The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-07-08
BoMB-THRowERs IN FRANCE.
Fate of the Men Who Attempted TO XIII
NnnnInnrl III In 1870

Fate of the Men Who Attempted to XIII
Napoleon III in 1856.
"The explosion of the nihilistic bomb
in Haymarlxet square brings to my mind
the attempt to murder Napoleon III,
said a well known commission merchant.
THAT attempt was made, if my memory
serves me, in 1856, in one of the summer
months. was a young man then and
had resided in Paris some years. at
tended a performance at the Italian
opera house and stood in the crowd
watching the approach of the emperor
and the beautiful empress Eugenia. The
royal party was attended by the guides,
or guards of honor, and when il entered
the Place de Opera three or four bombs
were thrown from the crowd. They ex-
ploded in the midst of the soldiers and
near the carriage. The emperor was
not harmed, but piece Of shell went
through his hat. Some twenty-five
soldiers We're killed and many wounded.
"There were three of the would-be
murderers-Orsini, Pierro and De Rudio,
all Italians, as their names indicate.
There was fourth man supposed TO be
in the conspiracy-a DR.. Bernhardt, Of
London, who manufactured the bombs.
Napoleon III, if you remember, re-
sided in Italy before he became president
of France. While there he became a
member of an Italian society, whose
members took oaths to make every en-
deavor to oppose political tyranny and to
overthrow all forms of monarchial gov
ernment--a sort of socialistic society,
you see. Napoleon, in accepting the
presidency of France, and in his subse-
quent overthrow Of the republic and es-
tablishment of the empire, violated his
oath, and the attempt upon his life was
the work of members Of this society.
"Orsini, Peirro, and De Rudio were ar
rested, tried, and convicted. The two
aforementioned were beheaded in the
Place De Greves. l witnessed the exc
cution of Orsini, and a handsomer man
than he never lived. He was six feet
four inches tall, with head and face as
noble as his physique, and a magnif-
cent black beard, reaching far down on
his breast. 1t was ghastly scene-in
the early morning, before light WITT
smoking, fiaring torches all about. He
stood erect upon the scaffold, and was
strapped to board from his feet TO his
neck. Then the executiOner touched the
spring. Orsini fell forward to his face,
and at the same instant the heavy, dull
blade of iron came darting down upon
the back of his neck, and rebounded to
its notch in the top of the scaffold. Tho
head and long, black beard rolled into
the basket, a stream Of red blood gushed
up, and Orsini was dead.
"De Rudio did not die by the guillS,-
tine. His wife gained an audience with
Eugenia, threw herself at the feet of the
empress, and begged for his life. His
sentence was commuted to imprisonment
for life at Cayenne. While being trans
ported thence he presumably strangled
himself in the chains on board ship. He
was probably murdered by the French.
The French government tried to have
Bernhardt extradited, but without sue
cess. He was tried in England and ac-
quilted. He claimed he did not know
for what purpose the bombs he made
were TO be used. ."-Chicago News.