Count von Berchtenwald:
Within the past half hour, that is, at about eleven o'clock
tonight, the man calling himself Benjamin Bathurst was shot and
killed by a sentry at the Ministry of Police, while attempting to
escape from custody.
A sentry on duty in the rear courtyard of the Ministry observed
a man attempting to leave the building in a suspicious and furtive
manner. This sentry, who was under the strictest orders to allow
no one to enter or leave without written authorization, challenged
him; when he attempted to run, the sentry fired his musket at him,
bringing him down. At the shot, the Sergeant of the Guard rushed
into the courtyard with his detail, and the man whom the sentry
had shot was found to be the Englishman, Benjamin Bathurst. He had
been hit in the chest with an ounce ball, and died before the
doctor could arrive, and without recovering consciousness.
An investigation revealed that the prisoner, who was confined
on the third floor of the building, had fashioned a rope from his
bedding, his bed cord, and the leather strap of his bell pull.
This rope was only long enough to reach to the window of the
office on the second floor, directly below, but he managed to
enter this by kicking the glass out of the window. I am trying to
find out how he could do this without being heard. I can assure
you that somebody is going to smart for this night's work. As for
the sentry, he acted within his orders; I have commended him for
doing his duty, and for good shooting, and I assume full
responsibility for the death of the prisoner at his hands.
I have no idea why the self-so-called Benjamin Bathurst, who,
until now, was well-behaved and seemed to take his confinement
philosophically, should suddenly make this rash and fatal attempt,
unless it was because of those infernal dunderheads of madhouse
doctors who have been bothering him. Only this afternoon they
deliberately handed him a bundle of newspapers--Prussian, Austrian,
French, and English--all dated within the last month. They wanted
they said, to see how he would react. Well, God pardon them,
they've found out!
What do you think should be done about giving the body burial?