The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1875-08-12
translated for the Inter-Ocean from I
Figaro, by NJ. N. T..
A Wonderful Escape.
A Personal RemIniseenee or the GesIn
OF Terror in France.

q
CastellRne, died in 1862, aud has lef
a wonderful narrative of his escape
from the Luxembourg prison, where
be was confined during the "Reigr
of Terror" with some incidents O
his escape to the frontier of Switzer.
land. We are indebted 70 Pierre de
Castellane for this interesting manu-
script, unpublished until now, and o
which We give the exact text.
MY ESCAPE Q79Sl.
General Count Arthur Dillon wa,
staying with me in 1898. He was il
the American war, and travelled in th'
Antilles. A visionary Swiss name,
Ernest Buker came and annoyed him
with some ridiculous projects for the
administration OF these colonies
this conversation had been long for
gotten, when Buker having been ar
rested, they came 10 seize the Gener.
al also q few days after, the 10th o.
May, 1898, / was included in this
measure for public safety, and con
Quoted to the MsyOralty. remained
there until the Goth. My garret win.
dow on the garden side communicated
by the leads with all the chambers OF
the same story. Alta little distance
from mine was that of q pretty femme
de cEaBlbre OF Madame Paebe, daugll-
ter-in-laW Of the Mayor. A gen.
darme named Blanchard lodged I'm
my room. He was responsible for
my safe keeping, and dare not leave
me for az instant; every night / pass
ed over these cutters. | was thus be.
tween heaven and earth, followed by
the gendarme who held fast to the
pocket of my coat, that / had taken
the precautiOn to put q coin in, OF the
value of six francs, and on returning
to my room it had passed into his.
Ten days thus passed away, during
which / was subjected to four exam
nations by Martineau, MiehOnis,
JOubert, and his associates, the great
est brigands on the earth, who, while
eating and drinking with me, would
Iaaghingiy say 1--WE do not think
you are guilty, but you are implicated
in a great conspiracy your inn0-
cence and your cheerfulness will not
hinder your dying like the others"
I was removed to Sainte-Pelagie and
place with the unfortunate General,
Duke de Biron, who had courageous
ly resigned himself to the death he
did not escape.
The 5th of June / was taken to the
Conciergerie, where was interrOgat-
ed by NJ. NJ. Fnucault and Montane,
one the President, the other
Judge of the revolutionary tribunal,
after having been insulted by the
mob, who vOciferated : "Dog of an
aristocrat, we are going to drink your
blood :" and q Thousand other epithets
of like character. 1t is in vain for
those who have never experienced
these scenes with the rabble to con-
ceiYe how narrowing they are at first,
and in q few moments the scorn and
anger they excite. said to the gen
darme, the confident OF my amOurs /:
"YOu know / am innocent; never
theless, L shall be condemned to death.
I am certain of it. Will you leave
France with me will charge my
self with your fortune" He replied !:
I am married, and have children.
/ cannot follow you, but one OF my
comrades who has served in the
dragons will arrange with you"
And in reality he put me under his
charge. I agreed that in taking me
back to Sainte-Pelagie we would dine
at the house of Swiss in the Jardin
des Plantes that 1 would give him
3, 900 francs, and he would allow me
to escape. After dinner we went in
to the garden. I delivered up the
money in three bills of loo francs
each, but he grew frightfully pale and
his expression changed. / took few
steps in advance, and as / perceived
ha fN1lAnyn1 with nrnnfF1I.
fancy, / returned to him saying,
"Would you be guilty of betraying
me ?r
"Alas, yes my heart fails me. 1
think l am more faithful to my post.
have not the courage tc keep my
word take your money "
1 embraced him, leaving one OF the
bills with him.
"Your loyalty will cost me my life.
Do not let US lose an instant; run :"
and then quicker than lightning re-
entered Sainte-Pelagie.
General Dillon was acquainted with
the deputy, Chabot, who prevailed
upon him to allow us to leave the pri-
son, and that we should be placed un-
der the guard of gendarme.
The 10Th of June was confided to
an old gendarme called Boisseul. |
returned to Neuiliy and gave him my
promise not escape. L paid him
largely and saw him only once a
week. The 23d of October, sad and
detected, he came to my house with
two other gendra mes, who were or
dered to conduct me to the LuXem-
bourg, whose front and left wing had
just been converted into a prison.
was there confined under the roof
with Dillon and ten other persons.
A few days after, Chabot. our prOtec-
tor, was himself arrested. / fOre5aw
the fate that awaited us; was i'm
plicated with the General and resolv-
ed to attempt everything in order to
escape. On the 25th of October, to-
ward O'Clock in the evening, |
mounted upon the roof and passed
over the projection, which is in the
center OF the facade, on the side to-
ward the court in order to reach that
part of the palace which was not used
as prison. A little garret window
permitted me to enter and slip into a
hole, where the blackest darkness
prevailed. / had hope to find an out
let I felt door and bolt; drew
the bolt the door flew open; |
dashed through, aud my head struck
against q wall. A high wall newly
constructed, took away all hope of es-
cape in that direction. Desperate,
ran to the place where l must escape
or perish.
L was upon the roof; leaped over
the balustrade which circles the en-
tablature on the court side / sus-
pended myself there by the left hand
with the right, clung to the railing
placed above the cOTnice, serving tC
prevent communication from one di-
vision to another. / sprung and
seized the grating; this shock was
terrible. At last, a little restored,
slipped down to the cornice, which
liked to have been fatal to me. There
was a considerable break there; my
foot missed young and agile, l re-
mained suspended by my two hands
In the twinkle of an eye, was stand
ing upon this same cOrnice, by the
aid of which reached the right pa
Wilton, and quietly went out OF thu
Luxembourg, this portion of which
was ungarded, not then being used a.
a prison. Breathless, steaming witt
OBs WChI ~ NbO AACASC "
q woman in Dauphin street, and
paid generously for the effective as
sistance rendered tonne. Afterward
1 went to the Ralais-Royal, where
purchased jacket, a cap, and ssber
and some mustaches. Instantly thu
disguise was so complete that none o.
my friends recognized me. Untn th'
10th of November I remained con
ceaIed in Paris, at the house of Solici
tor M. Lincompti, and at the Artis
Morettes. 1t was the latter, who di
rected me to castle near Saint As
sise, pleasantly situated on the banl
of the Seine, in q village called Bois
sire. Bertrand, the mother of th'
T painter, occupied the castle with NJ
, de Lucy, who wanted to sub-let apart
ments- As NJ. Morette dared not fore
warn his mother, it was under th'
pretext of trying the kind of life
could lead in this sylum that intro
, duced myself there, the 1lth of No
vember, under the name OF Lauren
Meunier, spice merchant, from Neuil
ly. / manufactured 8 passport, il
which | was not spsring OF testimo
! malls of the most ardent patriotism