Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-29
HONOR TO HEROINE
France Pays Tribute to Wom-
an Telegraph Operator.
TABLET PUT ON OLD HOME
Juliette Dodu Won Decoration in
Franco russian War.
WIRED ARRIVAL OF ENEMY
Baker of Montargis Hires Man to
Throw Vitriol Over His Di-
vorced Wife.
WIRED ARRIVAL OF ENEMY
Special Cablegram to The Star.

special CaDleSram 10 me star
PARIS. July 29-France is not very
generous with her decorations to wom-
en-, but the other day a number of Off
Gals of the republic. in top hats and
tricolor scarfs, attached a memorial
plate on the wall Of a little house In
Bievres, the former home of q woman
who won the Cross Of the Legion OF
Honor by her patriotism during the
Franco-Prussion war. and whom a mem
Der of the German royalty considered il
an honor to call his frierd. though she
was only ordinary telegraph operator
On the memorial plate stand only the
words "Julette Dodu lived and died in
this house and no more words are neces-
sary, for every child in France knows
who Juliette Dodu was.
When the Franco-Prussian war was
declared, just forty-one years ago, Jullette
was employed as a telegraph operator
in the little town of Pithiviers She was
then only twenty years old, and in her
diary, which is in the possession of M.
Rene Thorel, she tells of what she did
for her country in the simple words of a
true heroine. Here are a few of the
entries:
scouts entered Pithiviers and l notified
the committee of national defense at
Tours
September 21: squadron of Uhlans ar
rived here and. having telegraphed this
fact to Orleans, 1 succeeded In detach-
ing my apparatus and hiding my records.
AS the door of the telegraph station was
guarded by sentries I hid my Morse ap-
parats under my cloak and walked out
without arousing the enemy's suspicion.
Sends Word to Orleans.
September "a: The Uhlans have de-
parted and l have again established con-
nection with Orleans.
September q: Prince Albert Of Prus-
STA has arrived in command Of an army
corps composed Of Bavarians and the
Death Head Hussars. / wanted to IN
form Orleans, but the office was invaded
by several officers and I was glad to get
away with my apparatue through back
door The Germans cut all the wires, but
overlooked one connecting with orleans.
so that I was able to telegraph secreteiy
every night all could discover ABOUT the
plans of the enemy.
prince Albert's army corps remained
here until October 8, when he established
his headquarters at Orleans. PithlV1erS
being then free from German troops, l
had a wire put up to Montargis, where 1t
connected with the wires of the military
HEADQUARTERS at Tours. few days after
ward a French army of 1900 men came
to Pithiviers and for three days and
nights 1 was sending and receiving mes
saees without a moments rest.
ION the third day at II O'Clock in the
evening the lineman. Percival, whom 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 another in the left hand.
He had been made a prisoner: but had
succeeded in escaping and told me that
the Prussians were at Malesherbes on
their way toward Pithiviers.
Il informed the general and az CLOCK
there was not a French soldier left in
town.
Advance Guard Arrives.
"The next morning the Prussan ad-
vance guard of Prince Frederick Charles
of Prussia arrived. I had removed all
telegraph apparatus, but the Prussians
had apparatus of their own and two big
rolls of iron wire. These l succeeded in
throwing into a we'll The Prussians were
furious when they missed them. but
did not find them.
November %. the battle of Beaune la
Rolande. The French were victorious at
first. The roar of the 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 arrived telling OF
the French victory and the prince imme-
diately sent several thousand PruSsians
to reinforce his firing line.
"When / saw the guns departing TO re-
inforce the enemy l forgot everything
and cried: Good God! To think that not a
single Frenchman has had sense enough
TO cut tie wires.
The prince heard what / said and re-
piled in very good French: Happily for
US very few possess your courage and
presence of mind, mademoiselle"
November %: All night long kilograms
passed to and from the princes head
quarters. and the idea of tapping the
wires from the window of my little bed
room occurred to me. / connected my
apparatus with the wires passing the
window and for seventeen nights l sue
ceeded in catching German messages and
sending them on. One contained a plan
of attack and the knowledge Of this en-
abled our troops to win a victory. II
was glorious.
Betrayed to Prussians.
In January our servant girl, with
whom i had quarrel, betrayed me to the
lPrussans, who would have shot me on
the spot, but Prince Frederick Charles
interviewed and my mother and I were
sent as prisoners to Germany. Through
the princes efforts l was later pardoned -
Eight years afterward Juliette Dodu
was made knight of the Legion of Honor
and one Of the first to congratulate her
was Prince Frederick Charles, once her
enemy, now her friend and warm adj
mirer.
The story of divorced husbands cruel
revenge on his wife has been unfo1ded at
the Orleans assiZe court. A baker OF
Montargis, named GaZard, lived on bad
terms with his wife. The latter went to
her parents house, taking her little son
with her. Divorce proceedings followed
and the care of the boy was intrusted to
the father. One evening when Nine.
Gazard was accompanying her son, who
had paid her visit. to the station she
fancied she saw two men on bicycles
following her conveyance. On her return
she saw one Of the men by the roadside.
She stopped her horse and proceeded
toward the stranger. AS she was about
to question him he concealed his face.
The next moment vitriol was flung over
her.
Woman Badly Burned.
The woman was terribly burned on the
neck, shoulders and breast. She con-
cluded that the cowardly assailant was
her husband and lodged a complaint
against him. The baker was charged
with having paid a dangerous character
$50 to throw the vitriol The husband de-
clared at the trial that rayepge bad hoen