The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-10-13

One of the Blacklist BIots ON Na-
poleon's Career.

Prof William ~ Sloane, in the Century.
The scenes of that awful night defy de-
scriptlon. The castle of Vincennes was be-
set with guards when finally, at about an
hour before midnight. the various members
OF the court assembled. Their looks were
dark and troubled as they wondered who
the mysterious culprit might be. None
Knew but Hulin. the president, the judge
advocate and Savary, the destined eXecu-
duke, pale and exhausted by his long jour
ney. munciling a slender meal, which he
shared with his dog. and explaining to his
5ailer his doleful thoughts at the prospect
OF a long Imprisonment. 1t would be amel-
forated IL only he could crafty his passion
Tor hunting and surely they two. as pris-
oner and keeper, might range the forest
In company. But at last he fell asleep
from sheer fatigue.
The jailer. Harel. a picked man who had
(who. IL will be recalled, had been executed
on unprOven charges of conspiracy 10 as
sassinate Bonaparte). was q sometime fiery
Jac0Din. He could not well encourage the
expectations of his new prisoner, dreary
as they were. for he had that very morning
supervised the digging OF a grave in the
castle moat. At midnight the duke was
awakened and confronted with the Judge
advocate. Real was u"naccountably absent.
and the nterrogatory so carefully prepared
by the rude questions formulated by Hulin.
with the aid of n memorandum from Murat,
the prisoner, in spite OF repeated hints
from the members of the court-martial as to
the consequence. would only reply that
he bad a pension from England and had
applied 10 her ministers Tor military Serv-
ice: that he hoped to fight Tor his cause
with tro0Os raised in Germany from among
the disaffected and the lemigrants; that
he had stoutly denied any relations with
Dunourfez or PfchegTu and all knowledge
OF the plot 10 asSaesinate the first consul.
He was then called to the bar in the
dimly lighted ~sitting-room where the com
mission sat. To the papers containing
questions he was ironically permitted to
affx a demand for an audience with the
nrSt consul. My name. my station, my
mode of thought. and the horror of my
situation" ne said, inspire me with hope
that he viii not refuse my request" The
Revolutionary tribunal followed it's in
%stincts: its members. knowing well the
familiar statutes under which such bodies
had acted since the days of the conven-
ton. but not having at hand the words or
forms OF "A verdict as prescribed by the
pitiless laws concerning those who had
borne arms against France, left in the
record a blank TO be filled out later, and
pronounced their judgment that the "regu-
Tar sentence" be executed at once. They
were actually engaged in composing a De
tition for c,emency TO the first consul when
himself Of what had been done and what
they were then doing. Snatching the pen
from Hulin's hand. he exclaimed: The
res. Is my affair."" and left the room.
1t was now 2 In the morning OF the 2lst.
Follow me- said the taciturn Harel. land
summon all your courage" A few PAGES
through the moat, a turn Of a corner.
and the flare Of torches displayed a file
OF troops not far from an open grave. AS
the ad1utant began to read the sentence,
the victim faltered for a moment and ex-
claimed. oh. God, what have / done?''
But In an instant he regained the mastery
OF himself Calmly clipping a lock of his
hair. and drawing a ring from his finger.
ne asked that they might be sent to the
Princess Charlotte. A volley-and in an
instant he was dead.