The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-15
LAST DAYS OF THE LATE EMPIRE.
Count Herisson's Detailed Narrative of the
Flight of the Empress.

Flight of the Empress.
Paris Morning News.
Count Irisson d'Herisson, in the 'Diary Of a
Staff Officer" has written a book replete with
curious details of the last days of the empire.
In America when the war of 1870 broke out, he
Chalons. He was subsequently attached to the
staff of Gen. Trochu, the Governor of Paris;
and as he spoke English and German fuently,
be was frequently employed by Jules Favre
in the negotiations with Prince Bismarck
at Ferrieres and Versailles. Perhaps the great
est interest attaches to his account of the flight
of the Empress Eugene from Paris. Her
Majesty was induced to leave by the representa-
tons of Prince Metternich and the Chevalier
Nigra, who visited her at the Tuileries ut 4
o'clock in the afternoon of the 4th OF September.
The last two weeks" said Count Herrison,
that the poor woman had passed at the Tuil-
les, had been nothing but one long torture. a
veritable mental agony. During these terrible
days not an hour had passed without a dispatch
bringing or confirming the news of some mis-
fortune or disaster. In these hours. devoted to
tears, despair, and work, followed by nights
without sleep or repose, she had become affected
both in mind and body. She was only sustained
by the use of very strong coffee, and only OBJ
tanned a little repose by saturating herself with
doses of choral. She had, in fact, taken such
a large quantity Of this drug that she became
subject to fits OF somnambulism, during which,
with her eyes wide open and gazing fxedly,
she seemed unconscious of what passed around
her, and did not understand those who addressed
her"
After making a rapid toilet and packing a
small travelling bag, the Emperess took Prince
Metternich's arm, while Chevalier Nigra offered
his arm to Nine. Lebreton, her M~ajesty's reader,
who refused to leave her sovereign, and the two
ambassadors conducted them through the
Louvre to Saint German pAuxerrois, and placed
them in q cab, Prince Metternich merely saving
to the driver: Boulevard Haussmann." On
arriving there they changed to another vehicle
and drove to the residence of DR.. Evans, in the
Avenue Maiakoff. The doctor, who had known
the Empress from her ~girlhood, and had always
been made welcome at the Tuileries, placed him
self entirely at the disposal of the Empress.
AS she would not at any price take the train
for fear OF being recognized and arrested, she
passed the night at the doctors house. and left
Paris the next day in a landau with him, DR..
Crane and Nine. Lebreton. She decided to pro
coed to Deauville, and thence endeavor to cross
to England. At the Porte Maillot DIR.
Evans thrust his head and shoulders
out of the window on the pretext of ask
ing the national guards stationed there for
some information. He thus concealed the EN-
press from view, and when the barriere was
cleared she burst into tears. On arriving at
Nantes they Quilted the landau and hired an old
fashioned vehicle with four seats, drawn by two
bad horses. Evroux was traversed at the
moment when the new project was proclaiming
the republic to the assembled inhabitants. The
Empress caught a bad cold during the journey,
and moreover cried so much that her supply OF
! pocket handkerchiefs became exhausted, and
DR.. Evans finally had to wash them in a ditch
and afterward hold them out of the carriage
window to dry.
The f~ugitives arrived at Deauville at 6 O'Clock
in the evening, after an Uninterrupted journey
of thirty-six hours. Outside the port was the
yacht Gazelle, belonging to Sir John Burgoyne,
and to him a message was sent asking him to
save the Empress. The reply was q categorical
refusal. He was a foreigner and did not wish to
NEEDLE in political questions. Moreover, a gale
was blowing and he could not lend himself to
such an imprudent undertaking. DR.. Evans,
however insisted and threatened to appeal to an
American yacht which was also lying outside,
whereupon Sir John Burgoyne accepted the per
ilous but glorious mission of conduct.
ing the sovereign lady to England
They embarked shortly after midnight
and sail at 6 o'clock in the morning. The Ga
zelle was a small yacht, only 45 feet long. with
a cabin q meters wide. Twenty-three hours
were passed in this craft in a most tempestous
sea. During the night, when the gale was at its
highest, Sir John Burgoyne. pale, and haggard,
and his eyes full of tears, stepped into the cabin
and groaned: 1--WE are lost" Then, taking the
doctor aside, he said: 'Itis your fault, yours.
and disappeared as quickly as he came. The
incident was SO peculiar that the passengers
looked at each other in amazement for awhile
and then the Empress burst out laugh
! ing st the comicality of Sir John Bur