The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-01-26
Il STORY 4BOCT THE SIGN
OF THE CEOSS.
AN INCIDENT or TnE rRENcn REvoLUTIoN.

against the National Convention which bad
bebeaded Louis XVI. and abolished The
Catholic religion, gave occasion TO Fl epueut
acts of cruelty. buS were often marked hy
many acts of heroic virtue. Amongst these
last we may place the following,
Pierre Bigoin, farmer of the village IF
81. temy, III the department Of Naine-et-
Loire, which was in revolt ag ainSt the Con
Vention, had three sons. Two Of these were
killed III the ranks of The royalist army
and AZ the beginning of the year 1904 the
youngest only surviving. He was about fif-
teen years old. and on him his father had
concentrated all his affection. He hardly
suffered him out of his sight. If the child
remained long absent, the poor father be-
came uneasy, aud went out in search of
him, and when he had found he brought
him back 10 the house, half rcproaching
aud half entreating him threatening,
while he embraced him, that he would never
suffer him to leave the house again.
Benjamin. though tall enough for his age,
and having the appearance of robust health.
was, in reality, but delicate LAD. lie had
never entirely recovered from fever which
he had had some years before. On this
account his father took especial care of
him a; he forbade him any fatiguing en-
ployments, and the only duty with which
he was charged was to lead the hocks into
the field, and to take care of them.
One day, when he was careleSsly leaning
against willow tree, pursuing his peace ful
occupation, he saw a Republican soldier,
with his knapsack in his arms, who was
Fastening al"ng the public road TO deliver
a dispatch by order of the chiefs TIE.
sight of ''biue, III object of alarm in the
provinces. caused no feeling of feaI in young
Benjamin on the contrary, with childlike
playiulEesS he pointed the great staff which
he used in crossing bitches, and passing
through hedges. in the direction Ct the sol
dier, as if it had been a muSket. Tie sol
dier who was looking cautiously about him,
seeing the lad, and believing his life to be
in danger, presented his piece, and pulled
the trigger the fire flashed, there was a
loud cry. and Benjamin, struck in the chest.
fell bleeding 10 the ground
At the noise of the report and the cry Of
the lad, some laborerS, at work in neIgh-
boring field, ran at fol- speed 10 the spot
they seized the soldier, took from him his
arms, and after piniOuing him, took him
to St. Remy, where. fur want Of n prison,
he confined in a cellar from which it
was impossible to escape, and which, for
still greater Precaution, was carefully
guarded Without.
We cannot attempt to describe the fear
Gul surprise and sorrow of Pierre Bigoin
when the body of his last son was brought
To him on a litter. AT first he could not
believe bis misfortune. So good ana gentle
a crcature-vowe3.t too from his very birth
to the Blessed Virgin who could have
had the cruelty to take his life A? But when
lie saw that horrible wound, extending
from front to back, he broke into subs and
heaIt-rendering cries, mixed sometimes
with impreCations against the cruel and
cowardly murderer of an noffensiye child.
The soldier appeared before the council
of the parish on the following day. This
the only civil and criminal authority
which existed in village which recognized
neither the government of the Convention,
its laws nor its magistrates, and where
the royal power had no representa-
lives. Questioned about the murder of this
young shepherd, he frankly owned himself
guilty, and said, in his justification, that,
travelling alone, through an insurgent coun-
try, where he was exposed to danger on
every side. and seeing a man leaning
against a tree with something pointed to-
wards him which he had not time to dis
cover was not musket, tLs instinct of self
preservation made him seize his gan and
anticipate the intention Of the person he
believed was about to take his life. lie add
ed that unfortunately he had been toC sue
cessful and was full of bitter regret, but
that he had only intended To prevent a
danger which anyone else ia his place would
have believed to be a real one.
This mode of defence, the truth Of which
was confirmed by several witnesses, threw
the honest aud simple men who had con
stituted themselves judges of the murderer
into the greatest perplexity. Their con
science told them they could not condemn
a solitary traveller who, believing in good
faith that he was in danger of death, had
saved his own life 10y sacrificing that OF his
intended murderer. On the other side the
blood ofthe inotfeusive aud excellent young
man had been shed, the father Of the vic
tim cried loudly for vengeaucc, ana not one
Of them could decide to pronounce the man
guiltless who had deprived him of his son.
In their difficulty they came to a determin-
alton which shows the extreme simplicity
and ignorance Of those who made 1t. They
decided hat the fate of the murderer should
be left in the hands OF Pierre Bigoiu.
When the decision was made known to
the unhappy father he thought they were
mockiug him, so extraordinary C:G u ap-
pear: but when he had been made to COM
prehend the truth, he asked for gun and
ordered a grave To be dug. Then the re-
publican soldier being brought before him,
with his hands tied behind his hack, he
had to submit to a fresh Interrogation.
"Unharpy man why did you kill my
son ~
81 have told the council that thought
he was going to K i'll me-
"But the lad iad no arms ont StaH-
81 did not know that. At bundled
PAGES distant took the staff for iirearm."
Have you any brothers OF sisters p
al am an only SOD"
els your father still liTing?
eyes, bat he is very olG.
''is he older than | am ?"
g, should Judge about the same age"
"Are YOU his only child ?''
eyes, his only child.
"And in losing you he loses his only
earthly support?'
"EntiIeiy."
At this reply Pierre Bigoin looked down
deiectedly, and said in a low voice. ''AlaSi
Just like me-" But all at once the remem-
brance Of his son returned; he raised him
self up. and in a voice of thunder, lie cried:
Assassin, prepare to die,'
''When you please"
Meanwhile a grave had been dug near
at hand; Pierre Bigoin led the prisoner to
the spot, had him placed on the edge Of The