Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1879-05-14

"Rise, love; do not debase your
self by suing to such wretch"
the Count said, struggling in vain
as he spoke to free himself. ave
are protected by letters from the
National Assembly. Let him vio-
late them at his peril"
Duhem looked around at the
speaker with fierce sneer. "That
for your pass" he cried, swapping
his fingers. "Soldiers, away with
the aristocrat. Obey the orders |
gave you an hour ago.
At the word, the wretches, who
painted for the blood Of a noble,
dragged the Count short distance
toward frame barn, and having
torn his clothing from his body,
they actually, in broad daylight,
and before the face of his agonized
wife, nailed or rather crucified him
to the wall Of the barn and COM
pany of soldier citizens amused
themselves firing at him as tar
get for eight hours before death
made him insensible to their atroc-
tiles. For, by their commanders
stern orders, they took aim only at
the Counts legs, thighs, feet, neck,
and right side of the breast, and to
make the agony more lingering,
ten men only were permitted to
| fire each hour, and at distance Of
eighty steps. During all this time,
Duhem remained seated on pile
of stones exulting in the excrncia-
ting tortures he caused to be in
flicted upon his victim. Now he
would deliberately smoke his pipe,
and anon drink his wine or eat his
food, which he caused to be brought
out to him in order that he might
not lose one throe, and, to add to
the horror, the wretch caused the
agonized wife to be forcibly detain-
ed in full view of the fearful sight,
until utterly Frustrated, both in
mind and body, she was borne in
sensible from the scene and placed
in the care of her faithful waiting
woman, who did everything in her
power to mitigate her cruel suffer-
ings.
Nearly a week elapsed before the
miserable wife seemed to recall in
any manner the horrors she had
witnessed; but at length, on awak-
ening from a sound sleep, she re-
lated infinitely all that had occurr-
ed, saying that she had just dream
ed it, and thanked heaven devoutly
that it was but vision of her dis
turbed fancy. She then asked il
any letters had arrived from her
husband, who, she said, had been
dispatched on foreign mission OF
great importance. One day she
insisted upon visiting Paris, in or
der that she might discover how
much longer the Count would be
detained abroad; nothing that
could be urged by her friends
could induce her to forego this
journey, so she set forth. 1t was q
glorious morning that on which the
Countess de la Floret approached
Paris; the sun shone bright and
clear, and the verdure Of early
summer clothed the trees and
meadows. Before reaching the
gates, however, the vehicle wa:
stopped 10y a long procession o.
soldiers, followed by crowds Of ex'
cited people. 1t soon became ap'
parent that a military execution
was about TO take place, and that
they were so situated as to obtair
full view Of it. The soldiers were
formed in line, the drum beat, ant
presently man with head bare ant
dressed only in pantaloons ant
shirt, was led by two gems d'arme'
into the field. As he passed tn,
, coach the countess started, passed
her hand over her eyes, and thel
, looked forth intently.
"Great heaven she murmured
"what does this meant l hav,
seen that man before; was it not
, dream Them
With heart rending shrek, sh
broke away from her friends, an
sprang from the carriage. BY thi
time the criminal had been force'
to kneel down before the platoon
. of soldiers, and q bandage was be
} ing placed over his eyes. Break
: ing like a tigress through the bar
, rier, the Countess dsrted forwar'