Page:The Rise and Fall on the Paris Commune in 1871.djvu/423

 It is not to be wondered at that, from the beginning of April, his very name caused a certain terror; men ordinarily full of courage avoided going where they were in the habit of meeting him; a single sign of his hand being sufficient to cause any one's arrest, while no one knew what might become of his prisoners.

From the day of his entrance into power, Rigault had taken as associate a third-class artist called Pilotell, whom he employed in seizing his victims. One of these, M. Polo, director of the Eclipse, was imprisoned for having sent copies of his paper to Versailles, and plundered at the same time of 3,000 francs. His real offence consisted in not having accepted for his satirical sheets all the caricatures presented by Pilotell. He was afterwards set at liberty through the efforts of his friends, but his three thousand francs were not returned.

Pilotell was later employed in making a domiciliary visit at the house of Gustave Chaudey. Having taken possession of all the papers on which he could lay his hands, he discovered in the bottom of a drawer 815 francs in gold, which he pocketed, saying to Madame Chaudey, who was present, "Who knows? There is perhaps blood on this gold."

The following curious conversation, which was held by Raoul Rigault and M. Cochinat, who went to demand the liberation of M. Balathier de Bragelone, editor of the Petite Presse, arrested without any plausible motive, will explain the object of many of his public acts:

Rigault having at first refused, without giving any reason, to grant the demand of M. Cochinat, the latter remarked that he was making very free with the ''liberty of the press''.

"The liberty of the press!" replied Rigault; "connais pas!"

"What! you know nothing about it! Why, you de