Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-10-16
HISTORIC PERONNE NOW
CAPTURED SIXTH TIME

81
Paris, Oct. 3-History has just re-
peated itself at Peronne for the fifth
or sixth time, with the occupation of
the town by Emperor Williams forces.
1t is pretty, peaceful, sleepy town, in
the valley of the Disc with no more
apparent pretention than that of at
tending to its own little business, and
1t Is all the more a wonder that ii has
cut such a figure in history that it has
sueeumbed to nearly every atta.k
There can scarcely be any other rea-
son than that its situation makes it a
sort of stumbling block in the way of
forces bound for Amiens from the
north
King Charles the Simple first gave
Peronne right to immortality by dying
of hunger while a prisoner there in
929.
Charles the Bold began its series of
captures by taking it in 1865 and added
to its renown by lmprtsoning Louis XI
there two days. The latter revenged
himself on both Charles and the Bold
and the town by capturing it in 1477
The Duke of Nassau is the only one
who ever failed in an assault upon it i;
he was beaten by a woman, Catherine
of Polk, who rightfully has her statue
in the public square. The Duke of
Wellington captured it in his turn in
1915 and the Germans starved the little
garrison out in the closing days of the
war of 1870, but were obliged to allow
1t to march out with the honors of war.
During nine days bombardment SO
of it's 700 houses were demolished and
600 were rendered uninhabitable. In
this case the German commander con-
sented not to levy a war fine on the
town and dispensed the inhabitants
from all acquisitions, which was ali
the same to them since there was moth
ing left in the place worth having.
This time, as has been the case with
most of the military operations, no
one but the general staff and the in
habitants of the region knew that the
town had been taken until it's reoccu-
patton by French troops was an
nounced.
Thee circumstances of the entry of
the Germans are characteristic OF the
present campaign After an unequal
struggle between a small detachment
of Alpine chasseurs and infantry on
the French hide and strong contin-
gent of cavalry, the Germans entered
the town August 9th, just as the sub
project left at the other side in an
automobile carrying off the receipts of
the postoffice and the tax department,
amounting to million and a half
francs gold and several millions in
bonds payable to bearer.
The mayor and his substitute were
both absent. Finding no one at the
Hotel de Vile, Colonel Gotberg, the
German governor, sent for Monsieur
Line, city councillor, and informed
him that it would be necessary for him
to get together commission of doz-
en- important citizens who should an
swer with their lives for the benevo-
lent behavior of the citizens toward the
German troops, and that the commits
sion must present itself to the COVER
nor within an hour or Monsieur Line
would be shot.
From this committee the governor
demanded a war contribution of 100000
francs which must be forthcoming the
following morning. I'VE certainly
shall not pay it, replied Monsieur
Line, because all the money of the
city and the receipts of the fiscal de-
partment have been transported to
Rouen, and all the rich citizens are
at the seashore; all we can do Is to
supply your troops with what they
need while here
Il must have money! persisted the
governor. I'VE have no money per-
sisted Monsieur Line.
You must pay me 5000 francs in
gold this very evening" said the gov
ernor, and you shall furnish 100000
francs worth of supplies; Furthermore
if you've lied to me I'll know it and
I'll have your hide and that Of the
cure"
The following morning, declaring
that the acquisitions were not being
filled with the necessary promptitude,
the governor inflicted a further pun
ishment on the town in the form of a
permission to the troops of two hours
pillage Of houses whose inhabitants
were out. They were told 10 COM