ROMANCE OF A BATTLE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7392, 21 March 1911, Page 10

ROMANCE OF A BATTLE

Mr Max Sommer, atn American- subject, who was a sergeant in the'Bavarian army during the war of 1870, has (says the "Express") arrived in Baris on a pious mission. At Chatillon on October 30th,, 1870, two regiments of French Infantry tried to dislodge the Bavarians, who were masters of the village. The engagement, which begifn at 9 o’clock, was a terrible one, and lasted until late in the afternoon, when the French beat a retreat. One French officer rallied thirty of his men, and fought the Germans foot by foot in the streets of the village. ■ He fell mortally wounded, and Sommer offered him a drink of water as he died. , The Frenchman refused the drink, bat, taking a ring from his finger," handed it to Sommer and gasped, "Give it to my family." Circumstances have prevented Sommer from visiting Paris until now. lie has-kept the ring for forty years, and is now trying to find relatives of the dead , officer and hand it over. He does not know the French officer’s name, but the War Office is making ail inquiries, and hopes to put him in the way of accomplishing his act of .piety. The ring is a magnificent piece of workmanship, of gold, with five large -diamonds in it. Sommer, who is a poor man, has a small boardinghouse at Hoboken, Hew York.