CHAPTER VIVI. A London Interlude
T
HE day of release from the real and imaginary terrors of
the Zurich jail finally arrived, with Weitling in a state
of tension and excitement approaching hysteria. Karl
Fröbel, who had visited the prisoner on several occasions, called
again to urge him to go to the canton of Aargau immediately upon
his discharge, and to request a passport from the Prussian minister
for England or America. Friends offered financial help, and were
ready to pay the balance of the costs of the trial. Apparently Weit
ling seriously considered the suggestion to leave the Continent
altogether, but in the end was unable to reach a decision. He was
invited to join an emigration society founded by Andreas Dietsch,
who was about to start overseas to establish his "Thousand Year
Kingdom," but though Dietsch offered to take his fellow Utopian
to the United States without cost, Weitling could not make up
his mind to go.
According to the prisoner's own account, he was aroused at
2:45 A.M., May 21, 1844, and ordered to dress. Plans had been
made to push the troublesome prisoner across the border into
Germany. When he emerged from the jail escorted by police,
Weitling expected the conspiracy for his liberation, of which he
had dreamed so frequently, to go into action. So he called for help
at the top of his lungs, shouting that he was about to be surren
dered to the German police. When no rescuers appeared, he threw
down his bundle and refused to go any farther. Apparently he
was afraid either of another plot against his life or of deportation