The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-24
MARSHAL NEY OF FRANCE WAS
AVA A TAR HEEL SCHOOL TEACHER.
BY JAMES FOOTE.

manner to the grown up young men
towards us small boys he was as ten
der as parent, but all loved and hon
ored him in the highest degree. II
was under his tuition and influence
received an inspiration to get an
! education and so with many others
who had the good fortune to be his
pupil.
In his discipline he was strict, and
| required obedience to all orders as a
| military chieftain; but l never knew
a teacher more idol1Zed by his pupils
| In appearance, he was rather tall,
we'll proportional with military car
riage and a form that denoted great
strength and vigor. His features were
| strongly marked and very expressive
of his emotions. His eye was that of
| the eagle and looked into the depths
of your soul. He always dressed well,
and was remarkable for his charity
to the poor. He had but one fault,
that of drinking too much liquor. He
was nearly bald and the hair remain
| ing on his head was Of a redlSn hue.
! on his forehead was large scar, and
| was evidently caused by sabre cut
about four inches long. On his body
were other wounds. He had musket
| ball in one of his legs. He was mas
| ter of fence. While he was teaching
| at. M OCkSNlllS q fTeIcn IeucliIS HAS
| ter appeared, and wished to secure a
class. The boys told the man that if
he would have bout with their teach
er and beat him, they would make
him up q class. He asked Mr.. Ney to
his room in the hotel and opened his
trunk full of swords, and told him to
choose his weapon. AS soon as his
eye fell on a broad short sword, he
seized it at once and bid him come
on the play ground. ct is said that
this was the favorite kind of sword
used by the famous Marshal! .;
Franco After a few passes at each
other, Ney with wonderful deXterity
cut the fencing masters fine beaver
hat in twain. Whereupon the latter
threw down his sword and said: Gen
tlemen, you have q master and have
no use for me-" General James Coo X,
who was a pupil of Ney at that time,
related this incident to me.
Remarkable Resemblance
AS to age, the marshal was born
in 1869 and would have been II years
old in 1916, which, as Wa have shown,
was precisely P, s. Ney's age when
he died. AS to place of birth the
marshall was born in Saarlories, in
Lorraine. P. S. Ney always claimed this
to be his birth place and often wrote
his name Peter Stuart Michel Ney.
The marshaPs wife was a favorite of
the Empress Josephine. Mr.. Ney Of
ten spoke of his wife to Miss Dalton
and OF her close friendship With
Josephine. As to personal appearance
Marshal Ney was of powerful ply
sique. His hair was very red-so red
that he was called by his soldiers-
Peter the Red or the Red Lion"
P. s. Ney had red hair, and a power
full frame. AS to wounds-they we:e
precisely the same--Marshal Ney at
the battle Of Mayeric in 1895, was
severely wounded in the head by
sabre cut. AT the battle of the Theer,
he was wounded thrice, one bullet en-
tering the calf of his leg. P. S. Ney
as We have shown, had a bullet in his
leg and a sabre scar on his head. Again
Marshal Ney was a famous swords
man and in 1871 Vanqushed the fenc-
ing master of a French regiment (Noy
being there with the Fourth HuSSarS,
and chosen to vindicate its honor; it's
fencing master having been wounded
and its honor touched) p. S. Ney, as
we have shown, was a notable swords
man.
How Death Could be Escaped.
. He told Mrs Dalton in confidence
that he was the Marshall He said
the soldiers detailed to shoot him
We're his old comrades in arms, and
while on his way to the garden of
Luxembourg, the place of his eXecu
ton. they whispered and told linn TO