A BRAVE WOMAN.

Inangahua Times, 20 December 1880, Page 2

A BRAVE WOMAN.

♦ Old Madame Annette Drevon, wh>> keeps a vegetable s t u 1 1 in the Parisian Halles is (says the Daily Telegraph) the only woman in Franca upou whom the Cross cf the Legion ii. s been bestowed for nn octaal deed of artus performed on the h;iit ! e Seld. She was attached to the 2nd Z »uave3 as vivand'ere when the regiment was serving in Italy, and during the battle of Magenta, the Zouaves being at close quarters with the enemy, two Austrian Greuadiers seizei the regimental colour?, and were carrying them off in triumph, when Annette rushed after them under a heavy fire of musketry, shot one dead, severly wonnded the other, and brought back the fljg in safely to her comrades. For this feat she was decorated and subsequently she prored her* self, by another deed of reckless daring, abundantly- worthy of the distinction eon f Tred up'onueiC Throughout \he FrtrafebGrertna;i war she acted as sii'ler to the 32 id Infantry, and behived on several occasions with conspicuous gallantry*Ooe day, shortly afi or the conclusion of the armistice, she was standing near one of the totrn gates of the Thionrille, when a Bavarian soldier grossly Insulted her. Without an instant's hesitation she drew her revolver and shot him down where he stood. She was arrested on the spot and conveyed to Melz, where she was promp'ly tried by court-martial and sentenced to death. Fortunately for her, Prince Frederic Charles happened to ride iato Metz early m the morning appointed for her execution ; anJ, hea-iug that a woman was about to be shot for firing upon a German soldier, gave orders tha the proceeding? should be stayed until he should have looked into the evidence given at her trial. Four days later Annette Drevoa recived the Imperial pardon, was set at liberty, ac 1 supplied with fun'ls to defray her expenses to her native place, All hocor io the galhmr seutleman, whose chivalric recognition of tiis brave woman's inQomi fable horoiscn saved Let from an ignominous deaih !