The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-12-26
Special to The Union.
LETTER FROM ABROAD.
wireless Telegraphy'' in the Sixteenth
Century-Dramatic and Thrilling
Story Told for the First Time
Montgomery and the
Catholic Soldiers.

AeSsfs Editors I'm the latter part of the six
teenth century and during the early years O
the seventeenth, well developed system O.
wireless telegraphy" connected the coast O
Brittany with the sea-surrcunded garrison ant
monastery of Mont Saint Michel and with tn.
neighboring coast of Normandy.
A wooded ridge of considerable height extend
along the sea-front of Brittany from Pontorsor
to Cancale, and a similar but more irregular
series of promontories follows the Norman coast
twenty miles opposite, from Avranches to Gran
| vile. while between lies the bay of Mont Saint
Michel, perhaps the most picturesque historic
spot in western Europe. Needless to say the
wireless system here used was not the same az
that exploited by Marconi. but it was just as
effective in its limited territory.
Crumbling ruins of these primitive telegraph
stations still dot the seaside hills of Brittany
and their bleak, round towers are intimately
connected with the sanguinary and romantic
history of the holy mountain whose medieval
ramparts and gothic spires rise from the treach-
erous tides and sands below. These command
ing towers were originally erected as windmils
by men who chose the SUBMITS of the highest
hills overlooking the ocean, in order that the
huge cloth or wooden sails might profit by every
wind that blew. and in more than one spot traces
still exist of tortuous. roughly paved roads. lead
ing from the valleys to the mills.
In 1874. Mont Saint Michel, which had with
stood scores Of powerful enemies, sometimes be-
aaiRQd hs the Dse18su, SOM etfAses Dy t3s E4ague-
nots. was made the object of determined assaults
by Montgomery, the Huguenot leader, Maitre
de L'Avranchin. and it was during this period
that fiery messages sped by night to and fro be-
tween the beleaguered mountain and the hills
of Brittany. From the ancient windmill towers
signal torches were waved in wheeling arcs and
circles of flame, while monks and soldiers on the
ramparts of the distinct garrison spelled out the
meaning of the symbols. Sometimes. during
this same epoch. similar system of signals was
used with the island of Jersey, and messages
were relayed to points far up the Norman coast.
Apropos of the Huguenot commander Mont
gomery, dramatic story has been preserved.
not only on historic parchment. but among the
fireside legends of the Briton fisherfolk. Iheard
it few weeks ago somewhat as follows, from
an aged priest at Roz but the bare facts, snorn
of their glamor, appear in many works treating
of that period.
while Montgomery was beseiging the citadel.
a small detachment of Catholic soldiers was cap
tured during a sortie for provisions. and while
the Huguenots were engaged in hanging their
prisoners an officer recognized among these lat
Montgomery to spare. The request was granted,
but on the condition that the liberated prisoner
turn traitor. He consented and the plans were
laid.
Two days afterward. just at midnight. when
the traitor was to take his turn at mounting
guard, the Huguenots were to place themselves
at the foot of the ramparts, near the fountain of
st. Aubert, just below the abbey kitchen, where
H. 81. os1 90 10 az
provisions, the confederate within the walls was
to draw up one man alarms after another until
a sufficient number had entered to overpower
silently the night watch, open the gates and adj
NIT the army. After this treacherous arrange
ment the soldier rejoined his garrison.
The appointed day arrives and happens to be
the goth of September, the "fete de la Saint
Michel" Naturally the Archangel does not per-
nit the success of the infamous attempt against
his holy mountain, just at the time the monks
are chanting his glory. He causes the traitor to
repent and confess all to the Able.
Midnight approaches. dark and stormy. The
Huguenots hide themselves among the rocks at
the foot of La Merveille. A light shines in a
kitchen window. followed by sea-gull's cry. 1t
is the signal and is answered from below. The
cord descends. A lieutenant seizes it and ties it
beneath his armpits He wishes to mount and
see for himself that all is well within, afterward
his comrades may follow.
The lieutenant, gradually rising along the slip
perry surface of the chute, disappears in the
black mouth of the conduit above; broad
sword whistles through the darkness and biz
head rolls silently on the floor. Soon afterward
a soldier, clothed in the dead licutenant's gar
ments and wearing his plumed hat, leans from
| the window and motions the waiting Huguenot'
to ascend. One by one they are lifted by the
pulley, one by one they disappear in the con
duit, and one by one their headless bodies are
| dragged aside.
| Like a monstrous ghoul the conduit has al
ready devoured thirty Huguenots, when Mont
| gomery himself halted the proceedings. He
| knew his men. He was astonished at the obsti
nate silence within the walls and, growing i'm
| patient, called to ask why the gates were still
| fast locked.
"surely thirty men ought to overpower {
| dozen sentries -
| A low voice answered from above, "All goes
| wells the monks in this part of the abbey have
| all been put to the sword"
"Throw one down. replied the Hugueno'
| commander.
A quarter of an hour later the order wal
| obeyed and the body of monk came hurting
| through the air. (The defenders of the citade
| had taken prisoner from his cell and promised
him his liberty if he kept silent while they
| shaved his head and robed him in monkish vest
ments. Then, with dagger. they made good
| their promise.)
Examining the figure of the corps, Montgomery
| was struck by the contrast between the parts
newly shaven, which were white, and the rest
| of the head, which was swarthy. He grew ever
| more suspicious, and, brave leader that he was
| decided to mount the pulley and see for him
self; but as he seized the swing ing rope he was
| gently pushed aside, and it was his devoted page
| who made the ascent. In his haste the boy hac
not fastened the rope around his body, but chung
| to it simply with his hands. Reaching the con-
| duit he let go the cord and balanced himself or
the edge of the sill while he peered within.
| blood smeared hand issued from the darkness tt
seize him by the hair, and with one agonizinl
scream he let himself fall backward to be dashed
upon the rocks below. Thereupon. the beseiged
| who had no longer any reason for guarding
silence, rushed to the ramparts to shower stones
| and arrows on the Huguenots, who fled across
the sands. That night the torches in Catholic
signal towers wrote Victory in letters of flame
| upon the storm-swept sky
| Montgomery remained motionless before tn,
body of the fallen boy. His warriors returned
| and led him away. The page was his son.
| NoTE.-The story of the signal towers ant
torches has never been in print. The old towers
herein described are mentioned in the guide
books simply and solely as ancient windmils'
| and are known to tourists merely as SUCH
| SEABRoOK.
| AMONG ITS political notes the New York Su'
| cave. uRichard Croker has frpouenflv sail
that as leader of Tammsny it was his duty t.
request the various mayors of bis day 10 maxi
appointments which he himself, were b.