The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-07-29
FRENCH REMEMBER
W0MAN'S BRAVERY
Memorial Plate Erected in
Memory of Heroine of
Franco-Prussian War
Especial Cable from the international
News .;ery!ccD
az Ia RACONTEuSE

Especial Cable from the international
BY Ia RAcoNTEusE
Paris, July 29.-France is not very
generous with her decorations to VIZ
men, but the other day number "
officials of the republic in top hats and
tricolors scarfs attached a memorial
plate on the wall of a little house in
Bievres. the former home of woman
who won the Cross of the Legion az
Honor by her patriotism during tie
Franco-Prussian war, and whom q
member of the German Royalty coli
sidered il an honor to call his friend
though she was but an ordinary tel
egraph operator.
On the memorial plate stands only
the words "Juliette Dodu lived and
died in this house" and no more words
are necessary for every child in
France knows who Juliette Dodu was.
When the Franco-Prussian war was
declared just Al years ago Juliette
was employed as telegraph operator
in the little town of Pithiviers. She
was then only 90 years old, and in her
diary which is in the possession of one
of my Partisan friends, NJ Rene Thor
ell. she tell OF what she did for her
country in the simple words of true
heroine.
made a copy of a few of the en-
tries made by this noble woman:
"2O September. 1870: The Prussian
scouts entered Pitiviers and l notified
the committee of National Defense at
Tours"
"21 September: A squadron of IN
lans arrived here and having tele.
graphed this fact to Orleans l sue
ceeded in detaching my apparatus and
hiding my records. AS the door of the
telegraph station was guarded by sem
tries hid my Morse apparatus under
my cloak and walked out without
arousing the enemy's suspicion
September "a: The Uhlans have
departed and I have again established
connection with Orleans.
September 81: Prince Albert OF
Prussia has arrived in command of an
admy corps composed of Bavarians
and the Death Head hussars. / want
ed to inform Orleans but the office
was invade by several officers and l
was glad to get away with my appar-
atus through a back door, the Germans
cut all the wires but overlooked one
connecting with Orleans so that
was able to telegraph secretly every
night all could discover about the
plans of the enemy.
Prince Albert's army corps remain.
ed here until October 8 when he es-
tablished his headquarters at Orleans.
Pithiviers being free from German
troops l had wire put up to Montar-
gis where 1t connected with the wires
of the military headquarters at Tours.
A few days afterwards a French ar
my OF $4,000 men came to Pithiviers
and for three days and nights l was
sending and receiving messages with
out a moments rest.
"On the third day at eleven o'clock
In the evening the lineman Perceval,
who l had sent out to examine the
wires came rushing into the office,
his clothes torn and bleeding from two
wounds, one in the forehead and an.
other in the left hand. He had been
made a prisoner but had succeeded in
escaping and told me that the Prus
SLAMS were at Malesherabes on their
way towards Pitiviers.
Il informed the general and at two
o'clock there was not French soldier
lett in town.
1.-The next morning the Prussian ad'
vance guard of Prince Frederick Char.
les of Prussia arrived. had removed
all telegraph apparatus. but the Prus
SLAMS had apparatus Of their own and
two big rolls of iron wire. These
succeeded in throwing into well. The
Prussians were furious when they
missed them but did not find them.
November % The battle of Beuane
la Rolande. The French were victor
ious at first, the roar of guns came
closer. Prince Frederick Charles did
not leave the telegraph office. from
the garden of which he had a splendid
view of the country. A dispatch ar
rived telling of the French victory and
the Prince Immediately sent several
thousand Prussians to reinforce his
firing line.
when / saw the guns departing tc
reinforce the enemy forgot every
thing and cried Good God! To think
that not single Frenchman has had
sense enough to cut the wires!'
THE Prince heard what l said and