The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware register., 1825-05-19
MAY 10, zG2S.

inexplicable light, SO contrary IN different
situations of life, that ws should be afraid to
decide whether the condescension with
which he treated Vanhalen was the effect OF
compassion or OF profound dissimulation. 1t
is certain, however, that he enqulred, with
an appearance of the tcndercst interest con-
cerning the privations he had suffered in pri-
son; and on learning that he was accustomed
to smoking tobacco, sent him case OF Ha-
vana scgars from among those which had
been reserved for his own use. After such
marks Of interest, one would have looked
for the clemency Of the prince and, the lib
Grafton of Vanhalen but the fact was far o.
therwisc.-Whie his friends were enjoying
the expectation of happy termination to the
affair, the ministers of Ferdinand pressed its
decision with activity; and the Information
was brought by a little girl, an attendant in
the prison, that the creates. danger was to
be apprehendcd to Vanhalen. The child
having caught few words by accident of Il
conversation which was going or, succeeded
in finding her way to n small window By
which his dungeon was lighted, informed
him of the danger to which he was exposed,
and supplied him with paper and a pencil.
! Vanhalen was thus enabled to open COR
rcspondence with his friends in the city, and
inform them, that in spite of the restraints
under which lie laboured, the means of es-
cape were in his power. He received in re-
ply, that "ther arms and their purses were
at his service" A great reward was there
fore offered to his interesting little messen-
ger: and a Typographical plan having been
drawn of the streets in the neighbourhood OF
the prison, a copy of It was sent to Nanhalen,
On which were marked the places where his
| friends were to be posted. All this being
! thus concerted, it was necessary only to hx
! on Il moment for the execution of the plan.
| 1t was in the winter: the day had arrived.
the clocl. struck seven: and the first detach-
ment of his friends assembled at the distance
of a few PAGES from the principal entrance
of the prison. \ man made his appearance,
dressed in night gown and slippers. in an
instant they disguised him in a foreign uni
form and led him away.
After taking several long turns through
the streets of Madrid i'll order to battle
pursuit. the fugitive was conducted to safe
! retreat, where he found four thousand franks
in gold, rcmitted for him by the generous
| Count Of AIontijo, with passports provided
for his departure from Spain. Hepassed out
of the kingdom into Portugal, and thence to
England, after which he took the route to
I Russia, where he entered into the military
service.
The secrecy with which this affair was
conducted is the uorc remarkable, and the
more honhurabc To the character and pat
riotism CT tho Spaniards because, that from
the nj .nent when it was decided, that Van
halen snould remain few days i'll Madrid,
| 10 avoid the search which WAS known to be
making in the cnvrons of the city, all the
members Of the secret societies being inform
ed of his escape, desired to see him, and did
! in fact see aim, without the occurrence OF a
single act Of indscretion, and, indeed with
out causing any apprehension to the fugitive
or his friends. We do not believe that his
! tory can Furnish more noble example of
confidence, or one which was more justified
bv the event. 1t WAS during the interval
which Nanhalcn spent in Madrid, in eXpcc-
taton OF an opportunity to leave the country,
that he recountcd to many ofhis friends who
were continually visiting him, the paiticu-
lars of his escape: and they are at once SO ro-
mantic and so well authenticated, that we
cannot withhold them from our readers.
When he had obtained from his little
friend the prison girl, a precise description
of the cdiiicc which he had only passed
through very hastily at his introduction, he
requested of tho jAilor to be supplied with
some medicine which he pretended to want,
desired it might be brought to him at the
hour he had fixed for his friends to wait for
him. The jailor appeared at the time APP
pointed, and entered the dungeon. Nanha-
len was a Young man and very vigorous.
! While the jailor was laying what he had
} brought upon the table, and unprepared, he
seized him in all instant and throwing him
upon the bed, covered him with the clothes,
sprung out Of the door which had been left
open, locked it after him, passed through
the intricate winding passages which the lit
tie girl had described to him a hundred times
over, and instead of taking the direction to
the outer door, which it would have been
!, impossible to pass, obeycd her directions
, and followed course that led to the apart
ments inhabited by the jailor. The jailor's
family consisted Of his wife and daughter
who being occupied with domestic affairs
: were terribly frightened at the appearance
of such an appaltion, and never thought o.
, attempting to prevent his escape, which he
effected by AZ. outer door. 1t was not long
however, before the two women came tt
, their senses, and entering the prison, bcgar
! to search for the jailor but wandering with
, out light through the dark and spacious cor
, rdors, they were long i'll finding the figh
way to Nanhalcn's dungeon, where the new
prisoner was CRY ing with all his might bu
t remained unhcard at a remote distance"
In our paper of Saturday last, we men
toned the arrival of this distinguished Span
ish officer, who is now i'll this city, with hi
interesting young wife, sister of the cclcbra
ted General OuirOra