Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-06-03

deemed to useful lives on earth and angels
-ake upthe refrain in heaven.
GEORGE w. KENNEDY.
Waterbury, May y, 1874.
Carl SchurZ.
\ letter to the Cincinnati Commercial .
oiyes the story of Carl Schurz's career in
1S49 and 1850. after the failure of the brave
revolutionary movement in Germany in
1S4S,-of his hair-breadth escapes while
fleeing from Prussia, and of his return dis
guised into the very heart of the kingdom,
TO rescue one of his companions lmprlson-
ed there.-matches the romantic tales OF
the middle ages; and at the time the rumor
of the chivalric deeds of the young hero
rang through half of Europe.
Born near Cologne in 1929, he was nine
teen years old when the revolution broke
out. He was then a student at Bonn,
Young. enthusiastic and courageous. He
became editor of Il Liberal paper, and then
Joined with his sword in the defense of
Rastadt When the town fell he was
thrown into prison and sentenced to death.
During the night preceding the day on
which he was to be put to death he and his
him, excavated passage through the door
of their prison into the sewer of the town.
There they remained all night, up to their
wrists in water. In the morning they
found their way to a man trap in one of
the streets but there stood a sentinel, arm
ed and watchful. for it was then known
that two prisoners had escaped.
Their only way of exit from their living
tomb seemed to be cut off There they
stood for hours, weak and trembling hop
inc that the sentinel would be Withdrawn.
They could not sit down, for the water was
too deep. and once one of them became so
weary that he let fall a weapon he had
with him. which, splashing in the water,
attracted the guards attention, who thrust
his bayonet several times into the sewer,
passing it within a few inches of their
bodies At last there occurred a fortunate
disturbance a short distance from the trap,
and the wat chman, for moment forsoOk
his post This was their one only oppor
tunity. and they profited by it without de-
! lay. They had barely time to leap from
the sewer and throw themselves into Il
ditch near by by when the guard returned.
| They lav in the ditch, mOtOnless the rest
of the day, and at nightfall they crawled
away and fled across the fields. Faint and
hungry, they ventured to approach the
house of a farmer, and to trust to his COM
passion to afford them food and shelter.
He permitted them to hide in the loft OF
his barn, but even there they were forbid
den the boon of sleep: for no sooner were
they concealed, than Il party of soldiers
took possession of the lower portion of the
barn, preparatory to spending the night
in revelry. They did not dare to sleep
lest they should move about OF snOre, and
thus attract the attention of those below
Each kept the other awake until it was
nearly morning. when-the revelers hav-
inc fallen into heavy slumber-they stole
forth and renewed their flight, During
the next day and many succeeding days
they concealed themselves, travelling only
by night, and when they became hungry
beyond endurance, trusting to the sympa
thy of the more humble of the peasants tC
give them food. In this way they pro
ceeded until they passed the boundary o
Prussia and entered Switzerland.
Worn out by this fearful journey, Mr.
, Schurz fell i'll, and for several months h,
: lay prostrated with a fever. Upon his re
, tcoverv he learned that one of his associate
in the revolution, Gottfried kinkel, lik
himself condemned to death, had had hi
IL
y prisonment. The Young hero had save
his own life, after the narrowest escape:
! and he had the world before him. But h
= was possessed of too generous Il heart an
too chivalrous nature selishly to enjoy hi
; own freedom without making an effort
; rescue his friend from prison. and to thi
= end he bent all his energies. He sper
. several months at Zurich and Cologne, al
ranoinr his plans, and at length he set OF
!, upon his knightly errand.
. Spandau was Il fortified town, n fe'
: miles from Berlin, surrounded by a hig
- wall. having eight guarded gates, and W.
/ the stronghold in which State prisoner
9 were confined. Upon his arrival ther
+ disguised he obtained, through his friend
- ralatives. the entree of the fort, and mad
y the acquaintance of the officers in charge
= nassinG himself off. of course, as bein
= friendly to the throne. kinkels friend
. were wealthy, and supplied Schurz plent
! fnllv with funds. His plan was to bribe
:, onard within the fort and a sentinel at or
:. of the outer gates. He spent weeks
- sounding them, before venturing to NAL
:, his proposition. knowing that if they d
4 Iclined his office and betrayed him all wou
=, he lost. The bargain was finally conclu
- ed and he communicated his plans to Ki
# kel. Still he could not be certain that Il
9 guards, whom he entrusted with his S
e cret. would not betray him at last, for The
o. % had made it positive condition of Il
4 bargain that they should receive the
- money in advance At length a propitio
~ night arrived. There was to be Il gre
~ hall within the fort. and Schurz was inv
y ed to attend. He therefore fixed upon th
nioht for the escape, and did not omit
improve their chances by drugging the
ouors which the officers would use.
Ps When the revelry was at its height,
IT, the connivance of the .jailor, whom he h
ne bribed. he liberated Kinkel from his ce
eG e,i when they made their way TO the roof
~ III the fort, and descended to the ground
ne means of a rope ladder which had be
n provided. The sentinel at the gate, tt
Ia Ia to his agreement, passed them without t
en- wall. where their friends were in waitir
Is Fleet horses were in readiness, and tn
set off Immediately for Hamburg, VIII
was the nearest port. Relays had be
Tue provided along the route. and they reach
re- their destination without accident OF /
aS venture They lay concealed several Ga
~ when, securing a fishing schooner, u
~. embarked for Scotland. 1t was then
u month of November, and their voyage
LII most perilous and painful. They reacl