Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1912-11-26
A FAMOUS
ESCAPE
By ELSIE B. MATTEsoN

Doctor" said the prince. IF you
will aid me think l can get out of
this
III l do shall but put myself in
your place.
1t might pay yor to remain in my
place for awhile. am awaiting an
opportunity to place myself where /
could reward you a hundredfold"
Il am aware OF your highness' ambi.
tious intentions, but unfortunately
there are those who occupy the posi-.
ton to which you aspire. and there
seems no reason at present why they
should give 1t up to you. No; II save
you it will be from loyalty rather than
the hope Of gain"
You as my physician can testify
that l am i'll and that it is necessary
that l be placed where / may be kept
quiet-in other words. where 1 will not
be seen. Meanwhile / may get out.
have friends who viii have transporta.
across the border"
where you may renew your at
tempts made at Boulogne in 1910 and
again get yourself in limbo"
THAT was six years ago. when the
pear was not ripe"
II do not believe it to be ripe now"
ITO return to the more immediate
problem. you as my physician, after
my departure. may use what argu-
It'll ~, -.
persuade the governor that l am III
and must not be disturbed"
But supposing he insists on seeing
you"
let him look upon a dummy"
''That may do for a short time. but
sooner or later he will insist on an
examination"
Meanwhile shall have reached
Belgian soil"
And / will be a prisoner"
-'Trust to me for your reward"
IF you are able to reward me-"
A week passed. during which the
prince communicated with his friends
outside the prison walls. and they
agreed to keep n carriage waiting at
all hours OF the day and night at an
appointed place. This was to continue
TIL the prince appeared or informed
them that the contemplated attempt
had been abandoned
Painters were at work in the prison.
and the prince conceived the design Of
walking out openly disguised as one
of them. DR.. Conneau secured for
him a workingman's blouse. trousers
and wooden shoes. He also reported
the prince to be I'll and requested that
he be not disturbed. Dr.. Conneau had
struggled the workman's apparel into
the room and concealed II there. He
had also got ready some extra bed
clothing that he proposed to roll into
the form Of a dummy to be placed in
the prisoners bed.
on the morning that the prince in
tended to attempt an escape he arose
at 6 o'clock, shaved of his mustache
put on the trousers. the blouse aud
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 a
bookshelf that was in the room and
lifted It TO his shoulder DR.. Con
neau was with him and when all was
ready stepped into the corridor. and
having assured the prince that the
coast was clear. the latter passed from
his room.
DR.. Conneau Immediately stepped
back to arrange the dummy.
IL was an anxious moment for the
prince If detected he would be taker
back to his room or. more likely. 10 q
cell and kept doubly guarded that h'
might not make another attempt. Il
he got away scot free TO a foreign
country a possible crown awaited him
Passing along the corridor. he heard
footsteps approaching. Bending hi!
head and partly covering his face will
the bookshelf. he passed prison oti
cial unrecognized At the other end o
the corridor a man walked by him. but
intent upon his thoughts. took no heeS
OF the supposed painter. In this wa,
he passed several persons and at las
found himself in the prison yard.
keeper was lounglng beside the gate
but he had never seen the prince ant
il he had would not likely have know
him in his disguise. Walking out int
the town. the supposed workman wen
leisurely to where n carriage wa
standing opened the door and -'rnre'
inside. The cnachman--One ni
frlends-understood and witaa "a
word being spoken between then
Iounted the box and drove away
At o'clock that afternoon the fugi
tive was nj Vaenciennes.
At that ii're there we're no telegraph
ic lines which to intercept tn
prince SO long as he was unrecoe
nlzed be was safe. SO. retaining BIZ
smock and his wooden shoes. he en-
tered a third class railway coach 70
Brussels once across the line h
breathed freely. for by internationa
law he was immune from arrest with
out extraditon. and extradition di
not apply to political persons.
At Brussels he found friends. chans
ed his clothes and after s brief sta
departed for London. where he al
rived two days later
Between two and three years afte
this escape Louis Philippe. king OF th
French abdicated and a republic wa
instituted Prince Louis Napoleon Be
naparte. who escaped from the prise
at Ham. was elected its president an
later emperor.