Paris under the Commune Part 42

He was then shown into the back office, where the 'judges' were. These judges were mere boys, who seemed quite proud of the part they were playing, and gave themselves no end of airs, I asked the governor of the gaol soon afterwards what had been done with the gendarme. He told me that they were going to shoot him. I replied, 'Surely it can't be true.

I must see the president--we can't allow a married man with eight children to be murdered in this way.' I tried to get into the room where the court-martial was sitting, but was prevented. One of the National Guards on duty at the door told me 'Don't go in there, or you're done for (_N'y entrez pas, ou vous etes f--_).' I made immediately further inquiries about M. Grudnemel, and was told he was in 'a provisional cell.' I trembled for him, for I knew that meant he would be given up to the mob, which would tear him to pieces. When they said, 'This man is to be taken to a cell,' that meant that he was to be shot. When they said, 'Put him in a provisional cell,' it meant that he should be delivered over to the mob for butchery, I continued to plead the gendarme's cause with the National Guard, dwelling on the fact of his having eight children. Thereon, the Woman above referred to, who appeared to be in command of the detachment, exclaimed, 'Why does this fellow go in for the gendarme?' One of her acolytes replied, 'Smash his jaw.' This woman seemed to understand her business. She minutely inspected the men's pouches to ascertain that they had plenty of ammunition. She would not hear of the gendarme being reprieved, and she had her way. I understood that I had better follow the governor's advice and keep quiet. A mere boy was placed as sentry at the door of the court-martial. He told me, 'You know I sha'n't let you in.' When I saw the poor gendarme leave the room he looked at me imploringly; he had probably detected in my eyes a look of sympathy. And when he was told that he might go out--hearing the yells of the mob--he turned towards me and said, 'But I shall be stoned to death;' and, in fact, it was perfectly fearful to hear the shouts of the crowd outside. I could not withstand the impulse, and I took my place by his side, and tried to address the crowd. 'Think on what you are going to do--surely you won't murder the father of eight children.' The words were hardly out of my mouth when a kind of signal was given. I was shoved back against the wall, and one National Guard, clapping his hand on his musket, e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, 'You know, you old rascal, there is something for you here,' and he drove his bayonet through my whiskers. The unfortunate gendarme was taken across the place, close to the shop where they sell funeral wreaths, but there was no firing party in attendance. He then took to his heels, but was pursued, captured, and put to death. I began to feel rather bewildered, and some one urged me to return to the prison, which I did. A young linesman was then brought in. He was quite a young fellow, barely twenty; his hands were tied behind his back. They decided to kill him within the prison. They set upon him, beat him, tore his clothes, so that he had hardly a shred of covering left; they made him kneel, then made him stand up, blindfolded him then uncovered his eyes; finally they put an end to his long agony by shooting him, and flung the body into a costermonger's cart close to the gate. Several priests had got out of the prison of La Roquette. The Abbe Surat, on pa.s.sing over a barricade, was so imprudent as to state who he was, and showed some articles of value he had about him. He had got as far as about the middle of the Boulevard du Prince Eugene, when he was arrested and taken back to the prison, where they prepared to shoot him. But the young woman whom I have before mentioned, with a revolver in one hand and a dagger in the other, rushed at him exclaiming, 'I must have the honour of giving him the first blow.' The abbe instinctively put his hands out to protect himself, crying, '_Grace! grace!_' Whereon this fury shouted, '_Grace!

grace! en voila un maigre_,' and she discharged her revolver at him. His body was not searched, but his shoes were removed. Afterwards his pastoral cross and 300 francs were found about him. The boys detained in the prison were set at liberty. The smaller ones were made to carry pails of petroleum, the others had muskets given them, and were sent to fight. Six of them were killed; the remainder came back that night, and on the following day. About a hundred boys were taken to Belleville by a member of the Commune, quite a young man; they were wanted to make sand-bags, to be filled with earth to form barricades."

XII. (Page 345.)

Regarding the death of President Bonjean, the Abbe de Marsay said--"That gentleman carried his scruples so far that he would not avail himself of forty-eight hours' leave on _parole_, fearing he could not get back in time; thus did not see his family."

The Abbe Perni, a venerable man with a white beard, who had been a missionary said:

"On Wednesday, the 24th of May, we were ordered back to our cells at La Roquette at an earlier hour than usual, and at about four o'clock in the afternoon a battalion of federates noisily occupied the pa.s.sage into which our cells opened. They spoke at the topmost pitch of their voices. One of them said, 'We must get rid of these Versailles banditti.' Another replied, 'Yes; let us bowl them over, put them to bed.' I understood what this meant, and prepared for death. Soon after the door next mine was opened, and I heard a man asking if M. Darboy was there. The prisoner replied in the negative.

