Page:The Rise and Fall on the Paris Commune in 1871.djvu/389

 division of the prison—division from henceforth celebrated; for from here were taken the illustrious "victims of a political furnace."

Here they passed two quiet days, allowed to take their recreation—two hours daily—together, and treated with every kindness possible by the jailers, who belonged mostly to the old administration.

On Wednesday morning, the 24th, the corridor of the division was suddenly invaded by a strong detachment of Federals; many of them were boys hardly able to carry their guns and equipments. One of them held a list of names in his hands; and, passing from cell to cell, called out six of the hostages, exactly as in the revolution of '93. They were the following:

The Archbishop of Paris.

M. Bonjean, President of the Court of Cassation.

Abbé Duguerry, Curé of the Madeleine.

Father Ducoudray, Superior of the College of Jesuits in the Rue Des Postes.

Father Clercq, Professor in the same college.

Abbé Allard, Chaplain to the Ambulances.

As their names were pronounced, each of the prisoners was led out into the gallery, and descended by a winding-staircase, near the chapel, into the court which serves as a promenade for the prisoners. On each side as they passed stood the National Guards, who insulted them with every epithet their coarse tongues could utter. In the court was a platoon of execution. Monseigneur Darboy advanced and addressed a few words of pardon to his assassins. Two of these men approached, and, in presence of their comrades, knelt, and implored his forgiveness. The other Federals immediately threw themselves upon them, kicked them to one side with insulting language, while they addressed new words of outrage to their victims.

Their conduct and language became finally so violent