Isn’t it intriguing how a simple street name can hold so much history? Rue Barrault. It’s a seemingly ordinary street in the 13th arrondissement. But it whispers tales of revolution. Tales of a pharmacist’s folly.
Rue Barrault stretches 790 meters. It begins at Boulevard Auguste-Blanqui. It ends at Place de Rungis. The street climbs and descends the Butte-aux-Cailles hill. Once, a path existed here called Chemin des Trous de Terre. That was in 1720.
Let’s travel back to 1871. The Paris Commune is in full swing. Imagine this street during that tumultuous time. A passage now known as Passage Barrault steeply descends. It overlooks the Bièvre valley. Back then, the passage was named after its owner. He was a pharmacist named Dubois. He had made his fortune. Now he lived in a large house with a garden.
Dubois played the role of a paternalistic philanthropist. He gave medicine to the poor. He preached respect and submission to the authorities. He openly mocked the Fédérés. He predicted their defeat by the Versaillais.
On May 23, 1871, guards built a barricade at the passage’s end. They asked Dubois to use his garden. They wanted to fortify the wall. Dubois refused. He told his tenants to pay their rent instead.
The next day, Dubois saw a postman. He learned the Versaillais had entered Paris. Overjoyed, he taunted the Fédérés. The fighters retaliated. They called him a reactionary. Dubois retorted with insults.
Sensing danger, Dubois’ servant urged him to flee. As they left, a guard stopped them. Suspecting treachery, he fired a warning shot. Dubois and his servant rushed back home.
The atmosphere was tense. The Fédérés wanted to neutralize Dubois. He threw sulfuric acid at them. Three guards suffered severe burns. He then threw a flowerpot. It hit a 19-year-old named Jean-Pierre Rouillac. Dubois brandished a revolver. His pursuers shot first. Dubois fell dead. No one knows who fired the fatal shot. His body was dragged onto the balcony. It was buried in the garden the next day.
Rouillac fled. Later, he imprudently spoke of the events. He was overheard by Pauline Lenoir. She ran a local establishment. She promptly denounced him.
Rouillac was arrested. He was initially charged with another crime. He was deported to a fortified zone. But the Dubois case led to a special investigation. Rouillac was interrogated. He denied killing Dubois. He was sentenced to death. The Court of Cassation rejected his appeal.
On July 6, 1872, Rouillac was executed. He was offered a cigarette but refused to part with his pipe. He shouted “Vive la Commune”. He was then shot.
Even the pro-Versailles press expressed doubts. They portrayed Rouillac as intelligent. They had no particularly damning evidence against him.
Rue Barrault. It reminds us of the tumultuous events of the Paris Commune. It highlights the tragic fate of Jean-Pierre Rouillac. His story is a cautionary tale. It shows how political passions can lead to injustice. The echoes of that dramatic episode still resonate today.