The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-04-02
ESCAPE OF LAFAYETTE.


revolution. was compelled to seek ali
asylum in a neutral territory. with TIE
! hope. as he expressed it some day to
be again Of service to liberty and to
France
Lafayette and three companions
crossed into Belgium, which country
was not at war with France They
intended to make their way to Brus-
sells. whence they might seek refuge
in America or England.
After a rapid journey they arrived
at night in the vicinity Of an Austrian
post and found they could not
! 60 further without passports. 50
they decided to conceal their identity
and to demand from the Austrian
commandant permission to proceed.
The general In command was about
to issde the passports as matter of
course. when a crowd Of ragged
French refugees recognized Lafayette
and at once commenced to abuse him,
and even threatened personal violence
At this one Of the Austrian soldiers
beat back the insolent French emf
grants and the general Immediately
put Lafayette under arrest. The mar
qUis' companions We're also seized.
The news that Lafayette was a pris-
oner spread rapidly, The emperor
Of Austria ordered that he be deliver
cd into the keeping Of the king Of
Prussia. Lafayette and his compan-
ions protested that they were non
combatants and that therefore they
should be allowed to 60 free. But it
was in vain The kings Of the cont
nent regarded him as the champion
of liberty anl consequently as their
worst foe He was told that the only
way he could regain his freedom was
to publically state that his past politi-
cal opinions were ali wrong and that
he had forsaken them. This he indig-
nantly refused 10 do.
At length France and Prussia con.
cludod a treaty Of peace Instead OF
| liberating Lafayette the king of Prus-
sia handed him and his companions
! over to Austria, which country was
still at war with France, The place
selected for their Imprisonment was
the castle at Olmutz.
Here they were informed that they
would never again leave the walls Cf
the fortress, that they would never
again hear human voices, that their
names would never again be mention
| ed, and that they would only be known
| by the numbers on the doors of their
cells.
The walls Of these cells were twelve
| feet thick, and the air was admitted
| by loopholes, two feet square, which
looked upon ditch'Of stagnant water.
In a large hall without their doors
were stationed a guard of twenty-five
men, who were forbidden to utter
sound of any kind while on duty. Up
on the outward walls were placed
| eight sentries with orders, on pain of
hundred lashes. to speak no word to
the prisoners and to shoot them dead
| if they attempted to escape.
Each cell had two doors, one of
iron and one Of wood, both covered
with bolts, bars and padlocks Every
nook and corner Of the cells was daily
examined with the utmost minuteness.
The bread was crumbled to pieces by
the officers on guard to prevent the
possibility Of any note being thus de
livered. \ bit Of rotten straw, swarm
ing with vermin, and a broken chair
and table formed their furniture.
Because of these hardships, the
| dampness of his cell, the insufficient
food, and the constant confinement
the marquis became very sick and for
Il while it was thought he would die.
Meanwhile his friends, both in Amer
ca and on the continent, of whom he
had a great many, eXerted themselves
to the utmost to secure his release
Washington wrote a personal letter to
the emperor Of Austria interceding
for him.
Nothing came Of all the efforts to
induce the Austrians to liberate Lafay-
ette and no one even knew where he
was confined. Whether he was yet
alive, was uncertain.
In 1893 a Hanoyerian named DR..
Bollman was furnished with money by
Count Tolendal, and attempted to dis
cover the place of Lafayettc'S cOntine-
ment. After a long search he was
compelled to return to London and
report that the only thing he could
learn concerning the marquis was
that Prussia had delivered him over
to Austria.
But the friends OF Lafayette were
not discouraged. In June, 1874. they
sent DI BolIman to Austria to search
for him and. if he was alive, to try to
effect his escape After great Difficult
ty BOllman learned that there was Il
mysterious prisoner at Oimutz, and he
at once made up his mind that it was
Lafayette Acting on this supposi-
ton the doctor went to Olmutz and
visited the hospital. He soon picked
an acquaintance with the chief sar-
geon, Judging that he attended the
prisoner, who, report said. lad been
quite sick.
The surgeon and the doctor soon
became very friendly and would go
to an inn where they would have long
talks together. One day while con
versing, Bollman spoke Of the prison
er, Lafayette, who was confined in the
castle. The surgeon looked astonish-
ed but did not deny the fact that the
place held the noble patriot as captive.
Bollman was delighted. for he had at
last located the marquis He took
lrom his pocket a phampIet and threw
It on the table, saying;
You might show that to Lafayette
Tell him that You obtained it from
traveller who had lately been in Lon
don. Most of the persons spoken Of
there are the marquis particular
friends and | am sure he would like
to learn about them
Then Bollman commenced to talk
of other matters and soon went away.
leaving the papers on the table. In
a few days he visited the surgeon
again. OF his own accord the kind
hearted man spoke of Lafayette He
said that he had shown the pamphlet