Page:The Rise and Fall on the Paris Commune in 1871.djvu/309

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it is possible that, faithful to the traditions of the Empire, that functionary has at the same time kept my letter and pocketed my money."

As soon as the Minister of the Interior had read Rochefort's denial in the Mot d'Ordre, he supposed with reason that the ex-president of barricades would leave for Brussels the same day. The Minister immediately sent telegraphic despatches to all the departments, ordering the surveillance to be doubled. At two o'clock in the morning he received a despatch from Meaux stating that Rochefort had been arrested in the act of getting into the railroad train. He had left Paris in a carriage accompanied by his secretary, Mouriot, and was travelling under the name of Le Comte de Saint Luce, a respectable souvenir of his true name—Comte Henri de Rochefort Luçay.

Previous to Rochefort's departure from Paris, and to hide his flight, which must have been discovered the following day if his journal ceased to appear without notice, the following letter was sent to the editor of the Politique:


"Monsieur le Redacteur:—I would be much obliged if you would announce to your readers that in presence of the situation of the press the Mot d'Ordre believes it in keeping with its dignity to cease to appear." The dignity of a "Lanterne."


Rochefort was brought into Versailles in an omnibus drawn by two horses, escorted by a squadron of gendarmes and Chasseurs d'Afrique. He was accompanied by his secretary, Mouriot, and four policemen in plain clothes. He had had his moustache cut off before leaving Paris.

When the cortège entered the Rue Reservoirs every one ran into the street, and shouts of execration were raised on every side. Citizens of all classes joined in the de-