Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 January 1886 — A Boy’s Fortitude. [ARTICLE]

A Boy’s Fortitude.

A French writer tells this remarkable incident of the Franco-Prusian war: A young officer of the French army was” suspected of being a spy. One night his house was surrounded by German soldiers. Seeing that capture was inevitable, he handed a bundle of secret dispatches to his 10-year-old brother, with instructions to bury them fkn<l*iander mo circumstances to tell where they were. Soon after the young officer was captured, together with his father. As the dispatches could not be found on, the person of the prisoner, search was made for them. The little boy did not deny concealing

them, but refused to reveal the place. His father and brother told him to remain firm, even though they should be killed before his eyes. Next morning the prisoners were led out to be executed. The boy still refused to tell where the dispatches were. Just then a terrible expression of agpny passed over his face, The boy his mouth; a torrent of blood poured out of it, Investigation showed that he had bitten off his tongue, so great had been his temptation to speak and save his father and brother.