The History of a Crime: The Testimony of an Eye-WitnessHugo, Victor
History
The History of a Crime: The Testimony of an Eye-Witness
Hugo, Victor
France -- History -- 1789-1900
One of the combatants of the Rue Beaubourg was more fortunate. They were
pursuing him. He rushed up a staircase, reached a roof, and from there a
passage, which proved to be the top corridor of an hotel. A key was in
the door. He opened it boldly, and found himself face to face with a man
who was going to bed. It was a tired-out traveller who had arrived at
the hotel that very evening. The fugitive said to the traveller, "I am
lost, save me!" and explained him the situation in three words.
The traveller said to him, "Undress yourself, and get into my bed." And
then he lit a cigar, and began quietly to smoke. Just as the man of the
barricade had got into bed a knock came at the door. It was the solders
who were searching the house. To the questions which they asked him the
traveller answered, pointing to the bed, "We are only two here. We have
just arrived here. I am smoking my cigar, and my brother is asleep." The
waiter was questioned, and confirmed the traveller's statement. The
soldiers went away, and no one was shot.
We will say this, that the victorious soldiers killed less than on the
preceding day. They did not massacre in all the captured barricades. The
order had been given on that day to make prisoners. It might also be
believed that a certain humanity existed. What was this humanity? We
shall see.
At eleven o'clock at night all was at an end.
They arrested all those whom they found in the streets which had been
surrounded, whether combatants or not, they had all the wine-shops and
the _cafés_ opened, they closely searched the houses, they seized all
the men whom they could find, only leaving the women and the children.
Two regiments formed in a square carried away all these prisoners
huddled together. They took them to the Tuileries, and shut them up in
the vast cellar situated beneath the terrace at the waterside.
On entering this cellar the prisoners felt reassured. They called to
mind that in June, 1848, a great number of insurgents had been shut up
there, and later on had been transported. They said to themselves that
doubtless they also would be transported, or brought before the Councils
of War, and that they had plenty of time before them.
They were thirsty. Many of them had been fighting since that morning,
and nothing parches tire mouth so much as biting cartridges. They asked
for drink. Three pitchers of water were brought to them.
A sort of security suddenly fell upon them. Amongst them were several
who had been transported in June, 1848, and who had already been in that
cellar, and who said, "In June they were not so humane. They left us for
three days without food or drink." Some of them wrapped themselves up in
their overcoats or cloaks, lay down, and slept. At one o'clock in the
morning a great noise was heard outside. Soldiers, carrying torches,
appeared in the cellars, the prisoners who were sleeping woke with a
start, an officer ordered them to get up.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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