Page:The Rise and Fall on the Paris Commune in 1871.djvu/74

 *ing of the Credit Mobilier; others, that were at once recognized, were carried off on brancards in different directions. Two workmen in blouses carried off one poor fellow who was screaming in the most horrible manner, the blood having completely saturated his clothes and the mattress upon which he was lying; he was dead before they had arrived at his home, which was in the immediate vicinity. On their return for more wounded, as they passed in front of the American Club on the Place de l'Opera, they met a body of the National Guards coming from Place Vendome; the brave fellows set down the brancard in such a position that the Guards were obliged to make a detour in order to pass, and turning over the mattress they pointed to the gory bed of the murdered man, and shouting "Look there! murderers and assassins! Look at the blood of Place Vendome!" the soldiers seemed sobered and scared at the terrible tragedy their folly had brought about; but two or three loaded their chassepots, pointing them at the men, when the officer in command stepped in front, and, waiving his sword, ordered his men to advance.

There has been considerable debate and altercation as to which party fired the first shot, the Men of Order or the National Guards. The defenders of the National Guards (when they have defenders) say that the Order party, under pretence of a friendly unarmed remonstrance, attempted to force the ranks of the National Guards and get possession of their rifles, some of which had actually been thus carried away, and that one or two of their men had been shot before they fired a gun. Lieutenant-General Sheridan, who was stopping at the time in the Westminster Hotel, situated in Rue de la Paix, and who saw the whole affair, says the crowd fired first on the National Guard; but another American gentleman, who was standing on his balcony in the same hotel, thinks the National Guard