Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-10-12
A Flight
FrOmDeath
A Story of the French
Revolution.
By JAMES BRAINARD

Truth is so much stranger than fiction
that perhaps it is better to state that
the main incident of this story actually
happened just as 1t Is recorded.
The French revolution had reached
that stage commonly designated the
reign of terror. Every day the doors of
the Conciergerie prison opened to let
out a number of human beings no to
life, liberty and the pursuit Of happi-
ness" as was ~enunciated shortly be
fore by the American colonists In their
Declaration of Independence, but to
suffer death on the guillotine. At first
the victims were confined to those who
stood for tyranny. The king, the queen,
the nobility, royalty and its supporters
lost their heads. Then the different
factions that had brought about the
revolution began to fight for power,
and the conservatives were guillotined
by the radicals. After this whoever
desired to get rid of n he wished to
remove had but to inform upon him as
an enemy of France, and the accused
would toin the 'innumerable caravan"
passing under the yoke of the guillo-
tine to his long home.
It was not always an enemy that
was to be got rid Of. Sometimes 1t was
q friend. That friend might possess
something that at his death would fall
into the hands Of the informer.
There lived in Paris at that time a
young couple, Henri and Marie Cha
teaubrun, who were devoted to each
other. Henri, when the struggle against
oppression began, took a deep interest
in 1t, advocating the reforms that were
proposed. He and a friend of his,
Antoine Boyer, became somewhat
prominent as leaders in that quarter
of,the city In which they lived. Boyer,
who was q bachelor, came often to the
Chateaubruns to consult with his
friend upon the course to be adopted
by them in public affairs. Nine. Cha
teaubrun took a lively interest In the
early efforts Of the revolutionists to
make France q constitutional monarchy
and was usually present at the confer
ences of her husband and his friend.
During these meetings Boyer conceiy-
ed a passion for Nine. Chateaubrun.
For Q time he struggled against 1t, not
acknowledging to himself that he
loved his friends wife. But the time
came when he knew that life for him
was not worth living without her.
As the revolution proceeded the two
friends and coworkers found them
c.1yas ~, difpa~oD+ Mathis Cbo+oo,,hr,n
Continued a conservative, while Boyer
Joined the ranks Of the bloodthirsty
Jacobins. The latter did not give up
his visits to the Chateaubruns. Indeed,
he was not able to keep away from the
young wife of his friend. Since neither
she nor her husband suspected his love
he was always welcome.
: And now, the revolution having swept
beyond the conservatives, those who
had hoped for beneficent results TO
France, who had worked for the be-
ginning of a better regime, found them
In the position Of enemies to
their country. In attempting to stay
the flow of blood they incurred the
of those who were shedding 1t.
Then 1t was that Nine. Chateaubrun
began to fear for the safety Of her hus-
band. She urged him to retire from
any further participation In public af-
fairs, to go to a small estate he owned
In the country. But, dangerous as 1t
was to continue a contest with the
leaders of the mob, Chateaubrun was
too much of a man to cease to defend
What he considered the best interests
of his country.
Fiercer and fercer grew the mob, re-
curing of their leaders more and larger
drafts Of blood. Nine. Ch%ateaubrun
begged her husband to leave Paris.
He sent for his friend Boyer, now one
the Jacobin leaders, and asked him
what he had better do. Boyer said he
would take the matter under advise
ment and LET him know his conclusions.
The day after this interview there
was a knock at Chateaubrun's door,
and when it was opened a party of SOL
diers entered and informed Chateau
brun that he was under arrest by order
of the convention. In spite Of his
clinging wife he was dragged away
and lodged in the Conciergerie.
He demanded-all arrested persons
made the demand-to know the charge
brought against him. He received no
reply till he was brought up for the
semblance Of a trial he was given, then
was informed hat he was accused of
eonspiring with others to bring the
heir to the throne across the border and
establish him as king. Chateaubrun
knew that there was not a word of
truth In the charge, but its very absur-
dity told him that it was a pretext
rather than an accusation, and he lost
hope at once.
There were twenty-one persons tried
at the same time with Chateaubrun and
convicted on various pretexts. They
were all sentenced to be executed on
the gui1lotine on the same day. All
wara imnrisoned In the Co~nciprQerie.