Daily Republican., 1879-06-11
within an Acc OF Death .

"Four years in the Saddle:' Turning
half-round in my saddle to call on my
men, l received a sudden shock and
felt deadly sick, and at the same in
stsnt saw man trail his gun and run
off. killed him before he had gone
three steps. His ball had passed through
two coats and stuck in pack OF CARDS
in my left side pocket. They were
quite new, the wrapper not even haV-
ing been broken open. The suits were
each distinct. The bullet passed through
all. stopping at the last card, which
was the ace Of spades" ;.
Such another literal illustration OF
the phrase; "within an ace Of death,
is not upon record; but hair breadth
escapes are common in war. AT the
battle of Laon, Stefens saw shell
strike the horse of Prussian officer.
Entering near the shoulder, it caused
the Door animal to make a consulslve
spring and throw its rider; the frag'
ments of the shell being projected on
all sides, while the rider jumped up
from the ground unhurt. During the
Crimean war. Colonel Wyndham, des-
patch to find how matters were going
(! in the first attack on the Redan, saw
soldier walking along the trench two or
three wards ahead of him. Presently a
round shot came tearing over the para
net. and the man was hidden from sight
bv the dust. When it subsidized, the
colonel was astonished to find himself
beside living man, whose countenance
presented a curious admixture OF fright
and Joy and scratching his head he ex'
claimed:
"Why, that was amazing pigh -
SAY, ay, my boy" responded the Col
onel "ws'd much better be digging
trenches at thee pence rod in Nor
folk" To which his fellow country
man only replied: "What t! Are yew
too from Norfolk 7"
DR.. Brydon, the sole English survl-
vor of the retreat from Cabul, during
the last Afghanistan war, was quite
aware of the narrowness of his escape,
but never could understand how ii
came about.
After long and terrible tide, he was
lust corgratulating himself upon having
at last got clear of the enemy, when he
found himself pursued by solitary
horseman. He had but a broken sword
wherewith to defend himself, and with
this he managed to intercept cut a
his head, directed with such a forct
that it cleft through the base Of his
blade and left only the hilt, which thu
doctor hurled in his as,alants face, ,anc
the next moment the Afghan Gu
through Brydon's head-piece and thu
magazine he had that morning placed
> inside of it. Unarmed, half stunned
and hopeless, he mechanically steope'
: to recover his failed rein; when to hi
surprise and relief, his foe turned ava,
and galloped of, ieaving the Doctor t.
drag himself to Jelalabad.
Among the communists tried at Yer
sailles was Jean Baptiste Pigerre, charg
ed with commanding the firing part.
who shot the hostages at La Roquette
. He protested he knew nothing of tn
!. dreadful business, and was not awar
/. that the hostages had been shot unit
after his arrest. His denial went 70
nought. He had been denounced b.
members of his own party; three Q
them on trial with him declared he wa
!. at La Roquette. M. CheErieu, pris
oner there at the time said he say
Pigerre from his cell dressed as M
!, tional Guard, trailing scabbard afte
L him; his face vas fixed in his niemorJ
Il and Scissor, police officer, asserte
) emphatically: "Thats the man.
y Only one roioe was raised in II
!, gerre's behalf, that of the Communist
10 Judge Genton. "You can shoot me
u you like" exclaimed he: "but Pigerl
y !. is innocent; he had nothing to do wit
it," Tie prosecutor summed up. II
Z sisting upon Pigerre 5 conviction wit
), the rest; the advocates for the accuse
= said their lefectual say, and the
- came an interruption. A man namt
ar Jarraud, when every body agreed WI
1t. implicated in the murder OF the ho
n n tages, and who was supposed to hay
been killed by the soldiers, W;
brought into court. Pigerre was orde
&c ed to stand forward. "Thats not Il
D. man who commanded" said Jarrau
W "Oh, no; the Leader of the band W
- Sicard." The proceeding were susprn
st st ed, and that same evening Slcard W
on found in one of the prisons. 1t was e'
!. dent he had not long to live, but tn
.. carried him to Versailles, to testl
Pigerre's innocence, and convince a
= the witnesses, save the three Commu
y lists, that they had been misled by Il
=, extraordinary resemblance between t!
al two men. The prosecutor at once d
manded that the accusation he had 1C
4. mulated against Pigerre should
withdrawn; and so terminated VIII
. might have proved a fatal case OF m
taken identity.
Yet mote singular was the escape
a young Shropshire lady from an
Ts nominous death. Staying in Pal
~ during the Reign Of Terror, she W
dragged with other unfortunate "arl
- tocrats' before one of the tribuna
She pleaded that she was an Englis "
man; but was on the point of being hr
ried out to the waiting tumbril, VIII
one of the judges asked her VIII
province in England she was matt
of. In her fright she exclaimed "s
r, lop;" reply greeted by a general sho
and clapping OF hands, followed by
> order to let her 60; and amid cries
: salope Salope the dazed girl was h,
tied into the street; to run home, VIC
dering that her head was still upon h
shoulders, little thinking that by uttt
, ing the word "Salop," she had effect
- ally rebutted the notion Of her bei
one of the hated aristocrats, thanks
- "Salope" being word then used
designate enc of the most depraved