The man pa.s.sed before my door without stopping, and I soon heard the mild voice of the archbishop answering to his name. The hostages were then dragged put of the lobby; ten minutes later I saw the mournful _cortege_ pa.s.s in front of my windows; the federates were walking along in a confused way, making a noise to cover the voice of their victims, but I could hear Father Allard exhorting his companions to prepare for death. A little after I heard the report of the muskets, and understood that all was over. On Thursday (the 25th) the day pa.s.sed off quietly, but on Friday sh.e.l.ls began to fall on the prison, and at about half-past four in the afternoon a corporal, named Romain. came up, and with a joyful face told us we would soon be free. He said answer to your names; I must have 15. He had a list in his hand, and I must confess a feeling of terror came over us all. Ten hostages answered to their names. One of them, a father of the order of Picpus, asked if he could take his hat.

Romain replied, 'Oh, it's no use; you are only going to the registrar's.' None of these unfortunate men ever returned. On Sat.u.r.day (the 27th) we learnt that several of the prisoners had been armed with hammers, files, &c. They threw us some of these in at the windows. We were then informed that several members of the Commune had arrived at La Roquette. I cannot say whether Ferre was among them. We were taken back to our cellars, where we expected to be put to death every minute. At about four o'clock the cells of the common prisoners were opened, and they escaped, shouting 'Vive la Commune!'

Our keeper himself had disappeared, and a turnkey presently opened our cells, and recommended us to run away. We were afraid this was a trap, but as it might afford a chance we determined to avail ourselves of it. Those amongst us who had plain clothes hurried them on, and I must say the gaolers behaved admirably in this emergency; they lent clothes to such of us as had none, and we were thus all enabled to escape. As for myself, after wandering for about an hour in the streets about the prison, and being unable to find shelter anywhere, and afraid of being murdered in the streets, I determined to return to La Roquette. As I reached it I met the archbishop's secretary, two priests, and two gendarmes, who, like myself, had been driven to return to the prison. One of the keepers told us that the safest for us was the sick ward. We dressed up in the hospital uniform and hid in bed. At eight in the evening the federates, who were not aware that we had escaped, came back and called on the gaolers to produce us. They were told we had gone; fortunately they believed it. On Sunday the troops came in, and I left La Roquette for good this time. In reply to a further question the witness said that as the hostages marched past his windows, on their way to execution, he saw President Bonjean raising his hands, and heard him say, '_Mon Dieu, mon Dieu!_'"

XIII. (Page 82.)

URBAIN.

Urbain, formerly head master of an academy, was elected to the Commune, and became, in virtue of his former office of teacher, a member of the Committee of Instruction, retaining at the same time his office of mayor. He finally installed himself in his mayoralty about the middle of April, with his sister and young son, and gave protection there to his mistress, Leroy, who had great influence over him, and who used to frequent the committees and clubs. At the mayoralty of the 7th Arrondiss.e.m.e.nt this woman, in the absence of the mayor, took the direction and management of affairs. During the administration of Urbain searches were made in private and in religious houses, this woman, Leroy, sometimes taking part in the proceedings; on these occasions seizures were made of letters and articles of value, which were sent to the mayoralty and from thence to the police-office. Urbain and the woman Leroy are accused of having appropriated to themselves money and jewellery. At the mayoralty of the 7th Arrondiss.e.m.e.nt there were deposits for public instruction to the amount of 8000 francs, which had dwindled down to 2900 francs. Urbain confesses having employed this money in helping persons compromised like himself. It is certain that during the residence of the woman Leroy at the mayoralty the expenses exceeded the sum allowed to Urbain. According to the evidence of a domestic everybody tad recourse to this unfortunate deposit, and it is stated in the instructions that the accused had left by will to his son a sum of 4000 francs in bank notes and gold, deposited in the hands of his aunt, Madame Danelair, while there is clear proof that before the days of the Commune he did not possess a sou. Madame Leroy herself, who came to the mayoralty without a penny, was found in possession of 1000 francs, which she said were the results of her savings. It appears from the statement of M. Laudon, inspector of police, that the search made at his house resulted in the subtraction of a sum of 6000 francs, and that he has seen a ring which belonged to his wife on the finger of the woman Leroy. Though not taking a conspicuous share in the military operations, Urbain played an important part. His duty was to visit the military stations and to take possession of the Fort d'Issy, which had been abandoned. He admits that he thus visited the barracks and the ramparts. He ordered the construction of barricades, and says that, on the occasion of the repulse of the 22nd May, he resisted the entreaties of the woman Leroy, who wished him to give up the struggle and to betake himself to the Hotel de Ville, with the view of remaining at his post.

