Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-12-04
Orsini s Escape.

SNS
tie of San Giorgio, in Mantua, Italy, is al
most too wonderful to be believed. Al
account of it is contained in a recently pub
lished narrative of the prisoners adventu
res. Orsini, as is we'll known, vas arrest
ed and imprisoned about eighteen month:
we think for the fourth time since 1S44
on account Of troubles engendered By hi:
known revolutionary tendencies. Notwith
standing the castle of San Giorgio was be-
lieved to be the safes prison in Austria he
resolved to attempt an escape land having by
studied conduct, gained the confidence oi
his jailors, he succeeded in procuring, from
the friends who visited him, small saw
He says:
"Havng thus far paved the way, COM
menced saving through one of the bars
nearest the wall. The position in which
was obliged tosstand-on tip-toe, on the
top rail of the char--tncreased the dificnl-
ty of the operation, as was obliged to make
the same movemnnt with my feet as with
my hands, in order to keep my balance
Ny 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 adapted to prevent noise. However, in
four days had cut through the first bar;
but, from having used the saw without the
handle, no ding 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 BARN order
to renew 1T with a..tresh piece when the first
should be worn ont Having broken and
destroyed all the strings of my wearing ap-
parels, procured some tape under pretense
of repairing them. Waxing it we |, bound
it tightly round the two wood at the end of
the saw, ahd backwards AM forwards from
one to the other. By this means | manu-
factured ar excallent handle, and the saw
no longer bent on moved about. In order
to reclose the bars after they were cut
through, made cement Of wax and burnt
bread crumbs the color ofiron.
progress. At every moment had to stop
and clean my saw, and as often to listen to
any noise without. Some days conld not
work at all for fear OF interruption, and often
| was obliged to desist on account the ter
rble fotigue, and the pain arising from the
distenton of the mucles. Often my feet
and right hand were benumbed-I could
scarcely write my own name. According to
the position of the bars depended the diff
Gully of cutting through them--while work
ing at the highest so wounded my elbow
by pressing it against the side, that could
hardly lean on it alone.
"At times, despite the caimness and cour-
age with which nerved myself, my patience
was nearly exhausted; SO prcs,rated was my
physical strength, that have sunk on my
bed utterly hopeless Of my design. Then
it was the thought of my country, OF my
children, returned to my aid. must be-
hold my little ones agau--must once more
combat for my fatherland! and, fired with
the the thought, sprang to my chair, and
labored with redoubled zeal, saying to my
self, Onward! onward! courage! (auanti!
auanti! corriagoD each time l felt my cour
age flag
In spite of the vigilance of his keepers.
the inner grating of the window, and also |
removed some bricks to enlarge the aper-
ture. The window was about hundred
feet from the ground. A cord was made by
stripping the sheet and towels which he
lately posse ssed, and, after several abortive
attempts he made the perious descent OF
the night of the 29lh Of March.
"When | had descended about eighty
four feet, felt my strength giving way; the
tension of the muscles ef the arm too pain
full for endurance. ! again felt about with
my feet and soon discovered viii; e marble
corniee, which surrounded the castle; but
while stove to rest my right foot upon it,
the cord slipped from between my legs, and,
after making several attempts to recover it,
looked below, and fancying myself not
more than! six feet from The ground,
stretched out my arms and let myself drop |
in such a way that my feet should first tonch
the ground, but that should fall on all
tours. This calculation was the work of
second-but what time elapsed before l
reached the ground, | shudder now to re-
call! had ia lien twenty feet. There was
quantity of mud and broken pieces of brick
and cement at the bottom of the fosse, and
against this struck first my knees and taen
my feet. The blow was treme ndous. I
turned almost mechanically, and for a few
moments lost all consciousness.
At length, after recovering from the ef-
fects of his fall, he succeeded in surmount-
ing every obstacle with the exception of the
ditch beyond the outer wall. While lying
there, wounded and exhausted, two peasants
passed, and recognizing his situation at
glance, helped him up by means of cord,
and assisted him to place of concealment.
1t was a quarter before six when he was
fairly without the fortress, and at six the
turnkeys entered his cell and discovered his
flight. 1T was too late, however, for recap
ture, and, notwithstanding the rewards o.
fered for his capture, he escaped in safety
from the city.
A crusta old contemporary says: lady