New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-21
WONDERFUL ESCAPES.
A VICTIM OF THE poMPADOURS VENICE

at Venice. The history Of Latude's impnsonnents
and escapes s OF the deepest interest, not only for the
personal experiences Of the writer. but for the light
thrown upon the methods OF the French Government
under the old regime. Latude committed boyish
folly. and for this he pursued by the Pompndour
with a malIgnity which seems all but incredible.
Thrtyhve years Of his life converted into a
marty rom nor did the death OF his pcrsecmor either
terminate or alleviate his misery. On the contrary,
her surviving agents continued her vengeance as f'to
crafty personal revenge, and added torment to
torment in the evident hope Of breaking down or de-
stroyng their helpless victim.
Henry Masers de Latudc was the natural son OF
marquis who lived on his property In the country.
There is n mystery about his relations with his father.
The latter had him we'll educated. but when the time
came for him 10 enter the word the young man. for
some unexplained reason determined 10 rely upon him
SELF for advancement instead Of soliciting the influence
Of the marquis. lie began by blunder which wrecked
his life. Thinking That lie coud secure the interest
OF Madame de Pompadour his would be assured.
ne took the most fantastic AMI foolish course con
ceivable Making package Of ,onis harmless powder,
he addressed 10 the favoe, mailed II In the Flrs
postofcc. and then sought an interview with the
Pompadour. TO whom he tod silly story OF having
overheard two strangers discussing her assassination,
OF having followed and seen them pot mysterious
package. and Of having niantly FASTENED 70 warn her
She listened appeared Interested. ana then offered
Latudc money. lie declined t. receive II. AMI init
mad that Ee hoped TO b rewarded with some o1tcr'
The PompadOur appears 70 have 'a1 her suspicious
reused, and asked him 10 write down his name ana
address, that she might DC able to send for him when
she bad anything TO communicate. The stupid NoEn;
fellow did ms he requested, and thereby convicted
himself for the handwriting Of which he gave sped
men was identical with that Of the address on the
mysterious package
month passed. and Iatu!c inducing In high
hopes OF prefermcnt. when suddenly lie Wa ar ~cd
and taken 10 tie Bastillr Next day TIE bead OF ;he
police NJ. Bcrrycr examined him privately. and he
confessed the trick he had PLAYED. WHY the Pompa
dour should have taken 1t in such dudrcon 1T l. i'm
possible to understand. II Is said hat st." did not
believe Latudes story. bat no hint Is given Of what she
did believe. AT all events She became imphcablc
toward him from that moment. ana there was no hope
of release for him. lie by means illtra.cd IN
the Bastille-in fact he better treated ihin are
any class of prisoners day IN any European prison
He had a large and comfortable roca-not a G Ito
himself He allowed seven bottles Of wine
week His meals were abundant and varci. He com
plains Of their mOnotOny 1t seems that thorc was
regular menu for each day Of the week. hi. he
editor observes there Is net Prisoner In any modern
Jail who would not have jumped at the chance III
changing places with him.
The worst suffering he experienced wa duc to
solitude. but NJ. Bcrycl. who vcr, hind II him.
procured him the pi;vileg" Of a maH-Scrvani. win
whom he could converse. Now The rule that when
a thIs admitted t. ~" a.iilr, lie mus;
forcgO his freedom ior long his master remained
in prison Latudes valet had agreed 90 ts condition,
hut he was a country lad and the c0.c confinement
prcyed upon his health. Application made for
his release but ffutlcssly, and in few months he
sickenel and died. Then NJ Bcrryer gave La'udc as
companion ycung man mined DA Eyre aro'h.r
victim of the TOmpidoar. and after lalIulc
began TO plan III, c.cHpr. lie prCF1>,i 10 cirD
the chimney which passed through hi> ROOM though
he knew that each floor It closed aelnS; saCh
attempts by double and heavy iron cIaNng>. Ills |
ph,u was to gain the roof Of the fortress ard then
descend by a rope into the moat. The descent
was over 200 feet The accom-, OF the preparations
Cor this daring enterprise IL fascinating. Every
step had TO be taken In the face Of m almost
ccaseess vigilance. The liable TO be visited
at any moment and To be Inspected thoroughly with
out warning Yet the two prisoners succeeded in
making rope-ladder hundred yards In length
Latude found the material for The rope III his Shirt
OF which lie possessed thirteen dozen ana half
rather remarkable outfit at that time. y year ana
half passed In the preparations and no suspicion
was entertained by tlm Keeper.
Finally the escape successfully accomplished,
though after reaching the roof and making the
descent in safety the comrades found II necessary 70
make a hole in a wall between four ana five feet
thick. After triumphne over every obstacle Latud2
and DAigre got clear Of the EaStillc, and of Paris.
Once In the country they separated pos
and crossed it, D'Aligrc arrived ut brussels, Lit
tude in Holland. In, the arm Of the pompadour
was long. After various hazards and cvaSions
Latudc was captured and rcconveyed to the Bas;illc
Then. indeed, his sufe,ings began. He was To b.
allowed no further privileges Thrown into dun
geon streaming with water. fed foaliy boddsd upon
wet and rotten straw. devourcd by vcrmin. infested
BY rats, lie allowed t. anguish ia torment for
years. Only when he seemed The point Of death
was his treatment aevatcd. TO follow lis evil
fortunes in any detail would detaln us too long. II
must suffice to that he spent fifteen years IN the
Bastllle ten In the castle of VinceDnes and ten In
Clarendon and Bicetrc. His spirit was indomta5!c
When not actually in some underground dun
econ, undergoing slow torture which paralyzeh aii
his faculties he memoriazins every Influential
person he knew n he planning escape.
He escaped from Nincennes In n sinSlilariy boid
way on the spur OF the moment: but he was soon
rccaptured Once he was actually ea-ed. and
banished from Paris. But the release was only
trick for on his way 70 the place fixed for his resi-
dence he was arrested again. and once more nunS
into q dungeon Another time his prosecutor dc
clared that lie a dangerous madman. and TO bear
this out sent him 10 Clarendon. which was an insane
asylum though often used place Of reception for
victims OF lettTcs de cachet" Here he was treated
much better than he had been AZ Nincenncs. but Il
was his fate reach the lowest state OF his fortunes
ut Blcetre which was criminal prison where he wa
thrown among the vilcst professional milefactors and
treated with systematic cruelty and iGnomlny. How
any man could have survived such treatment l. in
itself q perpetual wonder. Al B'cc:-e he was lodged
IN q cell with grated but unglazcd windows. all
through the bttercst winter weather 1t was always
freezing hard In the cell. but he had blankets
overcoat, no wooden clothIrg-only prison suit OF
and light material worn 40 ta,ters The air was
pestient from the vicinity of sewers. The food was
such dog would have turned away from. The
prisoner was not allowed TO read or write. some
times he made tablets of compressed bread and wrote
upon them with his blood. His resource and
ingenuity were really nexhaustibe Yet he would
probably have persisted In his dungeon but for an
accident and q woman.
certain magistrate. visiting the prison. took
composite upon the wretched prisoner. and engaged
ia.4 ond I'M m.lrinI tInIlt