Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-06-12
CARL StIII Ky.

To he Continued
CARL SCITHZ.
TIE ROMANCE or MS roUTH.-Hls CHyALRoUs
CAREER N TIE GERMAN EEyoLUTIoNARY
DAYS.
\ letter to the Cincinnati Commercial
gives the story of Carl Schurz'S career in
/ ls49 and l>ju. after the failure Of the brave
| revolutionary movement in Germany in
/ ISIS of hi> hair-hreadth escape while flee
/ ing from Prussia and of his return disguised
/ into the very heart of the kingdom, to
rescue one Of his companions imprisoned
| ere.-matches the romantic tales of the
miile-ages and at the time the rumor of
the chriyalric deeds of the young hero rang
/ through half of Europe.
Born near Cologne in lS27, he was nine
teen years old when the revolution broke
out lie was then a student at Bonn,
| Young. enthusiastic and courageous lie
became editor of Liberal paper, and then
/ ioined with his sword in the defence of
Ra>ta1t When the town fell he was
thrown into prison and sentenced 10 death.
Daring the night preceding the day on
which hc was to he put to death he and his
servant. who had been imprisoned with
| him, exayatcd n passage through the door
of their prison into the sewer of the town.
There they remained all night, up to their
waists in water. In the morning they
found their way to a man-trap in one Of the
streets but there stood sentinel. armed and
watchful, for it was then known that two
prisoners had escaped.
Their only way of exit from their living
tomb seemed t. be cut of. There they
stood for hours, weak and trembling, hop
inc that the sentinel would lie withdrawn.
/ They could not sit down, for the water was
too deep, and once one of them became 50
weary that he let fall a weapon he had with
| him. which. Spa~hing in the water. attract
! cd the guards attention, who thrust his
| hayonet several times into the sewer. pass
inE it within 4 few inches Of their bodie~.
At last there occurred q fortunate diStur-
hancc q short distance from the trap, and
the watchman. for a moment. iorsook his
post. This was their one only opportunity,
and they profted by it without delay. They
had barely time to leap from the sewer and
To throw themselves into ditch near by
when the guard returned. They lay in the
ditch, motionleSs, the rest of the day, and
at nightall they crawled away and fled
across the fields Faint and hungry. they
yenturcd to approach the house of a farmer.
and to trust to his compassion 10 afford them
food and shelter. lie permitted them to
hide in the loft of his barn. but even there
they were forbidden the boon of sleep for,
no sooner We're they concealed, than a party
Of soldiers took possession Of the lower
portion of the barn, preparatory to spending
the night in revery. They did not dare to
sleep. lest they should move about or snore,
and thus attract the attention of those be
low. Each kept the other awake until it
was nearly morning, when-the jewellers
having fallen into heavy >lumbcr-they stole
forth and renewed thei- 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 sympathy of the
more humble OF the peasants to give them
food. In this way they proceeded until
they passed the boundary of Prussia and
entered Switzerland
Worn out by this fearful journey, Mr..
Schurz fell i'll, and for several months he lay
prostrated with 4 fever. Upon his recovery
he learned that one of his associates in the
revolution, Gottfred Kinkel, like himself
condemned to death. had had his sentence
commuted to twenty years imprisonment
The young hero had saved his own life, after
the narroweSt escapes, and he had the world
before him. But he was possessed of too
generous heart and too chiyalrous n nature
selfishly to enjoy his own freedom without
making an effort to rescue his friend from
prison, and to this end he bent all his ener-
gies. lie spent several months at Zurich
and Cologne, arranging his plans, and at
length he set out upon his knightly Grand
Spendan was fortified town. few miles
from Berlin. surrounded by high wall,
having eight guarded gates, and was the
stronghold in which State prisoners were
confined. Upon his arrival there. disguised,
he obtained, through his friends relatives,
the cnfroe of the fort, and made the acquaint-
ance of the officers in charge, passing him
self off. of course, as being friendly to the
throne. Kinkel's friends were wealthy, and
supplied Schurz plentiiully with funds. Ills
plan was to bribe guard within the fort
and sentinel at one of the outer gates lie
spent weeks in sounding them, before ven
turing to make his proposition, knowing
that if they declined his offer and BETRAYED
him all would be lost. The bargain was
finally concluded. and he communicated his
plans to Kinkel. Still he could not be
certain that the guards, whom he entrusted
with his secret, would not betray him at
last, for they had made it a positive cond-
ton of the bargain that they should receive
their money in advance. At length pro-
pitious night arrived. There was to be a
great ball within the fort, and Schurz was
invited to attend. lie therefore fixed upon
that night for the escape, and did not omit
to improve their chances by drugging the
liquors which the officers would use.
When the revelry was at its height, by
the connivance of the jailor, whom he had
bribed, he liberated Kinkel from his cell,
when they made their way to the roof of the
fort. and descending to the ground by means
of rope ladder which had been provided.
The sentinel at the gate, true to his agree
ment, passed them without the wall, where
their friends were in waiting. Fleet horses
were in readiness, and they set off immedi-
ately for Hamburg, which was the nearest
port. Relays had been provided along the
route, and they reached their destination
without accident or adventure. They lay
concealed several days, when, securing
fishing schooner, they embarked for Scot
land. 1t was then the month of November,
and their voyage was most;perilous and pain
ful. They reached Edinburgh in course of
time and went ashore, weary, forlorn and
hungry, having hardly tasted food since the
night of their departure from the prison.
They then proceeded to London, and for the
two years following Schurz was engaged, in
London and in Paris, as teacher, and as
correspondent of the German press.