The Lambertville press., 1860-06-20

-Asz 5s a. &. 80
+ ly interpreter, they learned with dis
may that the intended punishment was
to be heavy indeed, seeing It was no
less than imprisonment for life. A
hint was at the same time conveyed
that. if By any means they could pro-
/ cure money, that sentence might be
] changed for one much less severe, as
It was in the power of the magistrate
4 TO make it what he chose, and even to
release them entirely.
i Thisiniofmation seemed to bode the
! unfortunate prisoners little, at least of
immediate good for Balman had ho
fortune, and Huger being without
credit i'd Austria, could not, within q.
1 short time, receive remittance from
England. /. Their friend, however, did
| net desert them be withdrew, prom
fsing to use ali his influence for their
release and it is probable he had al
| ready formed that design, which the
| generosity Of another, equally e strsp.
| ger to the prisoners, whose name, in-
stead Of being unknown, should he
| published aloud, enabled him after /
wards so happily to carry through.
a Russian noblemsn Of large fortune,
residing near Olmuts, was perhaps,
from q resemblance in character, the
most in&ima.e friend Of the young in-
terpreter, and scom him had learned
the whole story of the projected re-.
lease of Lafayette, Of its failure, and |
of the generous conduct Of the two
friends. TO hin W., for the
initial only has been given for the name
Of the good Samaritan, few for assis- |
tance in this new difficulty and hay-Il
ing stated. the case as it then stood,
he was about to intreat, in his own !
name, loan for the use of the prison
ers, when he was interrupted by an
offer of whatever sum might be required |
to secnre their release. Judging the
heart of his noble friend by his own,
he hesitated not for a moment to ac-
cept the offer, and scarcely afording |
himself time to speak the gratitude he |
felt, he hurried off to sound the senti-
ulents Of the magistrate. His situa-
tion as interpreter afforded him the |
desired opportunity, and he soon dis
covered that the hints thrown out of |
the chance Of large reward, led the
upright judge to listen faEorably to
any proposal for mitigating the severe
punishment Of the prisoners. The
show even Of delicacy was then laid
aside; al exorhitsnt demand was
made; and, after some further discus
sion, W withdrew to arrange
preliminsEies, first with their generous
benefactor, and lastly with the prison
ers themselves Matters now were
soon settled; the term of their i'm
prisonment was first fixed at fourteen
years, then shortened to- seven, soon
after to one, then to month, and last |
ly:fo Q week, al. the end of which time
they were released from prison. The |
frst use they made of restored liberty !
was, as may be supposed, 70 seek an
interview with the Russian pobleman,
and pour out their grateful acknoWl-
edgmeats for his unlooked-for and well
come mnnifcence while frorq the no.
BILE minded and generous w., to
whose kindness they owed allthe com-
forts they had experienced in prison,
and to whose friendly and humane
e1ertions they were ultimately indebt-
cd for their liberation, they parted
with those feelings Of esteem, admira-
ton, and gratitude, which never after
wards faded from their recolectiou.
| The principal hero of the tale did
not, however, meet with so speedy a.
conclusion 70 his misfortpn es 1t was
not till the year 179v,when, q peace
taking place between. Austria and
France, that Lafayette was released
from confinement at the request ofthe
then General Bonaparte.