The morning call., 1894-11-18
CAME TO NAUGHT.
A Plot to Give Napoleon
;. His Freedom.
WAS PLANNED IN ENGLAND.
A Wonderful Set of Chessmen That
Fell Into the Hands of Sir III.
Hudson Lowe.

| PARIS, Oct. 19, 1S94-At time when
| Napoleon, more than ever, is an ideal
hero-a parsonage who occupies the aiten-
ton of both the literary and theatrical
~orlds-it may not be uninteresting to
/ know that 10 England there was a con-
sDiracy among some English people to set
at liberty the exile of ST. Helena.
| | have the story on very good authority,
and Sir Hudson Lowe, in his memorial,
vaguely refers TO this passage in: the life
of the Emperor. When n ,poleon was at
St. Helena the English people, or a GER
tain portion of the aristOcracy, suddenly
discovered that they had great admiration
for the grand warrior. were indignant be-
cause of the treatment inflicted on the EN-
peror. and openly blamed the Ministry.
King George himself. who had never APP
proved the vigorous measures of his Cabi-
net. was disposed to encourage the feel
ings of agitation and revolt of at least
portion of his people. :. Indeed, all seemed
to feel that great injustice must be re-
paired. and there was a conspiracy TO de-
liver Napoleon from captivity.
Among the con spiraIors were member
of the two houses. wetl-known merchants
and number Of military men. The plan
was made and written, but in order that it
might be known. at st. Helena it was
copied in fragments on small pieces Of
paper. and all the pieces inserted in set
of chessmen made for the purpose. The
mission of carrying the board and chess
men TO Napoleon deVolyed on a young
officer of the East Indian army. who, with
his young wife, was on his way from Eng
lana to India. The officer was 10 stop at
S.. Helena, see Napoleon. place IN his own
bands the famous chessmen. then continue
his route to India. But the officer died
suddenly, his wife was very I'll and
obliged to confide the treasure to friend
of her husband. who would stop at ST.
Helena and deliver the chessmen to the
Emperor himself. However, the game of
chess reached Napoleon only through the
aid of Sir Hudson Lowe, who in his me-
mortal says:
II was embarrassed when / received
this present for General Bonaparte. When
l opened the boxes i saw that each piece
was marked with an imperial crown and
an n. This allusiOn to a power past and
gone forever. this recognition of right
which no longer existed, seemed to me
dangerous, or at least contrary TO the man
ner in which Napoleon should be treated
at st. Helena. Must l acknowledge it?
! This crown engraved on these toys fright.
ened me. [ saw there new impetus given
to his pretensions for power and empire.
l dared not send him Immediately the
terrible presents. l told the officer who
brought the gift OF to speak of il at Long
wood when he was presented, and for
days l was perpiexed and undecided. The
game of chess, sent from England. was for
me an affair OF state. One might have
thought that l believed / was checkmating
all the rulers OF Christianity IN allowing
BODaparte to use chesSb0ard and men
marked with his own initial, surmounted
by crown. At last decided to send the
gift, for had promised"
Sir Hudson Lowe does not mention
whether be discovered the plan of escape
concealed in this game of chess, but after
the death of The Emperor the chessmen
were sent to Madame Lac itia, who lived
in Rome. She Intended to send the game
to her grandson, the Duke of Reichstadt.
but this was impossible. because he was
closely watched by agents OF France, Aus
tria. Italy and England. Mad ame Leitia
saw very few peope--only a few Bona
partists who, passing through Rome, paid
her their respects. The ppOr Duke de
Reichstadt was veritable prisoner at the
Austrian court, and he was not even
allowed to possess an object that might
recall his father. Thus, it was only in
; 1882 that Madame LRtitia had an oppor-
tunity to send the game of chess to her
grandson. His professor. of mathematics
, was the Baron Won Pr0kesch-Osten, who
, dearly loved The young heir OF NapOleons
In June, 1882, the Baron, travelling in.
Italy, visited Nine. LHtitia. and found her
=. very i'll. However, she questioned him
/ very carefully about her grandsOn's ex-
, iStance at SchGnbrunD, and asked him 10.
carry the game of chess used by his father
TO the Duke of ReichstadI: :.
"Glve him, secretly the chess, lock of
my hair and letter, which [ shall write.
Only give the objects in his own hands,
and il you cannot-do so keep them your
self"
The Baron could only return to Vienna
at the end of July, and then he learned
that the young Prince bad passed away
from this world. The objects confided to
him by Nine. L8titia were always carried
about by Baron voD PrOkesch during his
lifetime. and at his death. some twenty
years ago, they were inherited by his son,
Count Tony Won Prokesch-Osten. .
From o member of the Prokesch family
we learn that the cheSsmen are now to: be
investigated to discover whether the plan
was extracted by Sir Hudson Lowe or
whether its presence had never been de-
tected either by Lowe or Napoleon him
self. -
Among relics the library. of the Council
of State, Paris, possesses 157 letters of
Napoleon T.. These letters relate to Ques--
lions between the Emperor and the Holy
See. AT the Museum of the Invalide- we
see the famous gray frock coat the hat
worn by the Emperor during the campaign
o. 1914, the chair used by the Emperor at
st. Helena, the little tricolOr cockade that
he placed IN his hat when he said Good
by" to FOHtainebleau, his iron bedstead
and number of small objects for his per-
sOnal use. 80.
In the museum al Nancy is a saber car
( ried by BOnaparte in Egypt, and a lock or
, his hair; the Count d'Archiac possesses
: the belt worn at Wagram; Count Walew-
ski has the spurs used at AusterlltZ; The
Duke de Tarente has the saber used at
Mont Thabor, aud NJ. Woo the sword of
' BonsDarte as artillery officer. The bed on:
! which the Emperor died is in the pesses-
sion of Prince Murat, who Inherited it
from his grandma Their, Queen Caroline.
The Cortilliot family have piece of
Napoleon's coffin and branch OF the
r ! weeping willow that shaded his tomb.
b The Able Coquerean, almoner of the
/ Belle-POule. brought these relics from
ST. Helena TO his friend, NJ. Cortilliot.
In the National Archives, Paris, we find
: the marriage certificate of Napoleon and
g Josephine. This certificate was discovered
Q among the papers at the Tuileries after
n September A. 1870 and IN this document
" | ,va "A fhof No noInOn Wna horn Eahruarv