FERRE, CHARLES THEOPHILE chief of police of the Paris Commune, was until March 1871 one of the lesser known followers of L. A. Blanqui (q.v.). He was elected to the Commune for the 18th arrondissement, polling the very high figure of 13,784 votes. Together with Raoul Rigault, a man as young as himself, he was placed in charge of the police. Like Marat of the French Revolution, Ferre of the Commune has been invested with the reputation of a monster of terrorism. The de partment of the police was not, indeed, very wisely run ; arrests were made widely, haphazardly and clumsily, but the Commune was at least protected from internal trouble. Ferre always sup ported the most violent motions, in particular (after the shooting of Duval) a motion declaring that the hostages in the hands of the Commune would be executed if the Government troops killed any more Communard prisoners. This decree was not carried out until after the Government troops had broken into Paris, when, ascertaining that they were now again shooting Communard pris oners, Ferre ordered the execution of the hostages, including Archbishop Darboy. At his trial before the court-martial he de fended his action and defied the court. He was shot at Satory on Nov. 28, 18 71.
See P. Larousse, Dictionnaire du XIXe siecle, s.v. "Ferre" (1872) ; G. Da Costa, La Commune Vecue (1901) ; R. W. Postgate, Out of the Past (192 2) ; A. Dayot, La Guerre, La Siege, La Commune d'apres les peintures, gravures, photographies, sculptures, medailles, auto graphes, et objets du temps (190I). (See also COMMUNE.)