 At the end of 1798, Bückler had a criminal record that included thefts of at least 40 head of cattle and horses.He was arrested by French gendarmerie and brought before a judge, where he confessed some of his crimes.Imprisoned in a wooden tower in Simmern that most believed to be impenetrable, he used a kitchen knife, smuggled in by a sympathetic guard, and cut a hole in a small window to escape.