The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-07
RETTYR0MANCEOF WAR
rsE DEATH OF PERE DEL oRME
RECALLS A TRAGEDY.

p,zrs. Feb. 1S.-In the cemetery of Pere
:. Cbsise this week the remains Of an old
=, we're committed TO earth whose depth
-..oI,s sad aud romantic story of the war
If twenty years ago.
This was poor old Pere Delorme, who has
t,sn for years one Of the familiar figures
sbout the streets Of Paris. Few persons
Insw his history, for he rarely spoke TO
NV one. and he usually looked so sad and
-,elsncholy that people often asked who
bs was, and what was the source of his
trouble.
He was, however, we'll known in the poor
--orter of Paris. where he resided entirely
slone in a modest apartment. The old man
lad a modest annuity, which enabled him
N live in comparative comfort, but he was
- benevolent that he frequently gave the
last few sous he possessed TO the poor and
distressed who asked him for aid, and he
Tonld then have to borrow few francs
from the shopkeepers until he received the
next installment. The bourgeois neighboTs
of Pere Delorme would trust him to almost
any amount, for they knew that the very
drst thing he did when he received his draft
was to discharge all his obligations down to
the last Genuine.
district that the old man mourned an only
son. who had been killed by the Prussians
during the war, but few knew the details of
a story from real life which would eclipse
many a romance. He was not the only
one who had lost relatives during the
bloody struggles between the armies of
France and Germany twenty years ago,
when thousands of men were mown down
like grass at Gravelotte, Metz ana around
Sedan and Paris.
Pere Delorme had no relatives living, so
far as was known, and the only persons at
his bedside when he died were the old con-
cierge of the house in which he lived and
her son, a trooper in the Chasseurs.
It was from the lat or that l learned the
sad story recalled by the death of poor old
Pere Delorme-perhaps one of the most
touching and romantic episodes of the late
war. The Young sold err ard few of his
comrades who knew the old mans history
attended the funeral and laid wreath on
his coffin before the earth closed over it.
PAGE OF ROMANCE.
Here is the tale which the young trooper
told me at a little table outside a cafe at
an angle of the bou evard, and relate the
facts as nearly as possible as they were
given to me by the son OF the concierge of
Pere DeiOrme
In the quiet little cemetery of Saint
Genevieve des Bots you will find two graves
side by side. A headstone at the top of one
bears the name of Andre Delorme, and
So tence in French intimatiDg that he died
for his country. That marks the spot where
lie the remains Of the only son of poor Pere
Delorme.
At the time of the declaration of the
Franco-German war the old man, Alphonse
D, lorue, was living quietly with his only
son, Andre. upon their little farm, situated
between st. Genevieve and Fleury. The
youth was but 10 years Of age, and his
mother having died in his infancy, the
whole of the poor old mans affection was
entered in the boy.
When the dread war cloud burst over
France, young Delorme, who was youth
of ardent, adventurous spirit, determinede o
enter the army to defend bis country against
the Prussiana The old man had naturally
many misgivings, but was too patriotic
Frenchman 10 interfere with the wishes of
his son, who forthwith enlisted as a private
In q foot regiment early in the month of
August. These were stirring times, and the
corps which Andre Joined was ordered t. the
front, and the lad went away to the frontier
after bidding an affectionate adleu to his
father
Andre had sweetheart, a beautiful
young girl of II, who lived some three miles
from the house of his father, and he was
allowed, by special permission of his colonel
to go and bid her farewell ere his regiment
marched for the theater Of the war. The
parting between the young lovers was a
most affecting one, and Andres finance
with her own hands placed rose, as a
tribute of her love, Inside his kept, as he
gave her final embrace before starting off
on starry midnight to rejoin his regiment,
which was under orders to march at day.
break.
IL would be making the tale too long to
follow the fortunes of young Andre during
the war, but suffice it to say that he be-
haved with conspicuous bravery in several
engagements. Victory, however, rested
with the arms of the German troops, and
young Andre was mortaIly wounded in a
herce engagement near Choisy while saving
the life OF wounded officer of his reg iment,
who had been attacked by half dozen Ger
MAJ s. He knew that his condition was
hopeiess-the regimental surgeon told him 30
"a he determined to make his way to the
house of his fiance, and to bid her farewell
before he died. The undertaking was q
dangerous one, for the country was over
run with Germans, who had entered Mont
iery and established camp near the resi-
dence of his sweetheart, between Saint
Gelevleve and Fleury. However, young
Delorme knew the country well, and by the
exercise OF great caution managed to elude
his foes. He painfully dragged himself
through the woods, and by paths known
only to the natives of that part of France.
ana thus was a6le to reach the home of his
beloved impoverished. The young girl,
Jeanne Bernier, lived in a pretty white
farm house surrounded with vineyards,
with a spacious yard in front.
MELANCHOLY TRAGEDY.
On the eve of a hot autumn day the dying
soldier arrived at the gate with his uniform
olood-stalned, torn and covered with dust
and his wan features rigid with pain. Poor
andre knew he had not many hours to live.
for the blood was again beginning to flow
from the wound where the foeman's bullet
had pierced his breast. He could not open
the door, so be broke the glass in one of the
windows, and, raising IL quietly, entered
the house and made his way TO the room
where he knew he would find his fiance. On
opening the door, what was his horror to
md Jeanne struggling terrified in the arms
OF Prussian officer, whose object it was
not difficult to determine. Andre. mad
deDed with rage, bracsd himself up and
fired his loaded revolver at the COW ardly
assallant of the young girl. who rolled over
dead on the floor with bullet through his
heart
The young lovers had barely time to en-
brace each other. when body Of Prussian
soldiers, who had heard the report of the
firearms, burst into the house and entered
the room. When they saw the French uni
form and their dead officer lying on the
floor, they dragged the dying soldier from
the arms of the almost faintlng girl, and
fakino y>la bIxy