The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1871-03-25 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

THE EXECUTION OF GENERALS I. ECOMTE AND THOMAS. The Soir gives the following particulars of the murders of General Resonate and General Cl went Thomas :  Arrested at the moment when his troops raised the butts of their muskets in the air, General Lecumte was at hrt taken to the Château Rointe, where he war required to elan an engagement not to lift his sword against Paris, to which he assented. its an. then required to send orders to those of his troops who still remained at their poste to return to their planers, which he did. Soon afterwards he was taken to the Rue des Rosters, where he had to undergo an examination, but by whom or of what nature was the inquiry, or In what form the judgment wan pronounced, no one knows; the end of it was that he was removed from No. 6, Rue des Rosters, taken Into an adjoining garden, plaued with his back against a wall, and shot. It appears, from the accounts of those who take credit for having assisted at this tragedy, that the General maintained his firmness to the last. When he reached the fatal spot he was visibly moved upon beholding the corpse of General Clement Thomas, who had just before been slain. Being Lonmelled to pass before the body he uncovered, and then, calmly replacing his kepi, he faced towards the firing Party with uplifted head aoil folded arms. A few seconds later be lay lifeless ',beide his colleague. General Thomas, who was arrested subsequently to the seizure of General Lee mite, had been este Ned to ill-treatment by the furieus crowd. lie, too, was taken to the Rue de It ellen, where an impromptu tribunal was established. his la said to have replied haughtily to the questions that were addressed to him, and when violently dragged from Ids seat to be taken to the place of execution he struggled violently, not to escape, but to free himself from the Realm of those who had apprehended him. Being plaoed and fastened against the garden wall, he was, we are assured, shut Indesall, only falling dead at the seventh shot.  The following account by an eye-witness, is also fur'dolled by the Correspondent of The Tintes  " Having heard that one of his former aulee.de-camp had been seized by the insurgents, General Clement themes determined to look after him, and with that object reached the Blace rigalle about five o'clock Ile was in plain clothes. One of the insurgents having recognized him by him full white beard, went up to him and said, ' Are you not General I Clement "'homes?" No ! wax the first reply. 'I do not think I am mistaken,' said the insurgent, 'though you are easily recognized by your bearo." Well, suppose it iii,' replied the General firmly, what then? Have I not always done my duty r You are a wretch and a traitor,' said the Insurgent, seizing the old mau by the collar. inhere came to his all, and they drugged the Geueral towards the Rue des Rosier., where the Central R.Ppuldlean Gommittee of Montmartre held its sittings. The fate of the unfortunate Clement Thomas was decided off-hand. At six o'clock a body ef National Guards charged with his execution led him into the Garden. he that trying moment the old General evinced the most heroic composure. He stood upright, facing his examHonore, and holding his hat In his hand. Instead of thing upon him by a platoon volley, as Is the ruilitaiy custom, his executionere fired upon him one after another. As each hall struck, the body of the victim became convul.ively agitated, but still remained firm In its place as a statue. After the fourteenth shot the General was still erect, looking fixedly upon Ms executioners, mid yet , holding his hat. At last the fifteenth ball struck him beneath the right eye and broneht him to the ground. I General Lecomte was brought to the same spot soon afterwards. He was very pale, kept his hand half folded upon his cheat, and muttered a few words of protest. The firing party In his case was composed of soldiera of the 88th Regiment of the Line. 'llls thy torn,' they cried ; • thou gayest the order to fire upon the people.' An instant later and General Lecomte had fallen dead. A lieutenant of the 2.l3dth Battalion present at these massacres eould not refrain from exclaiming, to shoot tbem without hearing them, It is too horrible.'"