St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-10-04

W ! pening to give
offense to Nine
De Pompadour, he was arrested and
cast into the Bastille. Later he was
transferred to the castle Of Vincennes,
from which he cleverly escaped. II
kept up my courage" he says, with
the hope of being one day able to obtain
my liberty and was constantly forming
plans with that in view. Among my
fellow prisoners had noticed an aged
ecclesiastic who had been deprived Of
his liberty on account Of his connection
with the Jansenists. He was allowed
considerable freedom, and usually APP
peared in garden adjoining the one
where | was permitted to take some
daily exercise at about the same time.
Two turkeys accompanied me, one
waiting for me i'll the garden, the other
came up alone to let me out. This latter
! gradually accustomed to see me con-
sderably in advance of him so one day
ran down the stairs with inconceivable
swiftness, and hastily boiling the door
before be could reach it, left him pris-
oner within and me four sentinels to
contend with. The first was on the other
side of door which led from the dun
geon and was kept closed Knocking, |
asked: Where is the able of st. Sau-
veur? Our priest has been waiting for
him over two hours, and | have been
looking everywhere for him?' This able
was a frequent visitor at the prison.
Running forward, | put the same ques-
ton to the second sentinel, and again
was allowed to pass. The third, posted
Oh the draw bridge did the same, while
the fourth, never suspecting that pris-
oner could get by three sentinels, made
no effort TO detain me | crossed the
threshold of the outermost gate, ran for
ward, and, 10, was free!
Latude made his way to Paris, took
furnished lodgings, then with a bold
ness almost incredible wrote personal
letter to the king urging that by his I'M
prisonment he had expated his fault
He was rearreSted as matter of course,
convened back to the Bastille and con-
fined in strong cell, where he remain
ed Is months under strict surveillance,
when by the orders Of NJ. Berger, the
lieutenant Of police, he was removed to
a more comfortable room, which he oc-
cupied conformity with young man vi
his own age named Allegro, charged
with the same crime as was Lathe, that
of having given offense to Nine. de
Pompadour.
Under such circumstances but one
idea could actuate bOth-to obtain their
liberty But how? To escape or perish
III the attempt The gates Of the BastlliC
after his former escapade were ont ct
the question, and since the ground was
denied them they looked upward and
determined to mount into the air. III
their room was chimney running tC
the top of the tower, but so fortified
with bars of iron as scarcely to leave
free passage for smoke, and any one
making his way to the top would fine
himself cut off from all surrounding
buildings with ditch commanded byi
high wall 200 feet beneath him. For
time Latude thought and worked alone
his companion having no faith i'll theil
final success
"There were many things, " he writes
"to provide for and to do-to climb tt
the top of the chimney in spite OF thu
bars, to make a ladder long enough tt
reach to the foot of the tower, and an
other which must be of wood for mount
ing the ditch on the other side. Tool
and materials must be procured; the.
must be used in secrecy, and yet as l
We're under the jailer's eyes. "
First, then, to find place where ev
erything could be concealed HIS ia
miliarity with the Bastille enabled La
tude to Judge whether the chamber
above or below were occupied, ana n
soon discovered that while no sound
came to them from above, there wa
evidence that some one was III the on
below them. This perfect silence over
head led him to think that there wa
considerable space between the flooring
of that cell and the ceiling OF his own
Obtaining leave to visit the chapel o
the prison with Allegro and the prlsone
below them, Latitude managed with Al
legre's help to get into the room. In
ceiling was o low one, and measuring
the height of the entire story, he judge
that space of about five feet lay DC
tween the upper and lower rooms.
1--WE are saved, >" he exclaimed vine
the two were once more at liberty g
speak. eve have hiding place enoug
for awhole workshop of things. bu
how are we to get them?" asked tn
other impatiently, "Why," answere
Latude, 'this trunk of mine Will SUI
ply us with all the rope we shall need
"Trunk Rope! Why there is nothln
of the kind in it. " "What, have nc
several dozens of shirts, NAPKINS stocH
ings, etc? We have only to tear incl
up to get ladder of any length .
From folding table in the cell the
cut away the ironwork with thel
pocket knives, and thus obtained KIN
of rough chisel for loosening the bars
the chimney and prying up piece
the flooring They succeeded III plckh
hole in the brickwork underneath the'
floor, where they found clear space
some four feet in which to hide 'ne