New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-06-16

aides by large detachment OF troops with artillery
"A.the time Of my escape, orders were gwen 'n mai
all pgsss and egress should be forbidden between the
| hours Of o. NJ ard o. m
"Wben political trisls are going on the prisoners
most jealousy guarded by Austria are always sent 70
the Castle Of st. Georgia and after the revolution OF
lsIs an express order sen. from Vienna that the
fortress should be exclusively used for the detention
of political pisone The secret cells are in the upper
story and in the lower story are kept the archives OF
the City of hantua All the cels e1cePt nos. - sna
| have at the windows two rove OF thick IRON oars
about yard apart which will give you an idea OF the
thickness of the walls, and outside the outer row s
thick grating of iron wire. The worst cells are Nos.
and 4. No. 4, the smaller OF the two, Is the one
from which escaped II is about six PAGES long, and
rather more than three broad. The cells Nos. Z, 8
and open into a corridor, guarded by eight soldiers
changed every twentyfour hours. There Il sentine
poeted at the single door which leads to al the prisons
and the Others watch the doors OF the cells AT night
All there regulations more Vigorously enforced
and there is spec al sentinel for the cells :, and
who hears the slightest noise and reports to the keep
ers who sleep in little room opening out OF the corl
dor which leads to Nos q and 4. This hss two
doors; every night the door leading to the courtyard
shut and the inner door IS always closed, and has
s+ttipel posted the nsde. In the day time there
are three keepers charged with the surveillance and
service of the prisoners. These are changed at
O'Clock every morning One of these IS responsible tor
the prisoners, takes them their food and makes the
daily and nightly visits when ne alone enters the ce
another meanwhile guarding the door with chan.
This last has charge the keys of the upper and outer
door which il, as told YOU also guarded by seni.
nel No one can enter or leave the castle without hi
special knowledge and permission. Each OF these v
nous officers is bound to keep watch that the Others do
their duty and has separate responsibility in case OF
the escape Of any prisoner Beside Oil these, there 70
the capo custode who has the surveillance over the
has under him the corporal and al the men OF the
guard. In the nighttime he keeps all the keys aud
the keeper has apply to hin for them, In order to
make bis nightly Visits to the cells.
"The day visits made al 6, 8, 10, ~, 2, ana
O'Clock; the night visits OF and /. They then ex
anime the of the irons of the windows the walls
&C. In the intervals of the regular visits the keeper
in and out at all hours, so that the poor prisoner
has never moment Of quiet. ~
"From these details you can see the impossbility OF
escaping, even with the help OF one guard at e st
three would have to be in the secret, and even then
false keys would be necessary as the keys are al kept
by the capo custOde; and once out one would hnd
on. self in the midst Of Mantua, as the castle has
only one entrance, which leads into the city There
is Their. FORE other mode of eecspe than the one
toek, of letting myself down from height OF thirty
wards into the ditch. But how did l cOntrive this
escape By patience and the firm determination TO
attempt and endure anything in order to free myself
to work again every possible injury in my power to
the detested Austriaps. Animated by tbs hatred TO
Austria, Assumed a new character, and, after seven
months of solitary and moet rigorous confinement dur
ing which was never allowed light, or even glas,
10 take the me dcne for my fever contnved
by my quiet snd accomplishing conduct to make the
guards so satisfied with that they ceased to take
the trouble to examine the bars Of my Windows had
obtained six little saws Of the very hnest Steel out how
had obtained them the Austrian Government will
never know. If poor COL Calvi, who was confined In
cell No. 2, and with whom had kept up correspon
dence of signs through the wall had not been 40 soon
executed he ard should have escaped together from
the cattle. had once asked the capo custode, Ger
man, if he thought the sentence Of death recorded
against me would be put in execution. He answered
he should be sorry to awaken Elusive hopes-perhaps
no. perhaps yes-and that was all.
"About the end of January was put into cell No. 4,
the worst in the castle and amost despared OF ever
being able to escape from it; the window WAS more
was obliged to stand on the back Of my chair. Tue
rows of iron bars were q yard apart; the outside
grating being tenth Of the di-tance beyond. The
bars extremely thick, especially the inside ones
and the hight from the window to the level of the ditch
was 30 ysrds-I myself measured it with string.
81 could not work at night because the noise OF the
saws, though very slight, would have been heard by
the sernel, who after the O'Clock VISIT came every
Eve minutes to the door, l worked therefore in the
day time and my had become so accustomed to
the step Of sentinel that before he opened the door
pace and sometimes would be walking up and down
cumming covered over the marks Of my work with
brick powder mixed with black wax and bread by
thus working in the day time in the intervals OF the
Wits in twenty four days had cut away seven Of the
outside ban and Of the inside ones, where they
were fixed into the wall, and from the wall had ex-
tracted eight bricks, which hid in the stIa. OF my
On the lst of February l kept back, without their
knowing the sheets that ought TO have sent away to
the wa.h and the let of March kept back the tow
els which were az vide the Sheets and little longer
and by cutting these into strips was able on the eth
of March to make my cord fastening it with sailors
knots. let it down into the ditch to try Its length,
and found it even longer than necessary. The 2Sth
and goth | passed in great fear of discovery, being
more than usually prosecuted by the attentions of the
sentinel, so that could not attempt my escape. Il
therefore pretended during those two dsys to be i'll,
and did not rise fiom my bed, for fear they might
chance N examine straw mattress. TleY had
ceased in my case to examine the barr. At % on
the evening Of the 29th at the usual visit from the
cspO cu.tOde, pretended to be asleep but the mo.
ment they were gone and while they were going the
round of the other visits and making some noise.
rapidly removed the iron bars had cut-made up two
little bundles of necessary cothDgfsstenedt the cord to
one of the remaining barset it down all its length
hid the bars had removed in the straw, and then lay
still again till the second visit, at o'clock. again
pretended to be asleep and the instant they gone
rose, and quite calmly proceeded to let myself down
by the cord. When within SIX feet from the ground,
felt could no longer sustain myself. looked At the
came over me. l, however mOstened my mouth with
an orange had had the precaution to have upon me-
and lay for moments quiet, TO recover myself.
then dressed myself, and wandered round and round
the CASTLE seeking means TO get out OF the ditch
but had 30 hurt my foot in the fall that l could
scarcely walk. hoped to escape from the ditch into
the lake. but the entrance 10 the lake was barred by
gratir 2. l then endeavored with the help of two
nails t. scale the wall of the ditch about Fix ee high
and had almost reached the top when the foot had hurt
failed me and fell to the bottom Fortunately there 81
lately been little water in the ditch and the soft mud
prevented the sentnek hearing the noise OF my iai.
remained there in the dread Of being retaken till
O'Clock in the morning. when the city gates were
opened, and then some people went by called 10
them, eaying that the night before had been drunk
and fallen toto the ditch and begged them to help me
out Some refused, but at last soIe holder ones
helped me, and was dragged out with much difficulty
a. could scarcely help myself My hands were cut