Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-09-10

toms lifetime and has to do with his |
undying interest in Lafayette's for
tunes, it should be recalled to popu-
lar attention.
tiles during the French Revolution,
which broke forth soon after the estab-
lishment of the United States govern
ment, was for some years imprisoned
in an Austrian military stronghold
President Washington did everything
that he could, within the limits of Dip
lomatic usage, to obtain the release
of his friend and former military sub
ordinate, but his efforts were unavail-
ing But since Lafayette was liberated
in 1897 and lived to exchange letters
with Washington, it is probable that
his old commander-in-chi knew of
the daring attempt of young Amer
lean officer to set Lafayette free.
When Lafayette and Baron de Kalb
came to America to aid in the war for
independence, they landed at Winyaw
Bay, near Charleston, South Carolina.
There they were entertained by the
family of patriot, Major Huger The
son of this soldier, who afterward be-
came Colonel Francis Kinloch Huger,
conceived for Lafayette one of those
hero worshipping affections which
only boy can know. Years later, long
after Americas successful war for
freedom, and while Lafayette was still
imprisoned in Austria, this Colonel
Huger was in Europe engaged in study.
There he fell in with young German,
a DR.. Bolman, another champion of
liberty, who proposed to Huger an am
bilious plan for Lafayette's deliver
ance.
The two young men proceeded to
Olmutz, where Lafayette was detained,
and set up a campaign to cultivate,
first of all, the good will of Lafayette S
pti SOild1 JdilGit WHICH lIilS VObGi ,
suspicious had been allayed, the two
! fellows contriyed, through him, to fur
nish Lafayette with books to while
away his hours of tedium. This prac-
tice having run on for some time with
out arousing misgivings in the jailers
mind Huger and Bolman slipped
through book carefully annotated on
the margins These notations consti-
tuted a cipher message, and Lafayette
was quick to detect that this particu-
lar volume contained more than met
the eye. When he returned the book
it was with a note which said he had
read it with marked attention and
was charmed with its contents The
ciper, of course, laid out the plan for
his escape
The prison authorities were accus-
toned to permit Lafayette certain
amount of air and exercise outside the
castle, usually in the form Of drive
in a cabriolet, with mounted guard ir
the rear and an armed soldier beside
the driver. At times this drive con-
tinued to some distance from the castle
walls, and Lafayette was even allowed
to dismount and walk about with hi:
guard. On the day planned for ths
escape, Lafayette was instructed (
gain as great a distance as possible
from the castle, while Huger and Boil
man rode out from Olmutz with thire
horse for Lafayette's use.
This was accomplished, and at sig
nal the guard was overpowered, bu
Just as Lafayette was about to noun
the horse brought for him, the ami
NAL SHE'D and ran away. Huge
promptly insisted that Lafayette gal
lop away on the horse he himself hat
ridden, and although the alarm hat
been given, Lafayette succeeded il
putting ten miles between himself ant
his pursuers and was we'll on his wa,
to freedom.
Unfortunately he had not been mad
familiar with the country about O,
mutt and, at a fork in the road h