The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-02-08
MOTHER AND S&N.

Nine. Jamie, or Mother Jamie. as sha
was called, had for long time been can
teen woman in a regiment of the line.
Officers and soldiers alike veneraoed her.
and during the quarter of century she
passed in the army there was never day
when she could have complained of having
been the victim Of an impertinence or a
brutality.
After year of marriage Mime. Jambe
had son. Agreeing with her husband.
she decided that he, too, should be sol
der AT 10 he enlisted. Already trained
in the habits of military life. he had be-
sides intelligence, Judgment, a heart full
of righteousness. Everybody was con-
WINGED that be woald have brilliant ca
reer Then her husband died, and the war
broke out.
During this terrible time of 1901 she
did not succeed in sleeping more than
three hours out of "a. She passed weeks
without knowing anything either of the
progress of the war or her son.
Then, blow by blow, she knew of the
defeats the French had met with, and at
last she learned that the child-become a
sergeant although he was not yet l8-was
assigned to make part of the army of the
east which was being formed under the
command of General Bourbaki.
From that time and in all kinds of
weather they saw her every day cross the
few kilometers which separated Pontarlier
from the village of La Cluse, or go w to
the fort OF Joux, which dominates the
Swiss frontier. She was going for news
Here l ought and wish to let Nine
Jamie speak, for what follows was re-
ceived from her. She related to me some
months after the event:
One morning at day break, being still In
bed, / heard some noise at the door and
then fall of window panes which were
broken. jumped out of bed, putting on
my dress, and hurried to the door. 1 gave
cry. Ny boy was there before me and
behind him three of his comrades, but in
what a condition. Emaciated, their cheeks
hollow, their skin chapped with cold, their
clothes in rags, their boots without soles.
Mother, we must hide" he replied.
My general has charged me with carry
Ing an order to the commander of the fort
of Joux. But the Prussians bar the road.
They have seen us. They are pursuing US.
They must not find me-"
"Eh, parbleu. Give me your order.
will carry it myself, while you will stay
here. An old woman, she can go any
where
/ had no time to finish A fusillade was
heard, and man entered, crying:
There are the Prussians!"
/ pushed my boy and his friends into a
carriage house, at the end of which; under
the hay, opened the little cellar where
kept my wine The Prussians entered.
Through the open door l saw others on
the road. There were more than 200. A
young officer commanded them.
You are Nine. Janice
II am"
Your son has just gone into this
bouse:"
My soni He IS far from here"
He is here. 1 am sure Of it. Come,
where is he:"
Look for him."
He motioned. Twas surrounded, unable
TO bulge, and the soldiers began searching
the house, while was asking myself who
was the miserable coward who had in
formed against ms boy.
AT last the brigands found him-him
and his friends. / saw the poor children
come back, pale, but resolute, all covered
with hay, in which they had been hidden.
y
his eyesi All, he was really of my blood,
that onei They searched their clothes to
find the order which the general had
charged them with. But the order was
verbal They could not find anything.
The officer threw himself about, fretted,
mad with rage. Suddenly he said to me,
covering the prisoners with a gesture OF
fury:
Is your son among them?"
He is not there. And if he were there
] would not acknowledge it."
He raised his sword to me- Then they
pushed us pellmell into the road. Then
he asked:
Where is the man who informed u.s."
Zone of his companions has just killed
him, captain, said sergeant, pointing
to a corpse l had not seen, hidden as it
was by bush.
IL was the traitor, freeshooter, who,
to save his own life, had not feared to
give my child's secret to the enemy. Be
side be had not waited long time for his
punishment
THE assassin shall be shot," said the
officer.
Then looking in terrible way at some
of the inhabitants of our village, who were
trembling under the lowered bayonets, he
went on:
Does anybody know the bay Jambe'
Come, answer. or set fire 70 your houses.
OF all the brave people nobody answered.
Then we are going TO see," said the
officer
He gave an order in low voice.
They bound me against the wall, while
they were putting arms into the hands OF
my son and his comrades.
And the officer said TO them;
You are going to obey my order and
shoot that woman for me, and if you do
not obey it is you who will die first.
A cry of horror was raised, to which
great silence succeeded ] committed my
soul to God, saying to myself that would
show these people how the French die, and
l looked at tiny son. But he did not see
me. His eyes were turned toward his
comrades, as il to exchange sign.
Lower your armsi" ordered the officer
They obeyed.
"Aimr'
They took aim at me.
"Firei''
They faced about A report sounded
which shot five Prussians down, and
among them their officer And this report
was dominated by the voice of my boy,
who sprung up;
Yes, Ere, brigand, bot on you and
yours.
A general discharge replied to this
stroke of audacity, and II was then that
fell, struck by bullet in the shoulder
But before fainting had time to see that
my how was still standing.