El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-01-07

the symphony concert in Paris, an old
I woman walked toward the platform.
The unknown raised her hand which
she had hidden underneath her shawl
a shot rang out and the leader OF the
orchestra fell backwards among the
musicians.
Three months later all Paris crowded
( into the court room where the trial
! was to take place-as yet ignorant Of
l the motives which had DrOmDted this
Z old woman to become a murderer For
the first time the public saw her face
| She had probably once been very beau
tlful- Her eyes were clear and gentle
| and her features were calm.
short examination brought out the
! fact that she was Eugene Wei, born in
| a small French village in 1919 In 1857
she married Francis Schoffer, a forester
/ IN IAe FOsgeS mountains Her husband
| was shot at Amanvilliers. She had
| chosen to remain French after the war
/ and eked out an existence running a
I small fruit store at MOntrouge.
/ The audience applauded the prosecu-
/ tors speech.
! Then Maitre viel, the famous crimi-
/ nal lawyer, stood up and said:
/ This woman is my fathers sister. I
I know why she committed this murder
( AID 1 know also the crime which Franz
( Blume committed It is nv fault THAI
: I have not prevented an act of revenge
/ which I might have fOreseen. and
/ which I am sure I can Justify
/ Metre We'll" the judge interrupted,
I IN voice Of warning.
I beg your pardon, monsieur judge.
/ but feel sure that what I am going
/ to say will justify my expression. I
I was a boy of four years, 40 years ago.
/ when one night I was sitting at the
bed of my cousin, JACQUES a three wear
/ old baby, in the house of my aunt.
Ny mother being dead and my father
and MS brother away in the war, this
woman had taken me into her care.
Great disasters had already over
taken country had
kllometers away, the roar OF fighting,
then the sound Of our armies march
ing by on their retreat followed BY
the rumble of the guns of the victor
we had suffered no want
Aunt Eugene had stored up pr9-
VISIONS The house was away from the
highway and we had remained behind
IN an invaded country I do not know
what always kept alive in my aunTs
breast the hope that our soldiers
would soon drive back the enemy. But
It was this hope that bound her 20
her old house.
For several days my baby cousin
had been alling and refused to play
with me That night he was verv
IeVerlsn and violent cough shook his
little body. Aunt Eugene, who was
preparing some Cruel came rushing
into the room when a particularly vf0-
lent tit Of coughing made her fear The
Daby was dying
Paul, she said. 90 I'D into the AZ
tic 1 viii bring you up your supper
Jacques is very sick and I am AFRAID
ne might give you the whOOping
cough too
Il obeyed- but as I was afraid ~
being alone in the dark. sat down on
the first step Of the stairs leading 10
the kitchen The poor mother was so
worried that she paid no attention to
me She tried to make baby drink AMI
then put her fingers into his mouth
He fell asleep, but his cough woke him
up from time to time She fell down
n
AT this moment somebody began Il,
Kick on the front door. Before my
aunt could get up to open it, the lock
gave way, and two men burst into
Ine room One was a giant with red
Whlskers, and the other a lanEy fellow
VINO wore glasses They were both
covered with snow witch almost hid
the gold braid on their cans and shout
der straps. Behind them were a de-
Iachment Of soldiers The giant
shouted command and the soldiers
halted The baby started to cry.
Ne have lost our way in these
woods We bOlng to his majesty's SOth
regiment of infantry. and we do NOT
know the Vosges as we know our own
6aFarlan mountains. and If we do not
JOIN the rest OF the army before morn
Ing, we shall be court martiaIed we
count on your help, pretty girl TO
guide US back to the road to EDinaI'
She looked at the two with an air
OF supreme contempt
II am French she said proudly.
Then the giant grew angry.
10 neil with your sentimental
nonsense We do not ask you to com
mt treason, but simply to do US a
LaYor- Don't put on any airs, or By
zoo VIII have you shot ike a dog
NY aunt did not answer, but turned
70 ner OaDy' VINO was coughing VIC
IentIy- The Prussian changed his
1t won't take long. You viii sit
- III iTohl OF a lieutenant who'is out
Sl0e- he IS smart fellow You VIII
snow him the way while We remain
and ne viii bring you back here. Ne
ldIm VIII come to you and the lieu
tenant later viii be our guide. We are
He strOked his flaming whisIxers
She answered.
Ny baby is dying. I viii not move
step from here. You may kill me II
you want to-
The big officer frowned and raised
. ms list to strike her, but the other in
." Madam he said. I respect your
DOCTOR '--N .
You are a dOctorg
es, madam Your baby has crOuu.
nave my instruments and medicine
case here and promise You to save his
ne While you are away, if YOU viii do
will die
she left with the lieutenant. The
out laughing.
Herr Franz Blume.' he cried; you
are a great diplomat
The other smiled and as the sol
dlerS had found some bottles of wine
IN the cellar, they all set TO drinking
IlgnI merrlly, while the baby unat-
tended, howled dismally 1 cried 10
think that this German had fooled my
aunt. understood German enough TO
understand the soldiers say that they
should not like being under Doctor
Blume's care
aunt Eugene came back I heard
q piercing cry and fits of course laugh
ter, though I was half asleeD.
me next day we buried Cousin
Jacques under the big oak tree. re-
membered the name OF the fake doc
tor. When the papers brought the pOr-
tralt OF Franz Rlume recognized the
heartless man. Eugene Schaffer rec
ognlzed him, too. found out that IA
mad served in the 3Oth regiment OK
infantry during the war of 1870, and
her deed was an act of justice
With your hOnOrs permission. Z
VIII close the case Of the defendant
md hand the documentary proofs to
iurV'