Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-11-11
THE COMMUNE AGAIN.
Pen-Pictures Of the Reign of Terror in
Paris, Thirty Years Ago.

Pen-Pictures of the Reign of Terror in
Paris, Thirty Years Ago.
'"The Paris Commune, Thirty Years
After" is the title of a paper contrib
uted to the Century by William Trant.
On the following morning, Wednes-
day, l again sailed forth. The first
sound that fell upon my ears was
"Vive la Ligne!" and turning round
the corner of my dwelling place were
the soldiers of the line. who for two
hours had advanced in single file along
the Rue st. Honore, keeping close to
the houses, thereby finding shelter
from the mitraille that was poured
against them from a barriCade lit
tie farther on. These bluecoats moved
thus along this narrow street and
down that passage, convolving like
huge serpent fastening on the city.
Everywhere they went they were re-
ceived with cheers. The tricolor was
hoisted out of the windows of the
great shops, that had been closed dur
ing the last two months. After the
infantry came batteries of artillery,
and after these squadrons of cavalry.
A halt was made at the spot (above in
dicated) where l was standing, and
the commanding officer, a young fel-
low, smoked cigarette and consult
ed a plan of instructions. Just then
two of his men dragged toward him a
person who, the crowd said, was
communist. "Fusillez-le!" cried out
the throng, and the officer Il was
standing close to him) said. "Oui, fu-
sillez-le!" Il little thought that be-
fore long | should hear the same conf
mand given as regards myself) In
less time than is occupied in recording
the fact, the poor wretch was dragged
a few yards away; one of the men put
the muzzle of his chassepot under
meath the victims skull, the barrel
along his back; the other soldier,
stopped and pulled the trigger; re-
port, a smoke, a groan, and with pro-
tests of innocence on his lips the soul
OF the poor victim passed away.
A man standing at the corner of a
street heard two officers talking of the
bravery of the troops. YES" said
tHe lOlISleI, IL yOul ihSh htiu louShI
like that against the Prussians, all
this would not have happened" The
officer pulled out his pistol and shot
him. "Our army has behaved hefoi-
cally," said NJ. Thiers. 1--WE execute
with the law and by the law" Where
is your boasted French liberty?"
asked of friend, Frenchman. TAX
ing off his shoe. he searched the in
side of it very minutely, and then
said, "It has been there for the last
two months, but l think it is lost
now"
The method of formal execution by
young igarette-smoking colonels, as
above indicated was the usual kind
of execution. The honor of a firing
party was reserved for few persons
of distinction, such as Milliere, who
had resigned his seat as deputy for
Paris in the national assembly to be-
come a member of the commune. He
was placed in front of the Pantheon,
and with arm laised cried "Vive lie
peuple!" There was a roll of mus
kerry, murmur, and he was dead. AS
l was walking away from the sad
spectacle l met Mr.. Holt White of the
Pail Mail Gazette, who said to me, 81
am sorry l am too late. l wanted to
see Milliere. People say he looks so
much like Jesus Christ" We then
witnessed sight that made us both
shudder. Up to the previous day the
fight had been going on under glo-
rious sun and cloudless sky. | was
astonished to find how few traces Of
the carnage were to be seen in the
streets. The reason was that the sun
shine had dried the blood and it had
become covered with congealing lay
er of fine dust. Now, however, there
had been showers of rain. and the eff
feet was as if the very stones of the
streets were bleeding afresh. Near
the Pantheon, at a spot where several
men had been shot, blood was trick
ling in sluggish streams to the gutter.
Soldiers, fatigued with the days mas
sacre, reposed on the wet pavement,
using it also as dining table. We
saw them eating raw meat, which they
were too fatigued to remove from the
streams of blood that triclled about
it-a sorry banquet for M. Thiers'
"heroes."
To detail what l saw during the rest
of the fighting would be to repeat in
effect what is above written. Every
where in the, streets dead bodies were
lying about There were no wounded,
for the troops gave no quarter. In
every direction the work of death and
destruction went on; the human brute
unclaimed, the imbecile wrath, the
mad fury of man devouring his broth
er man.
The part Of the city in possession of
conquerors, however, was safe, though
not comfortable to walk in. Scattered
brains, limbs bodies and blood formed
CHASTITY spectacle.
An Edited Telegram.
One of the most ludicrous mis-