The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-06-06

preliminary hearing. The plot covered
that contingency, and in few minutes
De Rudio proved an alibi and was dis
charged. As he was leaving the build.
ing he passed Gormez, in the custody of
an officer. Gormez threw the first
grenade, and had already turned States
evidence to save his head. Orsini was
the fourth and last one captured. Cor
mez whispered to Rudio: "We are
lost" The officer inquired: "Who's
that man?" The traitor answered,
Ode Rudio." His name was familiar
in Paris, and Immediately he was rear
rested. When he again appeared be-
fore the Judge of Instructions, his
Honor greeted him as "De Rudio,n
and the conspirator acknowledged
the salutation. "Then you are De Ru-
dio?" replied the Judge. "Yes, sir; l
am De Rudio." "Did you not, yester-
day, say your name was De Silver, and
your nationality Portuguese?" "Yes,
sir, did. Your Honor is aware that an
exile from Italy can not pass through
France, and that l was returning home.
Therefore, | purchased, as you your
self have done, passport in London. /
passed under the name in the passport,
and why not? l am patriot, a con-
spirator, but know nothing of this af-
fair. fell in with Pieri naturally be-
cause he was an exile and fellow -coun-
tryman. Otherwise he is a stranger to
me, and have no knowledge of his
business in Paris.'' His whole interyitw
with the Judge of Instructions was a
very dramatic one. De Rudio was as
keen as Damascus blade. He made a
brilliant fight for his acquittal, but a
woman, a sachel and box of powder,
were cruel witnesses. They bore down
on him so heavily that when he was turn
ed over 80 higher Court he confessed.
He had Made the denial granted him by
law, and had fought for life as long as
there was hope. Now, when conviction
was inevitable, he was prepared to ac-
knowledge his part in the plot and take
the consequences. He was sentenced
with Orsini and Pieri to be beheaded on
Saturday, the 18th of March. Gormez
was sentenced to hard labor for life.
The 18th of March saw Orsini and Pieri
mount the scaffold, and De Rudio
with one foot upon it. At that moment
an officer placed his hand upon De
Rudio's shoulder and told him to fol-
low. He was to be reprieved. Divine
luck! On Monday he received his
formal pardon. The cause of this i'm
perial clemency is forked. De Rudio's
wife was only sixteen, and was of En-
glish birth and education. She appear
ed in person before the Empress and
pleaded for her husbands life. Infiu-
ences from London, a grandfather's
services to the first Napoleon, the con-
spirator's youth and his wife's petition
operated in his behalf Above all,
however, was De Rudio's luck. The
Monday following Saturday was the
birthday of the Prince Imperial. 1t was
the custom to celebrate his anniversary
with the pardon of some political Grim
inal. On Saturday there were three
doomed souls. For the reasons given
De Rudio (the youngest) was reserved
for Mondays honor. The pardon didn't
mean the release of De Rudio. His
sentence was simply changed from
death to Imprisonment for life. Next
followed a dungeon chapter for seven
months, with bread and water. A twen-
ty-eight pound chain held him fast in a
dungeon that was itself proof against
the escape of Hercules. He could
take two steps in one direction; that
was the only movement to break the
monotony of lying down. After that
chapter was ended he was transported
for life to Silver Mountain Ga penal
settlement), in the extreme south of
French Guiana, Africa. Seven months
there, and the yellow fever broke
out. There were 500 prisoners, and
all died except 63; of the 63, all were
down with the plague except three; of
the three De Rudio was one. The press
of Europe raised storm of Indignation
over Frances inhumanity to her con-
victs and prisoners. The soldiers
guarding had suffered severely. The
report went to France that all of those
living were sick. An order returned for
their transport to Salutation Islands,
80 miles off French Guiana. for conval-
escence. De Rudio was again in luck
He went with the sick, although not
sick. He was not there 4S hours when
he confded to a fellow-prisoner his de-
tcIInlHaIioH W eSCdpe ne Hhu HotIcou
fisherman's boat secretly moving up
under the rocks, and selling fish to the
prisoners when the opportunity offered.
With five others he went to work, MAX
ing sail and preparing for a perilous
voyage. At the end of five months they
were ready. The evening of December
9, 1859, at O'Clock they beckoned to
the fisherman Give of them) to come
under a certain rock for the purpose of
trade. When they landed the De Rudio
plotters were there with saber in one
hand and an AK in the other. They
leaned into tho hoat and threatened an