As a politician, Urbain, in the discussions of the Commune, was very zealous and spoke frequently. By his vote he gave his sanction to all the violent decrees relating to the hostages, the demolition of the Column, the destruction of M. Thiers' house, and the Committee of Public Safety, of which he was one of the most ardent supporters. To him is to be attributed in particular the demand for the carrying into execution the decree relating to the hostages. On this point here is Urbain's proposal, copied from the _Official Journal_ of the 18th May:--"I demand that either the Commune or the Committee of Public Safety should decree that the ten hostages in our custody should be shot within twenty-four hours, in retaliation for the murders of our cantiniere and of the bearer of our flag of truce, who were shot in defiance of the law of nations. I demand that five of the hostages should be executed solemnly in the centre of Paris, in presence of deputations from all the battalions, and that the rest should be shot at the advanced posts in presence of the soldiers who witnessed the murders. I trust my proposal will be agreed to." By this proposal Urbain has linked his name to the horrible crime committed on the hostages. Latterly he was a member of the military committee, and his ability served well the cause of the insurgents. He was condemned by the court-martial of Versailles to hard labour for life, September 2, 1871.

XIV.

THE DEVASTATIONS OF PARIS.

The following is the way in which the fires were prepared:--In some instances a number of men, acting as _avant-courriers_, went first, telling the inhabitants that the Quarter was about to be delivered to the flames, and urging them to fly for their lives; in other oases, the unfortunate people were told that the whole city would be burnt, and that they might as well meet death where they were as run to seek it elsewhere. In some places--in the Rue de Vaugirard, for instance--it is a.s.serted that sentinels were placed in the streets and ordered to fire upon everyone who attempted to escape. One incendiary, who was arrested in the Rue de Poitiers, declared that he received ten francs for each house which he set on fire. Another system consisted in throwing through the cellar doors or traps tin cans or bottles filled with petroleum, phosphorus, nitro-glycerine, or other combustibles, with a long sulphur match attached to the neck of the vessel, the match being lighted at the moment of throwing the explosives into the cellar. Finally, the batteries at Belleville and the cemetery of Pere la Chaise sent destruction into many quarters by means of petroleum sh.e.l.ls.

Eudes, a general of the Commune, sent the following order to one of his officers:--

"Fire on the Bourse, the Bank, the Post Office, the Place des Victoires, the Place Vendome, the Garden of the Tuileries, the Babylone Barracks; leave the Hotel de Ville to Commandant Pindy and the Delegate of War, and the Committee of Public Safety and of the Commune will a.s.semble at the _mairie_ of the eleventh Arrondiss.e.m.e.nt, where you are established; there we will organize the defence of the popular quarters of the city.

We will send you cannon and ammunitions from the Parc Basfroi. We will hold out to the last, happen what may.

"(Signed) E. EUDES."

The insurgents had collected a considerable quant.i.ty of powder in the Pantheon, and when the Versailles troops obtained possession of the building the officer in command at once searched for the slow match, and cut it off when it had not more than a yard to burn!

Instructions were given to the firemen not to extinguish the fires, but to retire to the Champ de Mars with the pumps and other apparatus.

Whenever a man attempted to do anything to arrest the conflagration he was fired at. The firemen, who had arrived from all parts, even from Belgium, and honest citizens who joined them, worked to extinguish the fires amid showers of bullets. At the Treasury the labours of these men were four times interrupted by the violent cannonading of the insurgents.

The fire broke out at the TUILERIES on Tuesday evening. When the battalions at the Arc de Triomphe and at the Corps Legislatif had silenced the guns ranged before the Palace, the insurgents set fire to it, and threw out men _en tirailleur_ to prevent anyone from approaching to subdue the flames.

At the same moment an attempt was made to set fire to the MINISTRY OF MARINE, in obedience to an order given to Commandant Brunel, which was thus worded:--"In a quarter of an hour the Tuileries will be in flames; as soon as our wounded are removed, you will cause the explosion of the Ministry." It was Admiral Pothuau, the minister himself, who, at the head of a handful of sailors, set the incendiaries to flight, Brunel along with them. They also arrived in time to prevent any damage being done to the BIBLIOTHeQUE NATIONALE.

