Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-03-02
FLIGHT OF THE EMPRESS.
Interesting Account by Bishop McIlraine

Interesting Account by Bishop McIlvaine
On Friday.,evening, the students of thu
college invited the faculty of Kenyon anC
! Bexley and the citizens, to meet Bishop
MeIlyaine at Philomathesian Hall. The
Bishop gave us an account of Eugenie'i
escape from Paris, which, as he had it from
authentic sources, was of great interest, and
contains. perhaps, facts never before made
public.
1t seems the safety of the Empress had
| been assured to her by General Trochu
| who had solemaly promised to inform her
of the approach of danger. For some un.
| when, on Sunday, the mob began to as
semble about the Tulleries, three of lhel
friends, Prince Matternich, the Spanish
Ambassador, and M. Lesseps, formed a
plan for her escape, and went to her res
cue. NJ. Lesseps stood outside and .ha-
rangued the mob, for the purpose of detain-
ing them, while the two other gentlemen
went in search ,of the Empress. They
found her partaking of a frugal lunch with
one of her ladies, and her fears could not
be aroused. Seeing it impossible to per-
suade her, the two gentlemen used force to
remove her. At this she consented to
made slight preparation, and without at
all changing her dress flor the mob had
already entered the palace, catching up a
small leathern reticule, she put into 1t two
Observation-Disclosures and two books, the
New Testament and prayer book. On
her head she put riding hat, and then by
that time thoroughly aroused, she fled
through the palace, through long corridors,
down, up flights of stairs, through cham
Der and saloon, long walk, before they
side of the palace the mob had collected.
Here a cab awaited her. She, with the
lady in attendance, were put into it.
Now said the friends, 1--WE must leaye
you; too well known, our attendance
would but bring destruction upon you
make good speed!" Yes, good speed, for
she heard the cries of the furious mob, and
as she was entering the cab,a little boy ex
claimed; "There is the Empress" and
she thought all was lost but it proved
that there was no one there to take notice,
and so the two ladies drove off.
They had long ride out beyond the
Champs Elysoe to the quieter part of the
city, when they alighted, dismissed the
cab, to avoid giving any clue in case of
pursuit, and walked some distance. Where
should she go? To whom flee? What
friend trust? There was but one to whom
she would venture, and that one an Amer
lean gentleman of some note, who, with
his wife, had long been a friend of both
other cab for the house Of this gentleman
whom we will call Mr.. w, arriving
there to find him away from home, and
his wife absent for the summer at small
seaport on the coast. When at last he re-
turned aud entered the room, judge of his
surprise at the sight of the Empress. "You
must get me Immediately out of France,
this very night" exclaimed the Empress,
the moment she saw him. Out of France,
4, ,ifrIt Il a fnlH
possible. He was expecting party of
friends to dinner, but would plead sudden
business, excuse himself, and make prepa-
rations as quickly as possible for her flight.
But, in the meantime, she must quiet and
rest herself. This she was prevailed upon
to do, and supplying herself from Mrs.
VS. wardrobe, retired for the night.
At o'clock in the morning carriage
stood at the door, into which Mr.. w: put
the two ladies, and, driving himself, set
off on their way out of France, pursuing
quiet streets, then unfrequented roads in
the country.
At the end Of two days they came to the
little seaport where Mrs. w was spend
ing the summer How must Mr.. W
conduct the ladies into the presence of his
wife without their being observed by every
one? After some accommodating this was
accomplished, and throwing
her arms around the neck of Mrs. w,
Eugene exclaimed, You and your hus-
world She, with the lady who accom-
panied her, remained in the room of Mrs.
w, lest some one should see and re-
cognize her.
The plan now was to get her across the
channel to the Isle of Wight, and thence
to England. There were but two convey
ances in the harbor-both private yachts
and only one able to go out to sea. The
owner of that one fatty refused to take the
two ladies over, but at last, after the iden-
tity of the two ladies had been made
sented, and Mr.. w and the two ladies,
with the reticule containing two pocket
handkerchiefs, set out the day after their
arrival to the little town ON their voyage
to England.
This is journey usually made in few
hours, but terrible storm arising, it was
prolonged to twenty-seven. The same
night and in the same waters, "The Cap
tain'' went down., But, although the gen.
tleman in command lost all control of him
self and the ship, they weathered the
storm.
Such is the true story of Eugenie's es-
cape from Paris and France. What sad,
sad tale of fallen greatness. No wonder
her courage sustained the fearful storm;
the thunder and lightning, the waters, how
ever dark and cold and deep, would be far
more merciful than that dreadful mob that
called out her name, the mob that had
shown no pity to the little child or tender
woman, and derided, with the bitterest in
suits, the fond Marie Antainette at the
gulllotine. Oh, France! when we remem-
Der those days of terror, can we wonder at
this retribution , Cleveland Herald.
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