EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPES FROM DEATH.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 966, 30 April 1872, Page 3

EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPES FROM DEATH.

A porkbutcher's man, named Breche, just tried before ono of the courtsmartial for participation in the insurrection, related in his defence an extraordinary series of escapes from hanging, drowning, and shooting. He was taken by force from the shop in which he was employed during the Commune, and enrolled in a battalion of the National Guards serving at Neuilly. As he had formerly been in the army, the insurgents offered to make him captain, but he declined the honor, and so incurred the illwill of his comrades. A few days afterwards he attempted to escape, but was recaptured, and a drumhead courtmartial condemned him to death. Instead however of shooting him the insurgents resolved to hang him, and a rope having been put round his neck he was suspended to the bars of a firstclass window. When his executioners saw that he had ceased to move they left bim. But he had supported himself by his fingers on some projection of the wall, and at his cries some other National Guards came up, cut him down, and took him to their battalion, which was encamped further on. He remained with them two days, and then made another attempt to get away, but was pursued, and in order to escape threw dimself into the river. After a severe struggle he succeeded in reaching the other side, but was received by the Versailles troops with a shower of bullets, one of which founded him in the leg. He told his story to the officer, who refused to believe him, and sent him before another court-martial, which ordered him to be shot with some Federates. These men were placed against a wall, and the firing party discharged a volley at them. Breche was not mortally wounded, although struck in two places, and having been found and taken in by an inhabitant of Puteaux, soon recovered; but on his attempting to re-enter Paris was arrested as an insurgent, and sent to Versailles, and was brought up for trial. His story, as told by him, proved to be true on every point, and the Court of course acquitted him.