Almost the same incident happened nearly at the same moment to Generals Changarnier and Lamoricière and to M. Baze.
The police agents did not leave General Changarnier until they had reached Mons. There they made him get down from the train, and said to him, "General, this is your place of residence. We leave you free."
"Ah!" said he, "this is my place of residence, and I am free? Well, then, good-night."
And he sprang lightly back into the carriage just as the train was starting, leaving behind him two galley sergeants dumfounded.
The police released Charras at Brussels, but did not release General Lamoricière. The two police agents wished to compel him to leave immediately for Cologne. The General, who was suffering from rheumatism which he had caught at Ham, declared that he would sleep at Brussels.
"Be it so," said the police agents.
They followed him to the Hôtel de Bellevue. They spent the night there with him. He had considerable difficulty to prevent them from sleeping in his room. Next day they carried him off, and took him to Cologne-violating Prussian territory after having violated Belgian territory.
The coup d'état was still more impudent with M. Baze.
They made M. Baze journey with his wife and his children under the name of Lassalle. He passed for the servant of the police agent who accompanied him.
They took him thus to Aix-la-Chapelle.