HEROIC MAYOR'S DEATH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 247, 27 March 1915, Page 2

HEROIC MAYOR'S DEATH.

SHOT BY GERMANS.

CRIME OF A MAJOR.

A vivid account of the heroic death of the Mayor of Senlis, M. Odont, wns obtained by a correspondent of the London Morning iPost. The story was told by an eye-witness, an old man named Lefevre.

The Germans had previously drawn up a list of hostages, evidently according to their private information, and" tiie pretext that they had been fired on by civilians was obviously insincere. These numbered seven, including 11. Odont.

He could have escaped easily; indeed, the day before he had left the town to conduct his wife and daughter to a place of safety. The townsfolk thought he was running away, and hooted him' in the streets.

At Pontarme the little party was joined by M. of the Senlis town councillors, who stated that he had also been the object of a similar demonstration. M. Odont said that he would not rest under such an unjustified insinuation of cowardice, and left M. Martin to convoy Madame and Mile. Odont, returning to hi s dodm. When the Germans had included him in the number of hostages drawn up in line, two officers came up and shouted roughly: "Which of you is the Mayor?" ,M. Odont- stepped forward. "So it is you, sir, who shot our troops, or ordered them to be shot at." M. Odont's protest was rudely cut short with "You must be shot." Then like wild beasts playing ,with their victim, "Down on your knees," they said. Then "Lie down." All seven hostages obeyed, under protest, and M. Delacroix, a councillor, who was next M. Odont, heard him say:—"l was sure this would happen. I should hot have come back to put myself in their clutches."

After this lie wag put into a farmyard, where he quietly said his prayers. For the second time an officer—a major —came up and asked, "Are you really the Mayor?" "Yes." "Then you let German soldiers he shot down. You posted up no official notice prohibiting the townspeople from retaining the weapons. You will be punished by death." These accusations were absolutely untrue.

Then the major seized the old man and hurled him to the ground, stood hack as lie slowly picked himself up, and mocked him, passing his hands over his head, and pretended to administer extreme unction. >l. Odont, whose face, they say, seemed transfigured, walked over to M. Delacroix and gave liini his private papers, saying, "Give these to my wife, and tell her where I am."

The executioners were impatient now. Quickly the Mayor was led 15 paces o3F,' and in a Hash the volley was fired. M. Odont, fatally wounded, fell on his right side, his arms raised in the air, and as he rolled on the ground in his death agony, the major stepped up and blew his brains out with his revolver.