The struggle was terrific during the night; the insurgents, who had sought refuge in the Ministry of Finance, after the taking of the barricade in the Rue Saint-Florentin, increased the fury of the flames by firing from the windows, and discharging jets of petroleum at the soldiers.

On Wednesday morning the battle had become fearful. Towards ten o'clock columns of smoke rose above Paris, forming a thick cloud, which the sun's rays could not penetrate. Then, simultaneously, all the fires burst forth: at the CONSEIL D'ETAT, at the LEGION OF HONOUR, at the CAISSE DES DePoTS ET CONSIGNATIONS. at the HoTEL DE VILLE, at the PALAIS ROYAL, at the MINISTRY OF FINANCE, at the PREFECTURE DE POLICE, at the PALAIS DE JUSTICE, at the THeaTRE LYRIQUE, in the Rue du Bac, the Rue de Lille, the Rue de la Croix-Rouge, Rue Notre-Dame-des-Champs, in a great number of houses in the Faubourgs Saint-Germain and Saint-Honore, in the Rue Royale, and in the Rue Boissy d'Anglas. Not many hours later, flames were seen to arise from the Avenue Victoria, Boulevard Sebastopol, Rue Saint-Martin, at the Chateau d'Eau, in the Rue Saint-Antoine, and the Rue de Rivoli.

During the night of Friday, the docks of LA VILLETTE, and the warehouses of the DOUANE, the GRENIER D'ABONDANCE and the GOBELINS were all burning! So great was the glare that small print could be read as far off as Versailles, even on that side of the town towards Meudon and Ville d'Avray.

THE DOME OF THE INVALIDES.--This was placed in imminent danger. Mines were laid on all sides, but their positions were discovered, and the electric wires out which were to have communicated the spark.

THE PLACE DE LA CONCORDE.--When the noise of the fusillade and cannonading ceased, the Place de la Concorde was a scene of absolute desolation. On all sides lay broken pieces of candelabra, bal.u.s.trades, paving-stones, asphalte, and heaps of earth. The water-nymphs and Tritons of the fountains were much mutilated, and the statue of the town of Lille--one of the eight gigantic, seated figures of the princ.i.p.al towns of France, which form a prominent ornament to the Place, the work of Pradier, and a likeness of one of the Orleans princesses-lay s.h.i.+vered on the ground.

THE ARC DE L'ETOILE.--The triumphal arch bears many scars, but none of them of much importance. On the facade looking towards Courbevoie, the great bas-relief by Etex, representing "War," was struck by three sh.e.l.ls; the group of "Peace" received only the fragment of one. Here and there, in the bas-relief representing the "Pa.s.sage of the Bridge of Areole," and the "Taking of Alexandra," some traces of b.a.l.l.s are visible. On the whole, no irremediable hum is done here. Rude's masterpiece, "The Ma.r.s.eillaise," is untouched.

THE PALACE OF INDUSTRY.--Rumour says Courbet had, among other projects, formed an idea of demolis.h.i.+ng the Palace of Industry. The painted windows of the great nave have received no serious injury. The bas-relief of the main facade, picturing Industry and the Arts offering their products to the universal exhibitions, has several of its figures mutilated. The same has happened to the colossal group by Diebolt--France offering laurel crowns to Art and Industry.

THE TUILERIES.--Felix Pyat, in the _Vengeur_, proposed converting the Palace of the Tuileries into a school for the children of soldiers. He says:--"They have taken possession by the work and activity that reign there; a whole floor is filled with tools and activity, and converted into workshops for the construction of messenger balloons. King Labour is enthroned there. I recognised there among the workmen an exile of the revolutionary Commune of London. The workmen and the proscribed at the Tuileries! From the prison of London to the palace of the Tuileries. It is well!" But in the heart of the Commune the soul of the _Vengeur_ underwent a change, and insisted on the complete destruction of the "infamous pile."

The portion of the building overlooking the river was alone preserved.

The roofing is destroyed, but the facade is but little injured, the only work of art damaged here being a pediment by M. Carrier-Belleuse, representing "Agriculture." Fortunately the Government of the Fourth of September had sent all the most precious things to the Garde-Meuble (Stores); but how can the magnificent Gobelins tapestry, the fine ceilings, the works of Charles Lebrun, of Pierre Mignard, of Coypel, of Francisque Meillet, of Coysevox, of Girardon, and of many others, and the exquisite Salon des Roses be replaced?

