The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-09-03


in her bosom. IL seemed to her as il she
hoard her husbands doom pronounced in
the harsh voice Of the General who could
Jest while he spoke Of shedding the blood
even of misguided and ovil-minded men.
"Monsieur 10 General" said the sous pre-
fct, "this poor woman is the unhappy
young wife Of the llonfleur fisherman, Antoine
Duroo, who was among the prisoners tried
by court-martial this morning and sentenced
TO be shot. Monsieur, there Is every reason
TO believe that the poor man is innocent,
and that he il the victim Of tho wrotched
spy, Lucien Piorrot, of whom you spoke Just
now"
Instantly the bearing of the General un.
dorwent change. Antoine Duroc," he
exclaimed, nterrupting the prefCt, in stern
tone of voice. "IIa | recolect the man a
nne-looking, intelligent, determined young
folow-ono Of those mon who gain influence
over tho ignorant, poverty-strickon wretohos
who comprise the great majority of tho Com
munists, and urge them TO pillage and muir
der, and finally to their own destruction.
am amazed, monsieur, TO hear you, of all
mon, raise voice in behalf at n condemned
Communist-you whose official position must
have taught you that the greatest criminals
are, rs rule, loudest in their protestations
VI lnnNNflNNs LUIS lllNW bulUC, nuMuNtI,
confessed his guilt, and even appeared to
feel proud of the part he had taken in free.
ing suspected man from arrest. IL II such
men MS Duroc that are most to be feared, and
who are most deserving of punishment"
"Monsieur 10 General" replied the prcfet,
Duroc's confession, of which have heard,
goes far, in my opinion, to prove his limo
oence of the other charges preferred against
him. The poor fellow believed the prisoner
under arrest--a mere lad-to be innocent,
and actuatcd by the generous impulse of the
moment he act the prisoner free. The asser-
ton that Duroc is Communist is certainly
untrue. The young man, who was never in
Paris until day or two ago, does not know
the meaning of the term, and has never
troubled his head with any political ques
tions. This fact can prove by means of q
letter from Monsieur 10 Marie of Honileur,
who has known tho honest young fisherman
from his bcyhood. If you, Monsieur, will
read the letter have received, and will
hcarken to the story of Durocs heart broken
young wife"
az will read nothing-hearken to nothing
monsieur interrupted the General, who
had listened with angry impatience to the
speech of the pr6fct. "Tho man has beer
proved guilty; hc is dangerous fellow.
| tUlllitl EttOItlltT MS tNSt. btSlttS, tNt1 u
he has been wrongly sentenced, which I dc
not believe, there is no time to make further
inquiry into the matter. II is now l0o'clock
At noon, two hours hence, the sentence o
the court martial will he carried out
A wild cry of anguish from Madeleine
who gave way to despair on hearing her
husbands doom thus carolessly alluded TO-
interrupted the remarks of the General. She
would have sunk down to the floor had moi
the pr6fet supported her in his arms. But
instantly. recovering from the faintness that
was stea1ng over her, she threw herself OF
her knees before the stern arbiter of heI
husbands fate, and tcarfully entrcated hin
TO listen TO her story.
"Rise, rise young woman" said the Gene
raj, though with less sternncss in his voice
Z" 1t is useless to leneel to me. | cannot
hearlten to such appeals. Were to hear
ken to one must hearlsen to others. Besides,
| as have told you, it is too late to interfcr,
with sentence which believe TO have beei
Justly pronounced" He attempted to assist
the weeping young woman to her feet but
Needless OF this attempt, Madeleine, still
kneeling, proceeded to tell the story of TIL,
cruel threats and prosecutions of Lucier
Pierrot and the General, in spite of him
self, was compelled to listen to the tale. Sh,
told how it happened that her husband ha,
come to Paris only few days after hi
return from long voyage; that, havin
heard of the troubles in Paris, she Ia,
dreaded some evil would befall him, an,
| had urged him to return as soon as pos
sible, ending by declaring, in words whic
her earnestand passionatelo made eloquent
that the simple-hearted fisherman was in
capable of Intentional wrong-doing.
The stern General, who listened impa
tiently at first, gradually became intereste
i'll the weeping wife's story, until at lengt
lie began to think that the young fsherma
might after all possibly be innocent II
read the Mayors letter, which he ha
hitherto declined to notice, and becan
more evidently convinced that Madeleii
had told the truth, and that her husban
was the victim of Llcien Pierrot's designs
Rise, young woman," he said in a gent
voice, as he assisted the weeping girl to he
feet. "I-'
There was stir outside the Office, an
the next moment commissionaire, breatl
less with haste. entered the room. "Pardoi
Monsieur lie General" gasped the commits
sionaire, as he handed TO the General a
official-loolcing document. 81 bring lett,
of the utmost Importance from Monsieur
Docteur Veron, Mcdecin on Chef at the Hop
tai Beauion."
The General opened the letter. glance
over it, and then read aloud as follows:
Monsieur le Gdn6ral beaumont: Ibay.to ocoua,
And tIH cIcr witness auaust tho fisherman u p' hn"i
Dnroc, WHO was tried by courl,mariial this mornn
hunted to Ills doom, almost immrSIotnIy Altar 1 :"
quilted tho court lilo lived only few minutes; b.
during that interval ne confessed that. actuatGd by
r" ' w" e U now lsSlnred in h ESa
ali the charges preferred against him saw that Of re
amlng prisoner whom he believed to DO innocen
sl II, rsat as
Ing win His last breath that his confession should
instantly conveyed to Monsieur tho president of t
cur '' tsig"cd, uryr vruoy uap,,,, ns,u,or
uThoni, heaven, Nv hr.hond,s ;mm
o.nca ia mroraJ -, a v,Ia;nad Mnd'Io;,o ~, -,
raisinc bar cl,snsd honds -
q So n'' u,nt ha rasnmn, ,,o,,, ,rros,
srsrn",oJ or;,,';naI no1a,"o ), oa;1 ,i,a ~,
arai "nu, 7 haiara ,hat , ""r h ,mo m'
oa,ad IN ,ho, irs,a,,no ,'nJsr ' '' ;n"nIsn
tho ,nnmant Vot Lnn,u nat a." hn mpt ~ o,
His nardon INNS, l.. cram,a1 Inv oa mo" w u,
and thnro IL M ,;,oa T." ,noi, "a ,,a.,nsa,
"H' ."vio 20 NV .hv '" i''"no INC moo','"