The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-11-05
Madame Jambe.

JamDe, the soldiers called ner-WaS lor
many years cantiniere in regiment OF
the line, and in this capacity she was
sort Of good angel to the troops. Officers
and soldiers alike all respected her.
She married when about 30 years OF age.
the Quartermaster General OF the regi-
ment. His time was nearly up, but he
remained with the colors in order 10 help
his wife keep the canteeh
After a year of married life son was
born, and Nine. Jsmbe and her husband
agreed that as soon as he should attain
the proper age he. too should be SOL
der. At the age of 1s he passed into the
ranks. and, being smart and intelligent,
ne seemed to have a bright future before
him.
But the husband and father died sud
denly in 1859 Il was terrible shock &c
poor Nine. Jamie. and she would hardly
have survived it were It not for the
thought Of her son, and the hope that he
would be a comfort to her in her de-
Ginning years Sorrow aged her more than
her rough life had done. and she left
the service and settled In a little cottage
left her by her parents IN the village Of
Clusy. near Pontariiers
A year later war broke out, and this
was another sorrow for her to bear. She
was a patriot, was Nine. Jambe but she
was mother also.
During that terrible winter Of 1S70-'n
she hardly slept for three consecutive
hours in the twenty-four. Always on the
alert for news, she chafed sorely at the
snow, which almost cut of her little VII
lage from the outer world and made COM
munication matter Of great difficulty.
Suddenly, toward the end of January,
the rumor spread that the army of the
East was approaching. having failed to
relieve Belfort. For nearly a week Nine.
Jamie kept strict watch day and night.
scanning eagerly the road by which she
hoped TO see the French arrive.
They were signaled at last, but the Ger
mans were signaled, too. from the oppo-
site direction, and it seemed evident that
the armies would encounter one another
in the immediate neighborhoOd.
And now will let Nine. Jamie take up
the story, for what follows L had from
her own lips a few minutes after the
events described took place:
''One morning at dawn a noise at the
door Of the cottage and then the sound
Of breaking glass. 1 rose hastily and ran
down to the entrance. / gave a cry, my
boy was there, ana behind him stood three
of his comrades but in what a state,
Haggard, hollow-cheeked, their uniforms
in rags. their boots almost in pieces, blue,
and shivering with celdi
" Mother. you must hide u.s. he said.
The General has entrusted me with a
message to the commandant of the fort,
but the Prussians have seen US and are
in pursuit. They must not find us
" Give me your order 1 cried. L Will
take it while you hide here; no one will
suspect a woman
Il had no time to finish. We heard a
discharge of musketry and a neighbor
rushed in crying:
1.-The PrussiansI The Prussians are
herer
II pushed my son and his friends into
a store-room, at the farther end Of which,
under some hay, was the door leading into
the cellar, where 1 kept my little stock
OF wine and cider.
1.-THE Prussians entered in through the
open door; I saw others in the road.
There must have been about one hundred
of them altogether. A young officer was
in command.
"He came up to me and said brutslly:
I" Is it you who are Nine. Jambe?'
Yes, I am she,' I answered him
Your son has just entered this house
" My son! He is far away from here,
always supposing that he is still alive
now, where is hep
q" You must seek him, then
He made a sign, and / was surrounded
and prevented from moving my position.
The soldiers ransacked the house. I ask
ing myself meanwhile who could be the
coward who had betrayed my son.
''At last the brutes found him-him and
his friends, and 1 saw them dragged out
covered with the hay in which they had
to conceal themselves. And
my son. How brave and handsome he
looked with his flashing eyes. Yesl He
was my own flesh and blood, and L felt
proud of him. They were vigorously
for the message they were sup
posed to bear, but as it was verbal one,
they could find nothing.
The officer stamped about the little
room, mad with rage. CHANGING at the
prisoners, he cried:
g Is your son amongst themT
"'He IS not; and if he were would rot
confess it
He drew his sword on ma, and then
We were all dragged out into the roadway.
the officer shouting:
Where is the man who gave US the
- One of his companions has just killed
him. q Prussian sergeant replied. point
ing TO q corpse, which I had not seen,
hidden as it was behind bush.
THE traitor was a franc-tireur. who,
to save his own life. had given up my
son TO the enemy. His punishment had
not been long delayed.
- The murderer viii be shot, cried the /
officer; then, looking fiercely at a group |
of villagers who were covering under
his mems bayonets, ne continued:
Some one among you knows the man
Jambe; point him ont TO be or 1 Will order /
my men TO fire on you
Ali they were brave my neighbors.
They made no reply.
Then. We will soon find out He gave
an order in a low voice. HIS men pinned
me with my back against wall and
placed rifles in the hands OF my son and /
his comrades
And the officer said:
4" on the word Of command you VII fire |
and kill that woman. If you disobey 1t |
viii be your turn next
a cry Of horror ran through the !
crowd. followed by. dead silence. l.
well, I offered my soul to the bon Disu. /
telling myself that I must Try TO show 4
how a French woman could ole If need 1
be, and I waited. watching my son.
But he cid not seem 20 see me. rs 4
eyes were turned 70 his comrades. They 1
seemed 70 be making signs 70 one an /
other.
Ready the word OF command thun- /
dered
90 Present." and they obeyed. covering /
me with their rifles
Fire" They turned suddenly 20 tho 4
right about Al explosion followed. ard 4
number. fell. Amid above the roar % 4
the discharge I heard my boys voice {
clearly: