THE ESCAPED COMMUNISTS.

Evening Star, Issue 3476, 14 April 1874, Page 3

THE ESCAPED COMMUNISTS.

Tha escape of Rochefort and others caused great sensation in Prance, and a commotion in New Caledonia. It appears some of the party were kept at Duor’a Peninsula, and others at Noumea. Eochefort and others were allowed to go on a fishing excursion, and went on board the barque P.C.E., and remained sto wedin the lazarette until clear of the land; then discovered themselves. There is ho doubt the whole affair was well planned, though the captain of the barque denies all knowledge of the escape. The Communists intend to proceed to England immediately. A correspondence has bten carried on between Uochefort, Grom-set, and the French Consul at Sydney. Ihe latter views them as escaped convicts. Grouse et challenges him to demand their extradition.

The ‘ Sydney Herald’ 3rd April, gives the following further particulars as to the manner in which the Communists escaped from Noumea:—-“By the arrival of the brig Ellen Morris, from Noumea, New Caledonia, we learn that as soon as the escape of the French Communists, M. Henri Eochefort and his colleagues, was discovered, all the vessels in the harbor were searched for the fugitives, it being said that fourteen, and not six only, were missing. The military engaged in the search were armed with rifles, and ordered to shoot the prisoners if they refused to surrender, or persisted in the attempt to escape. Great excitement prevailed in Noumea when it was known that the search had proved futile, and it was apprehended that in consequence of the escape of the prisoners, a number of the leading officials of the settlement would be dismissed when the news reached France. The following particulars were furnished to our reporter by the chief officer of the Ellen Morns t-p-The alarm that the exiles bad escaped was first given by a Noumea lodg-ing-house keeper, to whom a missing German, whose name is not given, and who also escaped, owed a considerable sum of money The barque P. C. E. had left, but was still m sight when the fact that the prisoners were missing became known. A strict search was at once made throughout the shipping in harbor, it being reported, as above stated, that fourteen in all were missing. It appears that M. Eochefort and party had obtained leave to go on a pleasure excursion in one of the shore boats, and this boat was found to be missing in the afternoon. The barque P.C.E. had started at noon, and it was assumed that the fugitives had got on board that vessel at her The ship was in sight till 4 p.m., whila the search was being made on shore, but no steps were taken to given chase to her. Ihe Governor of New Caledonia was up the country at the time. He returned to Noumea next dav, but considered it too late to send a man-of-war in chase. ”