River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-07-16


~ IA, 1858, the opera
A "a house, brilliant with
II lights, held within its
walls the elite of the
zzzlEEzzg city of Paris, gathered
MS3Sti7f to witness q perform
&EEEzTExE ance of Marie Tudor,
in which the celebrated
Nine. Ristore was appearing. But
1t was not altogether the play or
the actress, although both were
excellent in their way, that &C.
counted for the numbers and quality
Of the audience. In the morning the
daily papers announced that the en-
perUr, Napoleon Ill, and his consort
would be present at the performance,
an added attraction which had result
ed in the assembling of a tremendous
crowd that filled the house to it's ut
most capacity.
Outside the theater an immense
throng of people also awaited the
coming of their emperor Among them
were scattered many members of the
police force, the famous chief of
whom, M. Claude, stood with three of
his inspectors watching with keen
eyes the contending currents of human
life that surged to and fro in the
street. 1t was half past eight when
the imperial cortege passed along the
boulevards to enter the rue LIE Pei
letter
1t consisted of three carriages, the
Of Toh
and empress, escorted by company
of lancers.
Suddenly as the last carriage ar
rived in front of the opera house the
strident cheers of the populace were
silenced by the crash of a terrible
explosion. A shower of bombs had
burst upon the pavement scattering
death and destruction in their wake
and extinguishing the gas lamps with
the shock of their detonations. There
followed a scOrching rain of iron and
flame upon the imperial carriage that
reeled under the bombardment and
must assuredly have been shattered
to pieces were it not for the resist
ance offered by the steel plates with
which its body was lined. Out of the
darkness that ensued came maddened
shrieks, wild cries of horror and the
heartrending groans of the wounded
and dying. Rivulets of blood gushed
along the pavement where the eager
crowd had pressed forward in eager
ness to view the imperial party while
the Reconstruction horses of the es-
,NIrY L
trampling with iron hoofs on the
bodies of the mutilated victims.
M. Claude was one of the first spec
tators of the tragedy to recover his
self possession, Dashing forward, he
fought his way through the crowd
to where the wreck of the imperial
carriage stood A glance assured him
that the emperor and empress, who
had already gained the pavement with
the assistance of the lieutenant in
command of their body guard, had
escaped with but trifling injuries. Less
fortunate had been the lucklesS ones
who had stood in close proximity to
the carriage. The death-dealing pro-
jectiles had torn wide gaps through
lnSiE ToN1hS anu SIldll6F6u ana nISl6SS
bodies lay in twisted attitudes of
agony on all sides. AS the chief stood
with compressed lips viewing the dis
NAL scene, his glance fell upon the
figure of man sitting by the edge of
The roadway and looking about him
with a dazed expression on his face.
Deeming him to be one of the numer-
GUS sufferers from the SHOCK of the
explosion, M. Claude went to his side
and assisted him TO rise, inquiring at
the same time if he were hurt. The
man passed his hand hastily over his
forehead. stared stupidity and NUT
tered some words that were almost
unintelligible to the chiefs ear.
Are you an Italian?" queried NJ.
Claude. noting the swarthv hue of his
complexion.
The stranger, whose faculties seemed
90 be clearing. replied with nod of
assent and turned to go. AS he did