The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-10-30
A Flight
From Death
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 it 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 number Of human beings not 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 guilletine. 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 one he wished to
remove had but to inform upon him as
an enemy Of France, and the accused
would join the "innumerable caravan
passing under the yoke Of the guillo-
tine to his long home.
II was not always an enemy that
was to be got rid OF. Sometimes 1t was
a 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 deep interest
In 1t, advocating the reforms that were
proposed. He and q friend Of his
Antoine Boyer, became somewhat
prominent as leaders in that quarter
Of the city in which they lived. Boyer
who was a 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 lively interest in the
early efforts Of the revolutionists t.
make France constitutional monarchy
and was usually present at the confer
ences Of her husband and his friend
During these meetings Boyer conceiv
ed a passion for Nine. Chateaubrun
For time he struggled against 1t, moi
even acknowledging to himself that ht
loved his friends wife, But the time
came when he knew that life for hin
was not worth living without her.
As the revolution proceeded the two
frfny,de nrN oarr0-I,orc Ao,.v,I AHo,,,
selves on different paths. Chateaubrur
continued a conservative, while Boyer
Joined the ranks Of the bloodthirsty
Jacobins. The latter did not give uT
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 benefcent results Il
France, who had worked for the be
ginning Of better regime, found them
selves In the position of enemies tC
their country. In attempting to stay
the flow Of blood they incurred the
enmity of those who were shedding 1t
Then it was that Nine Chateaubrur
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 small estate he owned
in the country. But, dangerous as II
was to continue a contest with the
lon 1o,-c ~ fbo v,o0h (tbo Y1h,.t,v,
too much Of a man to cease to defend
what he considered the best interests
of his country
Fiercer and fiercer grew the mob, re-
quiring Of their leaders more and larger
drafts Of blood Nine. Chateaubrun
begged her husband to leave Paris.
He sent for his friend Boyer, now one
Of the Jacobin leaders, and asked him
what he had better do. Boyer said be
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 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 nc
reply till he was brought up for the
semblanee Of trial he was given then
was Informed that he was accused of
conspiring with others to bring the
heir to the throne across the border and
establish him as king Chateaubrun
knew that there was not q word of
truth in the charge, but its very absur-
dity told him that 1t 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 guillotine on the same day. AL
were imprisoned in the Conciergerie
which was the depot of supplies, so tc
speak, for the terrible engine of death
The day before the execution Nine
Chateaubrun went to Boyer and begged
him to save her husband. He told hel
that to show favor to one convicted By
the mob's tribunal would be to endan
ger his own head She was astonished
that he considered the risk In the case
of his old friend, but Boyer maintained
resolutely that he dared not interfere
From Boyer the wife went to the Con
ciergerie to tell her husband Of the
failure Of her mission and to bid hin
goodby. She was taken from the
prison and carried home In q swoon.
The next morning number Of Cart
were backed up to the door Of the Con
ciergerie, and soldier IN the prison
called the names of twenty-one mel
who were to go forth to execution
Among them was Henri Chateaubrun
They all walked out to the carts, som
Of them dragging themselves, SOM
erect, all of them showing In their pail
and haggard features the mark o
death, Standing In the carts, they wer
driven toward the Seine and crosses
it by bridge entering the Place d
la Revolution. since called the Place d
la Concorde. There stood the guile
tine with persons to work 1t ready t
lop off twenty one heads. and Their
stood a crowd, kept back by soldiers
to witness the grewsome sight. TIL
carts stopped beside the machine, an
the victims descended.
And now began a work that even a
implement so well adapted to the pul
pose found it difficult to perform. Fac
one Of the prisoners, hatless and wit
his hands tied behind his back, In tur
stepped up to 1t, was laid upon 4
strapped to it; the knife fell. his hea
rolled into the basket, and his bod
was removed to make room for tn
next victim. Fifteen of the twenty