The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1931-02-20
HIsTORY's
MYSTERIES
ussetssd Mddles That stu Puzzle
Authosities Here md Abroad NwrV
The Fate of Marshal Ney

\ OrdS of his time and the pages
of every history which contents itself
with adhering to the strict letter of
proven evidence, Michel Ney, marshal
of France, duke of Echingen, prince
of Moskva and bosom friend of Ma
poleon BOnaparte, met his death at
the hands of firing squad on Decem-
ber 5. 1815-his crime being loyalty
to his old commander when Bonaparte
had escaped from Elba.
But this is one of the many In
stances when strict Interpretation
of history is at variance with the ex
perience of individuals, when read
ing of the records in the case must
be tempered by the experience OF in
dividuals. Marshal Ney is reported
to have been executed on December
8, 1915, but -.
On the day following the funeral of
the marshal Of France, Philip Petrie,
a former soldier in the marshal's
army who had turned sailor at the
close of the Napoleonic wars, was
securing the decks Of vessel which
was to clear Bordeaux that night for
Charleston, S. c. While at his work
Petrie glanced up as a hooded figure,
wrapped in long cloak, came aboard
from small boat. In an instant the
former soldier was on his feet, his
heels clicked together and his hand
snapped up in the precise salute of
the Napoleonic veterans. Standing
thus he waited for the cloaked figure
to pass him. But the passenger halt
ed and in a muffled voice, inquired:
"Who do you think am?'
you are my old commander, sir.
Marshal Ney," replied the other, II
would know you in ten thousand"
"Marshal Ney," stated the voice
which proceeded from the hood, 'was
executed for treason In Paris, two
days since"
But, during the remainder of the
voyage, as Petrie afterwards declared
to number Of reputable witnesses,
the cloaked passenger did not appear
on deck-and, what was still more
remarkable, Petrie did not know, at
the time of his recognition of his old
commander, that Marshal Ney had
been executed
The next chapter in the case of re,
port VS.. history was written at Char.
lesion, S. c., some weeks later when
trio of French immigrants CHANGED
| upon a familiar figure In one of the
| side-streets of the American city and
| exclaimed: 1T Is Marechal 'Ney him
SELF" whereupon the figure vanished
| into a nearby house.
About this time mysterious per-
| son who gave the name of Peter Ney
appeared in Cheraw, S. c., and OBJ
| tanned position as French teacher
| In school at Brownsville, nearby.
| One morning he was found in bed
his throat raw and bleeding from
wounds which he himself had In
| flicted and, clutched in his left hand
was newspaper giving an account
Of the recent death at st. Helena OF
| Napoleon Bonaparte, former emperor
| OF the French. On the hearth was q
pile OF burned documents, while sew.
| eral jeweled decorations adorned the
| table-relics which were carefully put
away until Peter Ney had fully recov
| cred from his attempt at suicide.
/ 1t was not until 1916 that the
schoolmaster died and, on his death
bed, was pressed by his physician tc
clear up the mystery which surround
ed his prior life. With an effort "Pe
ter Ney" sat bolt upright, held his
head erect and declared, in a voice
which held more than an echo Of It's
former clearness: II am Michel Ney
marshal of France" and fell bacl
dead.
After the funeral, Mrs. Mary G
Dalton, of Iredell county, North Car
Olina, gave out what she said was the
true account Of Marshal Ney's escape
as told to her by "Peter Ney" under
seal of secrecy. When sentence Of
death had been passed upon him, &C
cording TO this account, the marsha
had been notified that the firms
| SuudO iidu UCcn up VI Ills OWL
men who were to fire over his head
At the report Of their guns he wa:
to press his hand to his heart, re
leasing q quantity Of OK blood con
tanned In bladder and to fall for
ward as IL dead. At the hospital ht
would be replaced by the corpse of {
common soldier executed that morn
ing and dressed in the uniform Of th,
marshal, while his escape to Americs
would be facilitated by way of Bor
deaux.
So 1t would therefore appear tha
all the individual evidence in tn,
mystery Of Marshal Ney points in on'
direction, toward the fact that his
tory is mistaken when 1t declares tha
Michel Ney was executed on Decem
Der 8, 1915, and that he really diet
in South Carolina, thirty-one year
later.
But, even granting this, there il
still one more question which remain
. unanswered: Why, IL Peter Ney AM
Michel Ney were one and the same
did not the former marshal Of Franc
return to his native country when ful
and complete amnesty was granted Il
all political exiles?