M. Rochefort has been agitating this week against the great
wickedness of our Government and our public men in offering a price for the head of Olivier Pain, with his own peculiar timidity. After he had got an immense meeting together he failed to appear,—or else could not get in, which was his own account of the matter, but not a very credible one. He main- tains steadily that a price was offered in the Soudan for the production of the body of Olivier Pain, dead or alive, and the assertion is supported by one or two other witnesses, who laugh at the notion that Olivier Pain was either killed or thought worthy of death by English officers. A letter from an English soldier of the 10th Royal Hussars has been sent to the Rgpublique Francaise. The soldier, who is said to have served in the Soudan, says : —" I see people are making a good deal of fuss about the death of Olivier Pain. Well, I was at Debbeh when the Euro- pean who was thought to be Olivier Pain was arrested, and I am certain he was, instead of being assassinated, treated with great courtesy by our Generals. After the commencement of the retreat by. our troops, a reward of £50 was offered for his capture ; but, of course, it was his papers that were wanted, and not himself, for evident reasons. Our men thought he was an emissary, and not a simple traveller." And Captain Wilson is said to have made a somewhat similar statement. But as to evidence that Olivier Pain was taken by the British Army, there does not seem to be one tittle of it.
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