The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-12-29


terror, the public prosecutor of the
town of Montauban discovered that the
presence of Louis Thomas, of whom no
further description was given, was much
desired before the military tribunals to
answer sundry charges of being prom
inently concerned with the doings of
the Commune. Our vagrant, who had
given this name, was thereupon incon-
tinently forwarded to Paris to be turned
over to 10 court-martial, before which
he was arraigned in the latter part of
July, 1872.
"Do you answer to the name of Louis
Thomas" asked the Colonel presiding.
Il do"
You decline to give the court any
further information as to your past life,
IN%a@ 'fi dosH q your r.@iI'g9p1fPa=%
but you acknowledge that you
served under the Commune, and to have
signed your name to sundry requisi-
tons for supplies as an employ of one
of the departments established by the
Central Committee of the insurgents?''
81 do! And | take upon myself
the entire responsibility of my acts as
such"
Louis Thomas was thereupon con-
victed and sentenced to be transported
for life to the penal colony in New Cal
edonia, whittier he embarked on the
14th of June, 1873, in Government
transport. Two years afterward, in
the month of May, 1875, the governor
of the penal colony aforesaid received
from one of the convicts, one Edward
Bizore, well-written but voluminOus
document which contained some very
interesting and curious disclosures.
81 am the man." he said in sub
stance, "who, under the name of
Louis Thomas, was condemned bv
court-martial No. 10 to Transportation
! for having been concerned in the Com
mune. Louis Thomas is not my name;
it never was my name, nor did |
ever know anyone of that name.
During the events of the Com
mune | was 500 leagues from Paris.
The reason why l assumed the re-
sponsibility of acts done by another.
and suffered myself to be convicted
under the name which did not belong
to me, | will now proceed to disclose.
81 was at one time in the Pontifical
Zouaves, from which | was honorablv
discharged. belong to a thoroughly
respectable family in the South of
France, and my mother, if still living,
ought to be Il person of independent
means, residing in small house in the
noighbOrhood of Cahors. During the
war with Germany | served in the
Eighth Battalion of rifles, which was at
| tnnhnH to, hn % I -. I
the command of Gen. dAurelles de
Paladines. | was in the battles of
Coulmiers and Patry, and was taken
prisoner in a skirmish near Vendome
on the 4th of December, 1870 | was
carried to Prussia and confined in prison
at Erfurth, where | remained five
months. 1t was not till the end of Nav,
1871, that finally regained my own
country andreached my mothers house,
near CahOrs.
Being the only son of widow l
was exempt from further service, and,
not wishing to be burden to nv
mother, came to Paris in search of
employment, which | soon found But,
to my establishment and dismay, one
fine day two policemen came to my
|
said, l had omitted to comply with the
regulations in regard to change of
domicile. was conducted back to nv
own town in disgrace, under the escort
OF two gendarmes, but, feeling myself
to have been dishonored by these pro-
ceedings, | managed to evade the vigi-
lance of my guardians and left the
place. Three days afterward | was
again arrested in Montauban as a
vagrant, without papers, without money,
and with no visible means of support.
You are already aware how | suf-
tered myself to be tried and condemned
by court-martial as a Communist
rather than bring disgrace on my family
by revealing my true name. The reason
why | keep silence no longer is that the
life | have been leading for the past
two years has become simply unendur-
able"
On receipt of this strange letter an
inquiry was set on foot, which resulted
in fully corroborating its statements.
The unfortunate man was at once
brought back to France, and on the 9TH
of November, 1877, appeared before
military tribunal No. 3, which, after
hearing the evidence, ordered the late
Papal Zouave to be set at liberty. But,
Notwithstanding judicial proof of this
poor fellows innocence of the charges
brought against him, he now finds him
self, by curious provision in the laws
of France, in very awkward position.
He has been found not guilty, but his
conviction must remain against him I'M
til the real Louis Thomas has been ar
rested and convicted for the acts above
mentioned. 1t will not be till then that
the court can annul the sentence of
1872 and furnish Mr.. Edward Bizore
with clean set of papers.-Cor. Boston
AdUertiSer.
CAN zis,h remarked MacMahon, eX-
tending his hand and smiling affably-
IAN zis is re brave zhoneral Eat unto
re men of re grand United States arme
have SADIE: | will on zis line it fight
out no mattaire il it consume re hole
SUMMARIZE" Gen Grants face wore a
troubled look He turned to the Secre-
tary of the legation and winked. The
Secretary whispered something to him,
and he ahemmed once or twice nervous