The San Francisco call., 1905-06-04
Frenchman Turns His House
Into a Fort and Resists
Soldiers for Ten Days
ROUTED BY MELENITE
His Dwelling Blown Up, but
He Escapes to Be Caught
After a Spirited Chase
Special Dispatch to The Call.

PARIS, June 3.-Slnce tho Ii 90
Musketeers held their bastion against
a whole army, France has witnessed
some novel sieges. but never sturdier
defence than that made by Francois
Roy, the gamekeeper who recently kept
700 gendarmes and troops at bay LOT
ten days.
Roy is a peppery tempered OLD TEL
low of seventy, but still remarkably
spry on his legs and tough as hickory.
He was a soldier in his earlier days
Later he became gamekeeper and was
suspected of using that office to facih-
tate his own exploits as poacher.
Anyhow he was accused of prey1nS on
the game he was paid to protect ana
lost his situation in consequence he
swore to be revenged on those VINO had
caused him to be deprived OF his STU
alton. At the first chance he hred on
one of the men who had lodged IN
formation against him. That brought
the law down on him and warrant
was issued for his arrest.
Roy declared that like the Old Guard
he might die, but would never surren-
der. He retired to his little cottage
and prepared it to withstand a siege.
Standing alone on a slight eminence IN
the village of Usseau. near Chatel-
leraut it was well situated for defense
Roy laid in a stock of ammunition and
provisions, pierced the four walls with
holes and took pot shots at all ennis
saries of the law who approached
within range The discreet civilian au-
thorities thereupon turned over the JOB
of capturing him to the military.
SMALL ARMY ENGAGED.
No fewer than coo infantry and three
brigades of gendarmes surrounded the
old fellows improvised fort Railway
companies ran excursion trains to tho
fro q
witness the imposing spectacle. At one
time there were several thousand or
them present. When there was no
shooting going on they entertained
themselves with open-nfr dances to the
music of fiddles and gramophones.
A French general of division-Gen-
eral Badin, one of the Tonkin heroes
was put in charge of the siege opera
tions Gordon of troops was posted
around the house to keep civilians from
crossing the fire zone. Shooting went
on at long range on either side for
several days without anybody getting
hurt, but IL was quite as lively as the
average French duel. 1t was first In
tended to starve the ex-soldier into
surrender, but it was concluded after
the lapse of more than a week that that
process would take too long. AS an ex-
perienced campaigner and forager Roy
had laid his plans to keep hunger at
bay for an indefinite period. He made
il apparent to the besiegers that he
was well provisioned by the liberality
with which he scattered food from the
windows of his fort among the birds
and the fowls in his yard And the
spectators began to murmur that they
were not getting their moneys worth.
BOMBS BROUGHT INTO PLAY.
A council of war was held The idea
lv -fai N ed ~ a d.
ing the cottage with artillery, but to
that the civil authorities objected un-
less the military forces were prepared
to give guarantee that no other prop
erty would be injured. Then 1T was de-
cided to blow up the dwelling with
melenite. The railway companies de-
clined to transport so dangerous an
explosive They had a pecuniary inter-
est in prolonging the show. Arrange
ments were then made for transporting
the bombs by motor cars. They were
accompanied by a detachment of sap
pers.
On the tenth day after the beginning
of the military siege. at l o'clock In
the morning, an intrepid lieutenant or
engineers, accompanied by two SER
geants and five sappers, protected by
steel breast plates, crawled up to the
cottage and laid something like hun
dred pounds of melenite against one of
the walls. So stealthily did they do
their work that Roy did not hear them.
With equal success a long fuse was laid
to the explosives.
Two hours later a general bugle call
sounded 1t was the signal for all
sentries to scoot out OF danger. A few
minutes later, at a distance of several
hundred yards, the lieutenant ignited
the fuse. deafening explosion fol-
lowed. When the smoke had cleared
away it was found that one end of the
building and part Of the roof had been
blown away But the door still held
fast Some cartridges were placed
against 1t and 1t was speedily shattered.
CHASED BY THE CROWD.
A hasty search of the ruins failed to-
reveal any signs of the lawdefying
Roy. But the vigilant better half of
the Mayor of the town was on the
watch with pair of field glasses. She
espied figure gliding through a field
of corn some two hundred yards distant
and raised the alarm. An excited
crowd made a rush for the spot Roy,
for It was he, started to run. With
yell the mob sped after him. The ex-
plosion had left him in no condition for
a sprint race and they soon overlook
him. Kicked, buffeted and spat upon.
there would soon have been an end of
him If some gendarmes had not gal
loped up and. taken him in charge
When he recovered consciousness
some hours later he said that he had
been asleep with rifle by his side
when the explosion had occurred. and
taking advantage of the pail of smoke
that overhung the place had bolted
through the breach in the wall That
he escaped serious injury by the ex-
plosion is hardly less than miraculous
He might have been able to get clear
away but for the vigilance of the
secure against night assault, because
he had a law book in the house in
which he read that no legal process