette say that If the
King were to advance on Paris there
would be no powder to meet him with.
Alexandra conceived bold scheme, and
proposed to the General to set off fo-
Soissons-a town he well knew-and
seize on the magazine there. Lafayette
laughed at the idea, but consented to give
him pass to General Gerard, to which
Dumas coolly added: 'and we recon-
mend his scheme to you" From Gerard
he, with some difficulty, obtained requi.
sition addressed to the authorities of the
town for the powder. In this he ingeni-
ously interpolated the words minister of
War"--a rank which no one bat himself
had conferred on the General. With
this official document he returned to La
fayette, and persuaded the old patriot to
write him sort of letter of introduction
to the citizens of scissors, recommend
ing them, "AleXandre Dumas, one of our
combatants," as tit and proper person to
whom they should hand over the powder.
Then our hero-for such he was on this
occasion-prepared himself for as spirit
ed and dramatic an adventure as can be
e = IL. -. e
1t was about three o'clock in the after
noon of the 30th of July, 1880. AS he
was hurrying away, he met youg paint
er named Bard, who was only nineteen.
He asked him to join. The other agreed
with alacrity, and Alexandra, sending him
back for his double barreled pistols and
his horse, set off himself in cabriolet
for LIE Bourget, then the first post on the
road to scissors, and which has since
obtained such a disastrous notoriety.
Arrived there, he exhibited his Lafayette
and Gerard letters to the Postmaster, and
demanded chaise and horse for his mis-
sion. The Postmaster was friendly, and
even empresSe, and supplied him at once
with what he asked. He went out to buy
some pieces of calico-red white and
blue-which were sewn into tri-color
flag fixed to a broom stick, which latter
was tied on to the chaise. With this
ensign they started, in hopes of getting
to scissors about midnight The Postmas-
ter shook his head, but, as he sagacious-
ly remarked, $50 many miracles had been
performed during the last three days that
1t might be possible" "A they hurried
through the various villages the flag
caused the greatest excitement His
ow-traveler, delighted, declared that
all was going splendidly, "but that they
ought to have some sort of cry"
"Shout away, then" said Dumas, "and
while you are shouting I'll take some
sleep"
The only difficulty was, what was to be
the cry, and, with some hesitation, the
now well-worn and tattered "Vice IN Re
DublQue" was decided on. Accordingly,
the young painter, his head out of the
On the high road they met chaiSe going
to Paris, and travelerof some fifty years
old asked for news.
"The Louvre is taken; the Bourbons
fled; Provisional Government established
-vive la Republiquew the excited paint
er poured out The gentleman fifty years
old scratched his ear, and continued his
journey. For the next stage they had an
old position, who persisted in going at a
steady trot, and, at every remonstrance,
answered doggedly, "Leave it all to me.
A man knows his own business best.
Dumas, at last, from his chaise window,
laid on the backs of the horses with a
stick, and made them gallop. In rage,
the man pulled up, swore he would un-
yoke his beasts, and actually proceeded
{ do so. Dumas fired at him with a
blank cartridge. and so scared him that
he rolled ON the ground in terror Alex
andre then put on his huge posting boots,
and, mounting, gallOped on to the next
post They soon reached the old familiar
Vilers.C s.Cotterets-the whole town, as may
well be imagined, being thrown into in
tense excitement by the appearance of
the chaise with the tricolor and the eX'
cited Alexandra Dumas. Late as it was,
every house poured out its inhabitants,
who rushed to the post-house. A thousand
eager questions were put to him what
did it mean, this nag and the guns? He
knew all the townspeople, and told the
story of the last few days. 1t was insist
ed that he should stay short time, and
have something to eat, and he was carried
off to the house of an oldfriend, where q
hasty supper was got ready. A number
of old companions, who had been boys
NuOu W as III AlC llNNiO bOhhJ 6ohhNlCN
round, listening eagerly as their old friend
declaimed and recounted between every
mouthful. As he dashed in for them,
which he could do admirably, vivid
sketches of these thrilling scenes, the rus
tics listened with delight and wonder
but when he came to explain the object oi
his present expedition "when l an
nounced that meant to capture, single
handed, all the powder that was in amlli
tary town, containing 5000 inhabitants
and garrison of 800 men''-they looked
at him doubtfully, and thought he wa
crazed. This was, of course, welcome tC
Alexandra, who always delighted to pu
himself in theatrical attitude, and be
the center of a dramatic situatloa. He
turned TO his companion Bard:
"What were my words when proposing
this expedition to you ?"
"You asked" was the reply, twas ! in
clined TO to get myself shot with YOU"
'And what do you say now ?"
"That am ready STILL"
All were confounded at such gallantry
One OF his friends now stepped forward
and offered to get him into Scissors, a
he had friend at the gates. Then Alex
andre, always anticipating his D'Artag
nan, raised his glass, and drank to hi
swn rethrn to them on the next evening
"Have dinner ready" he called to tn
host, 4" for twenty people; and it is to b.
eaten Just the same, whether we are aliv
or dead-here are two hundred francs
The other answered that he might pay oil
the morrow. "But If l should be shot 2
"Then shall pay" A shout arose
''Hurrah for Cartier" Dumas drank OF
his wine, and, we might add, the aet.droI
fell.
1t was now about eleven o'clock. TIL,
horses were put to, the chaise was wait
ing, and the bold trio, Dumas, Bard, anC
Hutin (who was TO pass them through tn
Rates), drove away on their daring expe
Siuon. BY one o'clock they had reaches
the satea OF Scissors, through which the,