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Show Mi COMPOSER f lEISJfjlGIC Ei Jtfanor Surrounded by Germans Ger-mans and Set on Fire, Artist Kills Self. PUTS UP BRAVE FIGHT Son-in-law Saved From Firing Fir-ing Squad by Lucky Remark Re-mark of Mayor By GEO ROE DUTRESim fecial Cable to Tho Tribune, 'VaRIS AH)crla Manar-d, the raous composer, died a heroin death in it tarly days of the wan I have just inttd the details of his end Perhapa i wma call him a madman He re-i re-i kilned alone, in h!a ahateau at Baron, ' on the German eidlera, klUins ond iz& wounding another, and Anally ahot Myself amid the flames of his home Magnard for twelve yoars had lived In villa standing on its own grounds whltth called "the Manors des Sources." With vm dwelt his wife his two daughters bis son-in-law The house was filled ffilii works of art of great value. When he war started the composer desired to c.iHsU but was rejected for physical rea-fonfi rea-fonfi He became melancholy In conse- Chooses Suicide. When he learned of the German Inva-im Inva-im of Belgium, he said to a friend, lowing him his revolver; "There are f.ve bullets there; four for the Germans, n one for me." He sent his wife and ji'jfhtere to Nevors, and when, on Sep-fmber Sep-fmber 4 the Germans reached Baron, was in the house with his son-in-law. The "Manors des Sources' stands alone cilslde the village. Finding its gates closed, several German soldiers shook -hem, while others prepared to climb over I :r,to the grounds. Suddenly a window opened, and, without saying a word, Mipmrd Dred two shots with his revolver. One soldier fell dead, another was wounded and the rest fled. A few minutes later a detachment of the enemy, in command of an officer, -jme up at the double. They forced the rate, surrounded the house "and spread ! through the garden, where they found M. j Creton, son-in-law of Magnard, who was dressed as a gardener. They seised him I : and tied him to a tree. In the meanwhile a colonel and several officers went to the i mayor, M. Robert. Said the colonel to M. Robert, who knew nothing of what Lad happened: " "You have francs-tireurs here." Saved by Disguise. "No." said M. Robert. "But," returned the colonel, "my troops nave been fired upon from a house in the i Killage. You are responsible." I The colonel then put M. Robert under ' 1 trmed arrest, made him enter ills own study and there interrogated him. M. Robert, who was perfectly cool, replied to tha questions put him about the proprietor pro-prietor of the "Manors 'des Sources" that as had never known him personally, but that lie had heard he was a composer nnd had written an opera. He added that M. Magnard passed in the countryside for an eccentric and seldom left his own sarden. Asked by the German whether M. Magnard had a gardener, M. Robert replied that he did not know, but thought It certain that a man with so large a garden would have a gardener. To this reply M. Creton, the son-ln-iaw of M. Magnard, owed his life. At first the officer offi-cer said, "Well and good; you will he shot and yie village destroyed," but after two luuifl this sentence was modified. Hot? Composer Died. The onMr now was that the man who fired sh-xild be executed if taken, and his house burned. On condition that M. Robert Rob-ert ave his word of honor that no act of hostility would be committed against the German troops, the village would be spared. Bidding M. Robert follow him, tne colonel, with his officers, went to the ''Manors des Sources," which was Invested , by a cordon of German soldiers. A number num-ber of chairs were taken from the ground floor and placed on the lawn and the German officers took their places to see the performance. Champagne was brought out. Then a cart of straw was driven up and the straw was distributed in the rooms of the ground floor. Then one of the officers presented a torch to M. Robert, Rob-ert, asking him to set firex to the straw. He refused, and the officer did not insist. The soldiers then lighted tt methodically. method-ically. Soon the whole house was burning. burn-ing. When the flames reached the first floor a revolver shot was heard. Alberle Magnard had kept his word. For that day arid night M. Creton, tied to the tree, saw the house burn Itself to ashes. Long afterward, when the ashes were searched, there was found among them but two or three bones, a gold piece or so and the debris of a revolver. |