Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-09-06
DAILY GAZETTE.
DEATH OF MARIA ANTOINETTE.

H.
sister OF the king, were in the prison of the TEN.
pie, enduring anguish acute as the human soul
ON earth can experience The uproar in the
streets, the shouts Of the people, the rumLling OF
inc heaVy artillery over the pavements, penetrat-
cd the iron bars of their prison. AT length the
booming OF the guns announced that the fatal axe
had fallen. The queen fell into such q succcs-
SION OF swoons that u was feared that her life
would, at the same mOHaent, be extinguished.
Four months of almost nnearthly misery pass
Cd away when late one night loud noise was
he lrd at the door of her chamber and band Of
armed men burst rudely 10. They read, to the
Woe-strlckCn, frantic queen an order that her son |
should be taken from her, 60 be consigned to n |
dungeon by himself in another prison. The poor |
BOY, lad but six years Of age, whom suffering |
had rendered precOcious. heard this order read |
with terror. lie threw himself into his mothers |
arms sllrleking:
80 mother! mother do not abandon me
10 these men They will kill ME as they did
papa!"
Maria Antoluette was dclrious with anguish.
sue seized her son, aud with her eyeballs almost
starting from their sockets, declared that they
sAOnd tear her in pieces before they should Wrest
her from her child. For two hours she thus con-
Tended with the officers, who moved by her agony,
desl5ted from tearing the child from her by yio-
renee. AT last overcome by exhaustiDn, she fell
IN swoon upon the floor. When She revived
me child was gone
Three months pissed away, three months of un-
uttcrao!e misery, during which her most frantic
opportunities were unayailing to obtain an inter
NIew with her sou Early IN August the queen
was reused from her troubled dreams at midnight
by band of soldiers with lanterns entering her
room. They ordered her immediately " ne
company kthem to the prison OF Conciergere. -
She was compelled to dress in the presence OF the
brutal m an who had been sent for her Clasping
Ior one frantic moment, her distracted daughter
To her heart, and speaking few words Of impas-
stoned tenderness to her sister, she was led in
cell ,.-
In passing out she struck her forehead violently
against the low portal OF the door.
Did you hurt yourself p inquired one Of the
cJnstables.
"Nol" was Mars's desparing reply; "nothing
now can further harm me-"
The queen was placed in q carriage, and care
fully guarded, was conveyed through the md
night darkness of the streets to the gloomy prison
calls of this vast OF tt1ne and iron were truly
tombs. They consisted OF a series OF subteTraneall
dungeons, beloW the hoor OF the Immense sdihee,
and even below the bed Of the river which washed
lts walls The Imagination scarcely conceive
OF vaults more damp, gloomy aud revolving.
Down the dripping and slippery steps Of stont
the daughter OF the House OF Hapaburg and the
bride OF the Bourbon king was led, RToDing her
way by the light OF q talIOw candle, through Ia
byrynth Of corridors until they reached an iror
door A key was applied: the opening door gra
ted haTshly upon its rusty hinges, aud the queer
was dragged IN. Two soldiefs accompanied he
They locked the door behind them. ..a
AS we had said, IL Waa midnight The dim Ian
ness and tne horrors OF the apartment In WhIcl
she was lmmurOd. There was in one corner
miserable pallet with the eOArsest eOvsring--l
pine table and q Angle chair constituted the Onl
remaining furniture. The dampnsss and the dus
had formed into = coating of mud upon the AooI
while streams OF water trinklsd down the stOn
walls. Such was the apai tment which the Quee1
OF France Feceis ed In exchange for the splendoT
OF the Tuileries and Versailles. ~
Even the hard heart of the jailer was touehe
in view ofsnch unmiligated misery. The jailer
wife Wept over the woes Of the queen. but sh
did nokdars to speak VeTds 0tkindpess least the
should be reported by the guard TO the dreadfJ
revolutionary tribunal. She VentuFed however
send her some food q little different from th
ordinary prison fare; and lOaned her needle an
ball OF worsted to beguile in scme degree th
terrible dreariness Of those prison hours Fl
these slight acts Of humanity both she and h
husband were arrested by Order Of thp ,ComaiittG
OF Pabilc Safety, and W ere themselves coaslgne
to one Of the glOOmiest dungeons OF the Coheie
gerie E5ti atlo5t
The Shoes OF the Qaeen became so damp an
moalded that they soon dropped from her fee
Her stockings and dress in tatteTs. Two soldie
with swords in their hands, were stationed IN VA
ton cruelty, IN her appartm0nt night and da
No respect was paid 10 WOmanly deiicacy. IA
locks. bleached by anguish, were white as q
drlfted snow. The queen, shlveFing with cold
her damp and raylsss cell ventnrsd to ask for
additional cOunterpane for her bed. ...l
''How dare you make such request 2" stern
responded one Of her guards. You deserve to
Immediately sent 10 the gulllOtlhe. ,i-,t,.s
The Queen converted tooth-pick into tape
try needle. With this she succeeded Ia knItIiI
garter with thread which she Taveled from
tattared WOODEN coverlet This she eontKiVcd
cretly 60 send ~ = memorial Of her love 70 b
daughter, who was in the prison Of the Esmp
This was tho only legacy which the danGhteE.
Maria Theresa could tEAnslnit 10 her chiid. ~
garter is still preserved aS q sacred relic BY the
vgho revere the memory Of Marie AntoinStts.
Two months ofths imprisonment passed aW
when the queen was led from her dungeon TO I
court room above for trial. SheWas accused, 81
Dronounced guilty Of abhOFlng q Revelation Will
had beheadod her husband and consigned
whole family to unutteEable misery. The que
condesoended no defence, and calmly, almost
ioeingly listened to the sentence that she WOT
be beheadod on the guilOsine within twenty-fI
hours Insults and exeeFatiOns followed her
she was led back 70 her dungeon. It was th
four O'clock In the morning. She called for p
aud paper and wrote Oue of thes nust pathC
letters which ever came from mortal pom to
sister and her ehildren. Then, - Il done "
earth, sue knelt by her bedside and commend
her aOul 70 God in prayer. Two hours p0si
away and tho daughter OF the jaiIer came 10 DR.
her Tor the gulllOtine. IL was the 1Ath Of o.
Der, 1888. A white robe was thrOYn over
person white kerchief covered her Shouldl
aud q white cap bound 70 her head byyms bli
ribbon, covered her hair.
The morning was chill ana damR a dense
enyeloped Paris. Crowds Of people gathe
around the prlson and throneed the streets le
Ing % the gtilotine. At eleven o'clock the exc
tioners entered, bound her hands behind her,
led her out 70 tho coarse death-cart, which !
drawn up at the prison door. The queen
alone Ia the cart, She could not support herr
she was pitched to and ffO 90 the cart rumt
oveF the rough payements. With hurried u