The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-12-09
ORSINTS ESCAPE.


almost too wonderful to be believed. An
| account of it is contained in a recently
published narrative of the prisoners ad-
ventures, Orsini, as is well known, was
arrested and imprisoned about eighteen
months-we think for the fourth time since
l814-on account of troubles engendered
by his known revolutionary tendencies
Notwithstanding the castle of San Georgia
was believed to be the safest prison in
Austria, he resolved to attempt an escape,
and having, by studied conduct, gained
the confidence of his jailors, he succeeded
in procuring from the friends who visited
him small saw. He says:
Having thus far paved the way, l COM
menced saving through one of the bars
nearest the wall The position in which |
| was obliged to stand-on tip-toe, on the
| top rail of the chair-increased the difficult
| ty of the operation. as l was obliged to
| make the same movement with my feet as
| with my hands, in order to keep my bal
ance. My saw was excellent; but after
| having used it a couple of hours or so, it
| grew blunt-partly because | was not used
| to handling tools, and also from the use of
water, which l adopted to prevent noise.
However, in four days, 1 had cut through
the first box; but, from having used the
saw without the handle, holding it at either
end in my hand, it broke in two, and then
set my wits to work to make handle for
the other.
81 sawed away some wood from under
meath the table, and dividing it into two
portions, fastened one with wax either side
of the saw, only leaving sufficient of the
latter to cut through the iron bar-in order
to renew it with fresh piece when the
first should be worn out. Having broken
and destroyed all the strings of my wear
ing apparel, procured some tape under
pretence of repairing them. Waxing it
well, | bound it tightly round the two pieces
of wood at the end Of the saw, and back
wards and forwards from one to the other.
BY these means, | manufactured an excel
lent handle, and the saw no longer bent or
moved about. In order to reclose the bars
after they were cut through, l made ce
ment of wax and burnt bread crumbs the
color of iron.
Nevertheless my work made but slow
progress, At every moment ] had to stop
| and clean my saw, and as often to listen to
any noise without. Some days | could not
work at all for fear of interruption, and of
ten | was obliged to desist on account of
the terrible fatigue, and the pain arising
from the distension of the muscles. Often
my feet and right hand were benumbed-
l could scarcely write my own name. Ac-
cording to the position of the bars depend
ed the difficulty of cutting through them
while working at tho highest 1 SO wounded
my elbow by pressing it against the side,
that could hardly lean on it alone.
AT times, despite the calmness and
courage with which nerved myself, my
patience was nearly exhausted; so prostrat-
ed was my physical strength that l have
sunk on my bed utterly hopeless of my de-
sign. Then it was the thought of my coun-
try, of my children, returned to my aid.
1 must behold my little ones again-must
once moro combat for my fatherland-and,
fired with the thought, l sprung to my chair
and labored with redoubled zeal, saying to
myself, Onward onward! courage! (aranti!
auanti! carriage y each time felt my en-
ergy flag"
In spite of the vigilance of his keepers,
Orsini finished his saving off the outer as
well as the inner grating of the window,
and also removed some bricks to enlarge
the aperture. The window was about
hundred feet FROM the ground A cord
was made by stripping the sheets and towels
which he lately possessed, and after sew
erai abortive attempts. he made the perilous
descent on the night of the 29th of March.
"Whcn I had descended about eighty
four feet l felt my strength giving way;
the tension of the muscles of the arms was
too painful for endurance. | again felt
about with my feet and soon discovered
white marble cornice, which surrounded
the castle, but while | strove to rest my
right foot upon it, and the cord from be-
tween my legs, and after making several
attempts to recover 1t, looked belOW, anG,
fancying myself not more than six feet from
the ground, I stretched out my arms and
let myself drop in such way that my feet
shonld first touch the ground bat that |
! should fall on all fours. This calculation
was the work Of a second-but what time
elapsed before l reached the ground shud
der now to recall | had fallen twenty
feet There was quantity of mud and
broken pieces of brick and cement at the
bottom of the fossc, and against this |
struck first my knees and then my feet
The blow was tremendous. [ turned al
most mechanically, and for a few moments
lost all consciousness"
At length, recovering from the effects of
his fall he succeeded in surmounting every
obstacle with the exception of the ditch
| beyond the outer wall. While lying there.
| wounded and exhausted, two peasants pass
ed and. recognizing his situation at glance
helped him up by means of a cord, and as
sisted him to place of concealment. 1t