The Tuileries burnt for three days, and ten days afterwards the ruins blazed forth anew near the Pavillon de Flore. Not only did the devouring fire threaten to destroy inestimable treasures, but on Monday a number of men carrying slow matches, and led by a man named Napias-Piquet, made all their preparations to set fire to several points of the museum of the Louvre, and two of the guardians were shot. This Napias-Piquet threatened to make of the whole quarter of the Louvre one great conflagration. He was taken and shot, and in his pocket was found a note of his breakfast of the preceding day, amounting to 57 francs 80 centimes.

THE LOUVRE.--The preservation of the museum was due to the strong masonry, and the thick walls of the new portion of the building, on which the raging flames could make no impression. But it ran other risks: when the troops entered the building, they planted the tricolour on the clock pavilion, which served as an object for the insurgents'

aim. It was immediately removed, however, when this was perceived. It was generally believed that the galleries of the Louvre contained all their art treasures. This was not the case; prior to the first siege the most precious of the contents had been carefully packed and conveyed to the a.r.s.enal of Brest, where they safely reposed, but many very admirable works remained.

MINISTRY OF FINANCE (Treasury).--On the 22nd of May, the official journal of the Commune published a note declaring that the certificates of stock and the stock books (_grand livre_) would be burnt within forty-eight hours. The Commune was annoyed at the publicity given to this note, and a violent debate took place in its council in consequence. On this occasion Paschal Grousset uttered the following:--

"I blame those who inserted the note in question, but I demand that measures may be taken for the destruction of all such doc.u.ments belonging to those at Versailles, the day that they shall enter Paris."

[Ill.u.s.tration: COURT OF THE LOUVRE, FROM PLACE DU CARROUSEL

The Library is completely destroyed. More than 90,000 volumes are burnt.

Rare editions, Elzevirs, precious MSS., coins, and unique collections, priceless treasures, are irrevocably lost.]

The building forms one of the most striking ruins in Paris. Citizen Lucas, appointed by Ferre to set the Ministry on fire, did his task well. The conflagration, which lasted several days, began in the night of the 23rd of May. Not only was every part soaked with petroleum, but sh.e.l.ls had also been placed about the building, and burst successively as the fire extended. Scarcely anything remains of the huge pile but the offices of the Administration of Forest Lands, which are almost intact.

A considerable number of valuable doc.u.ments were saved, but the quant.i.ty was very small in comparison with the immense collection acc.u.mulated since the beginning of the century. Four times was the work of salvage interrupted by the insurgents. Not a single book in the library has escaped; and this library contained almost the whole of the enormous correspondence of Colbert, the minister, forming no less than two thousand volumes.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PALAIS ROYAL.]

The PALAIS ROYAL.--The palace itself alone is destroyed; the galleries of the THeaTRE FRANcAIS are preserved. The _Const.i.tutionnel_ published the following account of the conflagration;--

"It was at three o'clock that this fearful fire burst forth. A shopkeeper of the PALAIS ROYAL, M. Emile Le Sache, came forward in all haste to offer his services. A Communist captain, or lieutenant, threatened to fire on him if he did not retire on the instant; he added that the whole quarter was going to be blown up and burned. In the teeth of this threat, however, two fire-engines were brought to the Place, and were worked by the people of the neighbourhood. It was four o'clock. No water in the Cour des Fontaines. But some was procured by a line of people being placed along the pa.s.sage leading from the Cour d'Honneur, who pa.s.sed full buckets of water from hand to hand.

"A ladder was placed against the wall for the purpose of reaching the terrace of the Rue de Valois. The insurgents proved so true to their word that the people were forced to renounce the attempt at saving the entire pavilion. Fire and smoke burst forth from three windows just above the terrace. In the midst of the b.a.l.l.s showered from the barricade at the corner of the Rue de Rivoli, they succeeded in extinguis.h.i.+ng the fire on that side. At five o'clock M. O. Sauve, captain in the commercial service, with a handful of brave workmen, got a fire engine into the Cour d'Honneur, and thus saved a great quant.i.ty of pictures, precious marbles, furniture, hangings, etc. Here another line of people was formed for the carrying of buckets, but unfortunately water ran short: the pipes had been cut, the wretches had planned that the destruction should be complete. At seven o'clock M. Bessignet, jun., hastened there with four Paris firemen, but already the Pavilion, where the flames were first apparent, was entirely consumed.