The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-07-03

The adventure-Iovfng temperament
of this superlatively brave-abject-cow-
ard would not let him remain IN such
service while there was fighting to be
done.
He got a transfer in time to fight |
at the Marine, where he was severely |
wounded while assisting a conrade !
out of action. At Verdun he won the |
praise of his regimental commander
by rallying a handful of men under |
a terrible fire in time to stave off |
one of the fiercest of the enemy Ger |
man attempts to carry Fort Vaux.
In that fight he was wounded SO
severely that he was discharged from |
the service. Five weeks later he was
back in another regimnt. One Of his
adventures was shared with the
French painter, Jean Juliet Lemon
dant. The latter, blinded for life in
action. was taken prisoner by the
Germans and was placed with LES
| taire" and others for transport to
Germany At the instigation of lies
tair'' and the blind painter there was
an attempt to escape.
tLestaire" got away, but found that
the blind artist had been left behind.
He returned to look after him and
was recaptured. Three weeks captiv-
| ity in Germany followed. One night
/
got away. For five days he wander
ed aimlessly through Germany and
! finally crossed into Switzerland after
many hairbreadth escapes. Not wish
ing to be informed he hid himself
from the Swiss authorities and fin
ally reached France after eighteen
| days of adventures.
:; He rejoined his regiment and took
part in the fighting around Rheims.
1t was there he met his death, which
was one in keeping with his charac-
ter. His company was the first to
advance against an important Ger
man position. They met unexpected
opposition, and in a moment of fear
'Lestaire" set the example of flight.
4 He quickly recovered himself, and
for the rest of the day did all that
one man could do to retrieve his
fault. The officers Of his company
were all dead or wounded. The men
: had suffered severely, and were sore
ly in need of a courageous lad. The
enemy were pouring a hurricane of
fire into the demoralized French
ranks.
It looked as though the day, which
was going gloriously for France ev-
erywhere else, was going to be lost
in this region. s'Lestaire' rose amid
the tempest of death, reckoning to
his comrades to follow. They hest
; tated a moment, but the sublime
! courage of eLestaire'' was infectious
To his rallying cry of EN- Avant,
les enfants!' they answered with
strains of the Marse1laise, and swept
forward to victory.
.Lestaire" was the first to enter
the German trenches. He was quick
ly surrounded by the enemy. and had
to fight for his life against a score
, of opponents. His men came quickly
to his aid, but not in time to pre-
vent him being sent to his knees bad
ly wounded and ha1f-blinded.
His company drove the enemy out,
: and he assumed command of the sub
sequent operations, fatty refusing to
be taken away for treatment until the
position was made secure. The enc
, of the afternoon and night.
''Lestaire" was sinking rapidly, but
he refused to desert his post.
Through the night of terror and
agony that followed he remained to
inspire and direct the operations OF
his sorely-pressed comrades. In the
thick of the fight the Germans
brought up liquid fire jets and spray
ed the trench. Some of the liquid
5 fell on the now dying ''Lestaire.''
Still his indomitable spirit remain
ed unbroken. He went on directing
his men until daybreak. Relief came
5 to both .Lestaire'' and his men with
dawn. French troops fought theil
way through, and made the position
: for ever secure against German coun
: ter-attacks., Death came at the same
5 time to "Jean Lestaire.'