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Show FACES FUG SQUAD TO SAVE HiS TOWN Mayor of Vacquemoulin j Has Courage and Steadfastness Stead-fastness of Martyr. BETkAYS NO TIMIDITY Reprieved by Officer at Last Moment; French Drive Invaders Out. Sj -Jul Oh hie lo The Tribune. 1'AKIS, Nov. :;. A Kulliint dvl on tlio l'iirt of tho iiKtvnr oi' Yafquemuulin is ihsi-ribtJ bv tlie tYtit Journal. W'ht'u tho Gcriimns woro in tho uoil)- borhooil ft young uhlan roilo into Vuo- inetiioulin. Ho looked weiirv and hug-I hug-I K"rd; eervbudv thought lie was a do- sorter. In nor:t.:tl t imes Vnctiuemoulin j boiisls but li'jO t ow ii - people, and since tho itiobili;';it ion onU w omen aud a few old nun nro left. ' Let 9 Kill him," thonUM a woman. "Yeit, let's mm about him,' agreed the others, and the youn (.ierman trembled with terror and bejan to weep. Just when things j-eenied about to take a dangerous turn, the mayor, lyouis Capon, Ca-pon, elbowed his way through the erowd. ' Tho Germans are about ft mile away," he said, "mid I warn you all that any act of brutality will be repaiil tenfold if the Hermans come here. ' Soldiers Enter Village. The nhhin climbed into his naddle and rode awa- unmolested. The next morning at dawn the enemy entered Yae quemoulin. In the afternoon after-noon the uhlan presented himself at his savior's house; he wna aceompanied by eight armed mon and an officer. The uh!an pre to ml od to recognize n old man who wag in the garden aa one of those who bad insulted him the day bo-fore. bo-fore. The Germans stood him up against a wall and Baid they were going go-ing to shoot him. At this Mme. Capon came out of the house; she, too, was seized and threat-, threat-, ened with death. The mayor then ap-! ap-! peared, acd tried to tell the officer, who would not listen, that the old man was completely innocent, and had not been present on the previous day. The prisoners were marched away to the market place. M. Capon defended his wife and the old man to tho bet of his abilitv, and at length the officer said: "All right, let them go; wo will shoot the mayor instead." They offered of-fered to spare his life, however, if he would give the names of those who had created the disturbance. Faces Firing Squad. "Shoot me if you like," cried the I mayor, "but I will not do as vou ask." j They took him away to tlie cross. which stands just outside the town, ana tho firinu nartv leveled their rifles. Without moving a muscle the mrvyor stood facing them, his eyes unbandaged. Suddenly the officer stepped forward. "I have changed my mind," he said. "We will find the twelve people who; insulted the uhlan and shoot them all ! tomorrow." On the morrow the thunder of the French guns was heard, and the Germans Ger-mans left Vaoqupmoulin forpver. M. Capon has received $200 from the French academy to mark its recognition recogni-tion of his bravery. |