Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-12-15
..I nnshed INV son and his friends

puSneU my son dHu HIS lIloHuS
into storeroom, at the farther end of
which, under some hay, was the door
leading into the cellar where I kept
my little stock of wine and cider.
"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 III command.
''He came up to me and said, bru-
tally ,, 1.,,.,
"'Yes, 1 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
"'He is here; I am sure Of it.
Come, now, where is hep
"'You must seek him, then
''He made a sign, and l was sur
rounded and prevented from moving
my position. The soldiers ransacked
the house, L asked myself meanwhile
who could be the coward who had be-
trayed my son.
cat last the brutes found him-him
and his friends, and / saw them
dragged out covered with the hay in
which they had attempted to conceal
themselves. And my son! How brave
and handsome he looked with his
flashing eyes. Yes! he was my own
flesh and blood, and I felt proud of
him. They were vigorously searched
for the message they were supposed
to bear, but as it was a verbal one
they could find nothing.
'The officer stamped about the
room, mad with rage. Glancing at
the prisoners, he said:
&C is your son amongst them?'
He is not; and if he were would
not confess it,
''He drew his sword on me, and
then we were all dragged out into the
roadway, the officer shouting:
"'Where is the man who gave us
the information?'
"'One of his companions has just
killed him, q Prussian sergeant re-
piled, pointing to corpse which had
not seen, hidden as it was behind a
bush
''The traitor was 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 will be shot! cried
the officer; then, looking fiercely at
group of villagers who were covering
under his mems bayonets, he con-
tinued:
Some one among you knows the
man Jambe; point him out to me, or
I will order my men to fire on you.
''Ah! they were brave, my neigh
bors, they made no reply.
Then we will soon find out He
gave an order in low voice. His
men pinned me with my back against
a wall, and placed rifles in the hands
of my son and his comrades.
"And the officer, said:
"'On the word of command you
will fire and kill that woman. If you
disobey it will be your turn next.
ga cry of horror ran through the
crowd, followed by dead silence. I
well, I offered my soul to the bon
Dieu, telling myself that I must try
to show how French woman could
die if need be, and L waited, watching
my son.
"But he did not seem to see me.
His eyes were turned to his comrades.
They seemed to be making signs to
one another.
"Presentr and they obeyed, cover
ing me with their rifles.
"'Firep They turned suddenly
to the right about. An explosion
followed, and four Prussians, the
officer among the number, fell. And
above the roar of the discharge 1
heard my boys voice clearly:
"'Fire! Yes, but on you, you
coward!'
"a general volley on the part of the
Prussians followed, and fell with
bullet in my shoulder. Before I lost
consciousness, however, 1 saw that
my son was still unhurt.
81 learned afterward that, just at
this moment, the cannon of the Fort
de Joux began to play. The COM
mandant had caught the reflection of
the sunlight from the Prussian's he'll
NETS, and, concluding-none too soon
that something untoward was TAX
ing place, had sent few shells into
the crowd and rapidly dispersed the
enemy"
Nine. Jambe died few years after
the events, which have related as
nearly as 1 can in her own words, took
place. Her story was recalled to my
mind the other day on hearing that
the son of this brave woman had just
been promoted to the command of his
regiment. .-Pearson's Weekly.