The article below was published in the daily newspaper Combat, Paris, France, page 8, on September 16, 1954.
See the case file.
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TULLE, September 15. -- This time, it's no longer a matter of flying saucers or bizarre beings who seem to belong to another world.
The encounter experienced by Mr. Mazaud, a sturdy fifty-something farmer from Bugeat (Corrèze), is of a completely different nature. He is very firm in his account. There is an undeniable tone of sincerity in his statements. He is by no means known as a joker or a fantasist, and investigators have not found the slightest flaw or contradiction in his account.
The man he met on a deserted plateau on September 10, around 8:30 p.m., showed nothing unusual apart from his attire, particularly the rather peculiar helmet he wore on his head. When he came face to face with the Corrèze farmer, he bowed several times to greet him, shook his hand, and then gave him a hug. He did not otherwise respond to Mr. Mazaud’s good evening, nor did he utter a single word, to the point that the farmer took him for someone simple-minded and would likely have forgotten the encounter quickly.
But a few seconds after the stranger had disappeared, Mr. Mazaud, continuing on his way, heard a slight rustling sound. He turned around and at that moment saw a craft rising obliquely from the ground, in the same way a plane takes off. The machine was vaguely cigar-shaped (somewhat like the profile of a jet plane). It flew rapidly westward, gaining altitude. The noise was very faint. There was no visible smoke or light.
Mr. Mazaud took care not to mention this phenomenon to his neighbors, fearing he might be ridiculed. Only his wife’s indiscretion allowed the gendarmes to be informed. They interviewed him at home and visited the site. But two days had passed and it had rained heavily; not the slightest trace was found on the ground.
The intelligence commissioner of Tulle personally interviewed Mr. Mazaud at length and accompanied him to the site of the encounter. Like everyone else, he was struck by the seriousness of the man who was the involuntary witness of this strange phenomenon.
