The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-02
SAW NAPOLEON IN POLAND.
Death OF q Centenarian Who Had q
Fund Of "Reminiscences.

Chicago Letter.
Andreiez Dekarz, 104 years old, died In
Chicago the other day. He left Us descend
ants, two of whom are his great-great-
grandchildren and his life spanned the his
tory of the world from before the time of
Napoleon to the present.
Dekarz saw the great Napoleon as he
rode with his marshals through Poland on
the road to Moscow, helmets flashing, BAN
ners streaming in the northern sun, the
high-spirited army of France shouting
nothing but victory. And he saw the Cor
sican as he fell back from Moscow. his
army baff1ed by famine and harassed by
Sossacks, who hung on the broken TANKS
like vultures.
Dekarz shook hands once with Kosciusko.
the polish hero of 1897. He fought in three
wars and was three times wounded fighting
for Poland In the week of terrible battle at
When Grandfather Dekarz was born In
Posen, In 1897. King Stanislaus had only
surrendered the crown the year before.
he came into the world as Poland died, and
all his life he dreamed of the kingdom re-
stored and Warsaw the capital again of an
Independent country.
Grandfather Dekarz came to this country
In 1888 from Posen, In German Poland,
where he was born 103 years and months
ago, when the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of Poland
had scarcely been accomplished. Kosciusko
was the great hero, and Polish mobiles and
people alike believed that something would
yet prevent the destruction of Poland.
Grandfather Dekarz's father was carpen-
ter, and the boy was apprenticed to the
trade. He remembered little before the
coming of Napoleon, except that bread wa s
dear and that the young men of the village
had all been conscripted for the armies of
the Car or for the armies of Prussia. Then
the old men of the town began to talk of
Napoleon, Of Bonaparte who had promised
struck northward with his army on the in
vasion of Russia all Poland rejoiced.
The day came when Napoleon rode I'D
the streets and through the town of Posen
at the head of his marshals. Andreiez De-
karz was fifteen years old then. alert and
active. His heart was fired with stories
hero could walk and talk and look like
other men. Oh, no; whatever the old peo-
pie might say, Andreiez knew better Ma
poleon was a giant. He carried a spear
came a clatter of arms, the thunder of
horses hoofs, and a tremendous shouting
away up the streets.
Here they come, all resplendent In the
uniforms of the Emperor's guard. Here
they come, guidons flashing. swords twink
ling, and Andreez. with his heart in his
throat, leaning far out from the topmost
limb of the tallest tree he could find. But
no, the Emperor was not there A gray old
man with grizzled beard rode on one side.
On the other younger man with a blonde
ing and debonair. Between the two was
little pale man in a cooked hat
"Huzza! huzza," shouted the peasants.
Andreiez was ready to cry. Could it be
possible that ne was missing the Emperor.
the great Napoleon? He looked again. Ali
heads were uncovered, except only the head
of the little man who wore the cooked hat.
What, not uncover for the Emperor .
thought Andreiez. his heart hot with in
dignation. He stared hard at the little
man In the gray uniform and the cooked
hat. He had seen that face, surely-the
straight nose, the eagle eyes, the head in
the cooked hat set down between the high
shoulders. chin on breast. And then il ali
came over Andreiez like flash. His child
ish dreams slipped away into the mist OF
childish years. Napoleon was a man He
was not fierce, glorious, godlike figure in
coat OF mall He was a little man In a
cooked hat and faded uniform
And that is how Grandfather Dekarz saw
Napoleon Bonaparte, and that's the story
he has told a hundred times to his fifty
grandchildren, and to the great rabble o,
little folks who live on Lubbock street
where Grandfather Dekarx lived
After the burning of Moscow when Ma.
poleon came back, flying for his life forg.
ing on through binding snowstorms. camp.
ing at nights In huts by the roadside at the
head of his column, while the last of the
dying army struggled week later in the
rear. then Grandfather Dekarz saw his here
again. "A sleigh drawn by four tired horses
struggling through the drifts, dashed on By
q rider on the lead horse passed youns
Andreiez on the road. for he had made
journed to East Poland.
How far is 1t to the next village?" asked
the driver.
Three leagues" said Andreiex. peerina
into the sleigh, where he caught sight Of {
sphinx-lige face nestled IN furs- The driver
cursed snd groaned. The rider lashed III