The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-03

United States They were willing and
anxious for me to remain abroad. and hoped
would continue to do so. While was In
London, Liverpool and in Birmingham our
consuls at those ports knew who / was and
advised our State Department Of my where
abouts. but nothing was done. OF course,
when the matter was brought to the atten-
ton of the government In such an official
manner and from such a source there was
nothing TO do but to express thanks and
take measures for having me returned TO
this country for trial. In the meantime l
was confined in cell in the old monastery.
The second day after my arrest, or rather
the second night, messenger arrived from
AntoneIli directing the officer in command
Of the post, the Baron De Serappe,
who, you will remember, married Miss
Polk, of North Carolina, to have me sent
to Rome under heavy guard the moment
the summons was received. was awak-
ened at a. m. by the rusty Key grazing
in the lock of my cell and by the light OF
a pickering lantern ] saw that my untlme-
~ visitors were an officer and SIX soldiers,
all heavily armed. At once / knew what
1t meant and when the lieutenant in COM
mand ordered me to dress at once IN oruer
to go to Rome at once made up my MIND
that let the consequences be what they
NAV would not go to the Eternal City.
While dressing mentally arranged plan
Of escape. This old monastery was built
on the side of the mountain, nesting on
one side, and the west side was directly
over a precipice over a hundred feet high.
A wall four feet high guarded the court
yard. determined to break away from
my captors and go over that precipice.
7 I.o1 Ante I 1lIo
in the center of this guard and we slowly
assembled the stone steps of the old build
ing, worn smooth by countless feet of
many generations of monks. We reached
the courtyard and turned towards the left.
Just as we reached the point had Sc
lected for my attempt made break for
liberty and running quickly across the
courtyard @Amped on the wall. Gathering
myself for the attempt I took a long breath
and jumped into space, doubling my legs
slightly under me as l did so. About thir-
ty-five feet from the top of the precipice
there was bare ledge of rock jutting out
from the face of the mountain, and about
four feet broad. BY great good fortune /
landed safely on that ledge"
A DESPERATE LEAP.
Captain, it has been stated that when
you broke away from your captors you
made a wild jump over this precipice and
landed purely by accident on that ledge.
As a matter of fact, didn't you know of the
existence of that ledge of rock?'
Know Of it? Why, of course 1 knew of
it. Do you think / would have been such
idiot as to jump over a hundred-foot
precipice to certain death in that manner?
Many and many a time my comrades and
myself, in hours of idleness, would lean
over that precipice and wonder how many
feet it was from the wall of the court yard
to the ledge, and it was an open question
as to whether a man could jump from the
wall and land safely on the ledge. While
dressing determined to make the attempt.
1t makes my blood run cold to think of it
now, though However / managed to land
on it safely, and, my legs doubling up under
me my head struck the bare rock with fear
full force. / was knocked senseless. In the
meantime what q scene of confusion and
what babel of voices there was abovei
The lieutenant in command wrung his
hands in anguish and swore in choice must
cal Italian My break had been so sudden
that every man was taken completely by
surprise. They had had plenty of time to
shoot me down if they had had the presence
of mind. Running to the side of the preci-
have seen me lying there unconscious, for
they Immediately began firing down on me.
They may have Gone so on a venture. how
ever. was brought back to my senses by
the reports of their rifles from above and
the bullets fiattening themselves on the
bare rock unpleasantly near my head.
Dizzy and sick and shaken I managed to
gather myself together and crawl out of
danger and gradually made my way down
the side of the mountain to the little town
which nestled at its base Running along
the main street of the town, l
ran directly into the arms of a
detail of zouaves. They We're
as much surprised as I, but had the adj
vantage of being on the alert. With me it
was almost IL matter of life and death.
Doubling quickly on my tracks and expect
ing every moment to be hit by some of the
bullets which were flying around my head,
L ran like a frightened deer. Through al
leys, down dark streets and across lots /
sped, and managed to elude my pursuers.
In the meantime the entire town was in an
uproar. Every one had the alarm, and all
the gates were guarded Selecting a good
point managed to get over the wall and
headed down the white italian road towards
the coast I should have said at the begin
ming that all this took place during the
early hours OF the morning. 1t was a. m
when was aroused and told to dress BY
the time had left the town a few miles in
the road the sun was high in the heavens,
and 1 was congratulating myself on my
three escapes, when was suddenly startled
by the sharp command:
Halt! Who goes there's?
Friend / answered in my best Italian.
recognizing that 1 had run into a Carl
baldian camp. CHANGING at my papal uni
form, the outpost was by no means reas-
sured. In the meantime 1 had raised my
hands above my head. Bringing his rifle to
his shoulder, he was pressing the trigger
unpleasantly hard. Raising my hands even
higher in the air, sang out to him, Lower
your rifle, man; can't you see my hands
are up" Still covering me with his rifle,
he ordered me to advance within a few
PAGES of him and called out Justify for the
corporal of the guard That officer came on
the run, and seeing my rig, called for the
sergeant of the guard. He no sooner
caught glimpse of my dress than he called
for the officer of the guard. To make a
long story short. was soon surrounded by
a mob of Garibaldians of all ranks and
sizes. When l told them that / was an
Americana, a deserter from the Papilo
Guardo and wanted to get to the coast, they