The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-11-30
A TALE OF THE FRENCH LEGION.
Romantic Life of an Ofcer who Mysteri
ously Disappeared In 1884.

Romantic Life of an Oficer Who Mysteri-
ously Disappeared In 1884.
who has not heard of the French For
eign logionY Its very name sounds mar
tial and romantic. 1t recalls stories more
exciting and interesting than those Of
modern novels. 1t is the one thing we have
left, service in which can be likened unto
that of the middle ages, SO far as advCn-
ture and romance are concerned"
The speaker was an old French officer
who recently returned to this city from
Marseilles. Two saber cuts across his fore
head and little cross worn on his breast
told with sufficient oloquence of a glorious
past. The colonel went on: There was
"a trial before the council of war in Mar
settles n few weeks ago, the story of which
has excited great interest in France. 1t is
the tale of n dcsertcr.
''About eight years ago handsome man
appeared at the recruiting station of one
of the border French towns and asked to
be enrolled as private in the Foreign lc-
gion. He said that he was Swiss and
gave the name of Ruchounet. He was
sent to Tonquin, where he conducted him
self most bravely. His company was one
day ordered to take fort strongly armed
and defended by 300 Chinese Ruchounet,
whose history, according to custom, had
not been investigated, had become cor
poral in the meantime In the assault the
captain and lieutenant were killed. Ru-
chounet stepped to the front, waved his
sword apparently in the very face of death
and called to his men to follow him. A
few minutes later he was seen to enter the
gate of the fort, and then he was master Of
300 captives. He was badly wounded but
soon recovered, to receive the thanks OF
his superior officers and to be promoted to
the rank of sergeant He continued to dis
tinguish himself and in 1887 became ad.
jutant of his regiment and was decorated
with the military medal.
After u stay of three years in Tonquin
his detachment was ordered to Algiers in
1890, where Ruchounet continued to dis
tinguish himself by exemplary conduct.
He was looked upon as one of the coming
men of the legion.
''One day he went to his colonel and de-
clared that he had confession to make.
'Ruchounet is not my name, he began to
the astonished colonel. Il am Camuzet,
formerly marshal Of armories and chief OF
artillery / was condemned in 1884 by the
Fifteenth Army corps to 90 years at hard
labor for wrongs in my military admins
tration. l fled to Switzerland, remained
there some time, and then, wishing to re-
habilitate myself, assumed the name Ru-
chounet and enlisted in this legion in q
small border town where no one knew me.
That is my story
THE colonel induced him to surrender
himself to the authorities at Marseilles,
and it was his trial which came up when
was there. He told his own story to the
court, ending with the words:
i have committed grave mistake,
but have tried to make it good by she'd
ding my blood for my country
His case was won, and the eloquent de-
Tense Of his advocate, NJ. Demange, was
unnecessary. The court acquitted him,
and as Camuzet he will return to Algiers
to take up his duties. New York Trib-
N