The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-09-17
BAZAINE,S ESCAPE.
How the Marshal Left Ste Margue-
rtfe-The Accounts of Madame and
Her Hushanh

ms Will Ot seen D} Ilt lOhONuiS az
count, says the Cologne Gazette of Aug.
l6, Marshal BaZaine still maintains the orr
ginal story of his escape by means of
knotted rope.
From his sitting-room the prisoner was
obliged, in order to arrive at the terrace
This prOmenade), TO pass bridge and to
descend some steps at the end of it. The
bridge was enclosed by walls on both sides,
ON one of which stood the guard. A tent
roof was spread over the bridge to keep
of the rays of the sun, which also conceal
ed from those standing at the foot of the
steps the persons on the bridge. On the
southeastern point of the island, which
has a steep descent into the sea, the Mar
shal had arranged little kitchen-garden,
in which he worked much and wateredhis
beans. There his flight was to be effected.
On far projecting part of this garden the
Marshal discovered one day that an old
gutter for carrying off the water which
poured through the rock was filled up
with fragments of wall and rubble. Every
day the Marshal worked to open it grad
ually, and had to conceal with stones and
grass what he WIS doing from the eyes OF
spies. At last the opening was completed.
If inside the gutter two strong iron bars
were placed across the rock. and if to the
bars a strong rope ending with an iron
ring and penetrating through the other
side of the gutter was attached, a rope lad
der could be fastened to it strong enough
TO carry even so corpulent a man as the
Marshal. In the gutter there was room
enough to hide the rope ladder and ropes
till the decisive day. The most difficult
part was to arrive unnOticed at the
gutter. Every evening March, (the
jailer) accompanied the prisoner
on his return from the terrace across the
bridge to his rooms. Then the door was
closed by the warders and escape rendered
impossible. The Marshal resolved to trust
to a happy chance and to expect the day
agreed on with his wife for the daring act
The night from last Sunday TO Monday
was chosen. When at ten O'Clock the
Marshal arrived with March, at the flight
of steps, he asked him not TO take any
more trouble. as the way to the rooms was
now very short. March, let himself be
persuaded. The Marshal mounted alone,
crossed the bridge, the tent roof of which
concealed him for moment from those
outside. leigned to open and shut the door,
which was closed later by the unsuspect-
ing warders, leaped across the wall at the
left of the bridge, went softly along the
outer wall and reached the gutter, having
now passed the first danger. A thick rope,
provided with many knots and at the end
with strong iron hook, was fastened to
the ring, and the descent, eighty feet deep,
began. with the danger of being smashed
against the projecting cliffs or of falling
into the sea, dashed by furious mistrel.
The Marshal, who had gained much
strength during his captivity, had also put
on a strong, tightly-fitting belt, with an
iron hook in front, so that he could fasten
himself to knot of the rope whenever he
required a short rest. Arrived at the mid
die of the rope he perceived a feeble light
beneath him. lie knew now that his wife
was there. He replied by the signal agreed
on, lighting match. showing him thus
suspended. His hands swelled and bled.
the cliffs hurt him everywhere-thick
cloth trousers, still damp from the sea wa
ter, are covered all over with holes, and
show what the daring man must have suf-
fered. Having reached the end of the
rope, but not the strand, he let HIM
self drop into the sea and swan
toward the boat in which were his
faithful wife and her courageous
nephew. Before reaching it his strength
left him, and Alvarez de Rull, his youth
full deliverer, had to lift the heavy man into
the rolling boat. After one hours rowing
they reached the peninsula of Croisette.
At some distance the barge of the steamer
Baron Ricasoli, hired by Nine. BaZaine for
a pretended pleasure trip, waited for them
and brought them toward l in the morn
ING on board the steamer. The captain did
not know the name of his guest. Nine.
BaZaine, when going on land with the
barge. had announced that she would en-
gage a valet and perhaps chambermaid
for her voyage. The Marshal was intro
duced as the newly-engaged valet, and
went at once to his cabin, which he did
not leave again before the landing at
Genoa. The Marshal and Nine. BaZaine
state most explicitly that they have had no
accomplices, and began and executed the
work alone.
The same paper. speaking of Marshal
BaZaine's sOjOurn at Cologne, says:
Young and beautiful, with luXuriant
black hair and black eyes. of charming
figure and bewitching loneliness, Nine.
Bazaine had passed the days of splendOr
at the side of her husband, embellished and
eased to him the days of misfortune, and
has new boldly braved the waves and the
other dangers of an escape, and brought 1t
about with the help of a youthful and resO-
lutte nephew But the Marshal has also
shown no lack of courage. When the two
delivers gave him the signal at ten O'Clock
in the evening he let himself reSolutely
and quickly down by the rope, which tore
his hands and shins. He has shown us
himself his swollen and black and blue
hands and the wound on his right shin.
Three or four times high SpOuting wave
seized him and threw him against the rock,
but the boat was reached and no further
obstacle opposed the completion of the
NnW ba ctaus ON (arpnan soil IN
which a short time ago he was a dangerous
and bloody foe.
NINE. BAZAINE'S VERSION OF THE ESCAPE.
The following is the full text of the let
ter addressed by Nine. BaZaine, from Spa,
to the French Minister of the Interior:
son nv arrival here find by the news
papers that there have been several arrests
in consequence of the Marshals escape.
1t had previously been my intention 10
write to you on the matter, and it has
now become my duty. Seek for no ac-
completes, for there are none. My neph-
ew. NJ. Alvarez de Rull, and |, are those
who effected everything. On seeing that
no alteration would be made in the treat
ment of the captive Marshal, and that his
life threatened TO be shortened, | deter
mined to persuade him to escape. | ac-
cordingly begged my nephew TO help me,
which his independent position enabled
him to do, and we pledged each other to
do everything ourselves in order to COM
promise nobody. InOw communicate to
you the exact details of what occurred,
hoping to clear up the truth and to pre-
vent innocent persons from languishing
any longer in dungeons. IleftSpa on the
10Th of July, accompanied by my nephew,
whose devotion has stood every test. We
repaired to Genoa, where we arrived on
the 9TH of August. On Thursday, the 9th,
we went to the PeiranO DanOvara Compa-
ny for the purpose of hiring a pleasure
steamer, under the preteXt of wishing to
make a trip in the Mediterranean, and on
condition that the vessel should be entire
ly at our disposal. About five in the
morning of Saturday, the Sth, we lett
Genoa harbor, and arrived in the course
of the morning at Port Maurice, where
the bad weather forced us to stop for the
night. On the next day, the 9th, we
went TO San Reno and spent the day
there. About eight we directed the