The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-09-09
ESCAPE FROM THE BASTILE
Most Remarkable Feat of Prison Breaking on
Record Accomplished by
Frenchmen.

, simply being removed to Nincennes,
prison just outside Paris.
| La Tude's. nature was such that ne
never gave way long TO despair, ano
once having decided upon a course OF
action he would follow it out with
amazing perseverance, in face OF heart
rending difficulties and seemingly insur-
mountable obstacles. Soon after his ar
rival at Vincennes he decided upon
making an attempt to escape. His me-
thod in this first effort was as simple as
it was effective. II was the custom for
two turkeys TO guard him while he
walked in the garden, and enc would
wait there until the other went to bring
the prisoner La Tude began by ac-
customing the latter to see him pass
rapidly down stairs and join the first in
the garden.
One morning he hurried before his
keeper as usual, but arriving at the
bottom of the staircase he bolted the
door behind and so prevented the turn
key who was following from giving the
alarm. Then, instead of entering the
garden he knocked at the gate which
led out of the castle, and breathlessly
inquired of the sentinel If he had seen
the visiting able, whom he represented
he had been told to look for. Not only
did the unsuspicious sentinel allow him
to pass, but the ruse worked on three
others of equal stupidity, and La Tude
found himself outside the prison walls.
He stole through fields and vineyards
to Paris. where he immured himself in
obscure lodging.
a more world-wise young man would
have made better use of his liberty than
did La Tude. He.was in difficulty as
to his future, and Economically resolved
to throw himself upon the generosity of
the lady he had offended. He drew up
a most humble memorial to the King,
imploring clemeney if he had not al
ready expiated his conduct. The answer
to. the penitent petition came without
delay He found himself back in the
Bastile in few hor,rs.
A darker cell and farsher treatment
was his lot. NJ. Berger, however, never
faltered in his disinterested exertion.
He provided La Tude with a companion
for his lonely cell, and also supplied
books and writing materials. This led
to further trouble. La Tude INDUCED his
lacerated heart by outpouring his bitter
emotions in satirical verses and cpl
grams, and very inlprudently he left
some lines on the blank page of a book
which were shown to La Pompadour,
and Which contained envenomed allus-
ion to her lack of either beauty or
virtue. This set the seal on his fate.
She vowed now that her vengeance
should last as long as she lived. And it
did. La Pompadour was no friend of
epigram- makersi
La Tude's first escape had been a
simple matter. His second, which he
now resolved upon, was a far different
affair. When he confided his intention
to his companion, D'Alegre, the latter
sought to dissuade him. To break
through the double and treble guards
of the Bastile, climb through a grated
chimney to the summit of lofty tower,
from thence descend into the moat, and
lastly. to pass the external wall, seem
ed to his fellow-captive the most Chin
erica1 project that had ever dawned on
a fevered brain. But La Tude cherished
the idea, brooded over the details, and
soon secured the cooperation of
DAIegre.
They commenced their tremendous
task by grinding down to an edge on
the tiled floor two iron hooks taken
from folding table; these were intend
ed to remove the chimney gratings.
They raised the tiles of the flooring,
beneath which they discovered vacan-
cy four feet deep, and used it as a hid
ing place for their tools and ropes. Next
they drew out the threads of two shirts
one by one, tied them together, and
wound them into small balls, each COM
posed of so threads, so feet in length.
These We're twisted into a rope, which
furnished a ladder 20 feet long, intended
to support the prisoners while they re-
moved the bars which closed up the
chimney entrance.
This was the hardest part of their
task. They were so cramped by the
narrowness of the chimney that it was
impossible to work more than an hour
at time, and their hands ware nearly
always covered with blood The NOR
tar was nearly as hard as iron; they
had no means of softening it except by
blowing water on it with their mouths,