Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-11-07
A FAMOUS
ESCAPE
Bv ELSIE h. MATTESON


your place"
ut might pay you IL remaiu In my
place for awhile. am awaiting an
opportunity to place myself where
could reward You hundrcdfod,"
Il am aware VI your highnrSs' amhi-
tious intentions, but unfortunately
there are those who occupy the posi-.
ton to which You aspire and there
seems no reason ut present why they
should give ii up to You, No; IL | save
you II will hc from loyalty rather than
the hope Of Saiu,"
You as my physician can testify
that am i'll and that II Is necessary
that | be placed where may I've kept
quiet In other words, where viii not
be seen Meanwhile | way set out |
have friends who viii have trauSrorta-
ton waiting for me that will take me
| across the border"
where You may renew your at
tempts made ut Roulognc IN tSl0 and
again get Yourself in limbo"
THAT was sk years age when the
pear was not ripe"
Il do not believe it to hc ripe now"
TO return to the more Immediate
| problem, you as my physician, after
my departures, may use what argu-
ments you think viii he effective to
persuade the governor that | am Ill
and must not he disturbed"
but surprising he insists ON seeing
you"
LET him look upon dummy"
"That may do for short time. but
sooner or later he viii insist on an
examination"
"Mcanwhile I shall have reached
Belgian soil"
And viii he a prisoner
''rrust to me for your reward"
! "lf you are able to reward me"
4 week passed, during which the
prince communicated with his friends
outside the prison walls, and they
agreed to keep u carriage waiting ut
oil hours OF the day and night at an
appointed place, This was to continue
till the prince appeared or Informed
them that the contemplated attempt
had been abandoned
Painters were nj work In the prison,
and the prince conceived the design of
walking out openly disguised as one
Of them. DR.. Conneau secured FOR
him workingmans blouse, trousers
and wooden shoes. He also reported
the prince to he III and requested that
he be not disturbed Or Conneau haG
struggled the workman's apparel into
the room and concealed II there, He
had also got ready some extra bed
clothing TINT he proposed 10 roll into
the form OF dummy to he placed In
the prisoners bed.
On the morning thnt the prince In
tended to attempt nm escape he arose
at @ O'Clock, shaved Off his mustnche
put on the trousers. the blouse and
the shoes. and that he might have
something with which to conceal his
features II he should pass any one
familiar with them he picked up II
bookshelf that was In the room and
lifted II To his shoulder Dr. Con
neau WAS with him and when all was
ready stepped into the corridor, and,
coast was clear. the latter passed from
his room.
DR. Conneau Immediately stepped
back to arrange the dummy.
II was IN anxious moment for the
prince If detected he would be taken
back to his room or, more likely, to Il
cell and kept doubly guarded that he
p1inbt ma ,nI N ~
he got away scot free to II foreign
country II possible crown awaited him
Passing along the corridor. he heard
footsteps approaching. Bending his
head and partly covering his face with
the bookshelf, he passed II prison OIL
cinl unrecogulZed. At the other end OF
the corridor n man walked by him, but
Of the supposed painter. In this way
he passed several persons aud nj last
found himself In the prison yard. 4
keeper was lounging beside the gate
but he had never seen the prince and
II he had would not likely have known
him In his disguise. Walking out into
the town. the supposed workman went
leisurey to where carriage was
standing, opened the door ana stepped
inside. The coachman OF his
Observation-Disclosures and without even
word being spoken between then
mounted the bax and drove away.
At O'Clock that afternoon the fugi
tive was at Valenciennes.
At that time there were no telegraph
ic lines by which 10 intercept the
prince. SO long as he was unrecog
nlzed he was safe. so. retaining his
smock and his wooden shoes. he en-.
tered a third class railway coach for
Brussels. Once across the line he
} breathed freely. for by international
law he was immune from arrest with
out extradition. and extradition did
not apply to political persons
, At Brussels he found friends. chang
ed his clothes and after brief stay
departed for London. where he ar.
- -