The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-01-29 00:00:00

PRINCE PIERRE BONAPARTE'S PRISON.

The turret looking on the Qual clllorloge, where
Prince Pierre is row confined, was known in the Middle
Agonies the Tower of Cwsar. At a later period it took
ite name from that Montnimery who clew Henri IL of
France in a tournament, and who was imprisoned
within its walls. There were no windows then looking
on the river, and the basement of the building was
washed by the waters of the Seine. The populace re-
garded it with terror, and many legends were current
of victims immured for life in its gloomy oubliates.
Some time since it was converted into a residence for
the Governor of the Conciergerie. Windows were let
into the walls, and some attempts were made to give
it an air of comfoft. Occasionally, by special favour,
prisoners were allowed to reside in it. The ground
floor consists of two email prows and a salon The
latter has been furnished with a tent bedstead, and as-
signed to the prisoner for his apartment. It was origi-
nally • vaulted chamber, so lofty in proportion to its
area that it might be said to resemble • well. At
present the floor has been raised so that the capitals
of the pillsrs, from which the arch of the roof springs,
are almost level with the ground. Two windows barred
with iron look out upon the quay, but their height
from the floor and the thickness of the walls prevent
the inmate from seeing what passes without. The
apartment is furnished in the simplest manner, and
the prisoner Las to conform in all respects to the re-
gulations of the Conciergerie. The reports of hisbeing
served with costly dinners from the first Parisian res-
taurants, and waited on by servants in livery, are pure
pieces of fiction.

The following extract from the Monitnir of the 19th
of April, 1849, appears in the Morsel/War :

-
The President of the Republic, considering that M. Pierre
Bonaparte, appotnted, as a foreigeer, Colonel of the Ist
Regiment of the Foreign Legion, and gazetted the 10th of
April, 1848, has, at his own request, been ordered, on the
19th •'ep ember, ISI9, to Join his regiment for active service
in Algeria: considering th it, otter having served in the war
of which the province of Constantine is now the theatre, he
has received from the genera' commanding the division of
Constantine orders to present himself to the Governor-Gene-
ral of Alpert', to fulfil a mission concerning another ease.
dltion : considering thst he has not fulfilled that mission, that
be did not present himself to the Governor General, but
embarked at Philippeville, and went on to l'aris ; consider-
leg that an officer serving as a stranger in France, though
exempt front the ordinary military service of France, Instill
hound to carry out any service in which he is engaged ; con-
sidering that M Pierre Napoleon Bonaparte, being In that
condition, wee not free to quit his post without leave, nor to
judge of the fitness of the time of his return to Paris—
decrees, on the report of the Minister of War—firstly, that
M. l'ierre Napoleon Bonaparte is deprived of his rank as
Colonel of the Foreign Legion secondly, the Minister of War
is charged with the execution of the present decree.
Given at Paris, at the Ripen Nationale, 19th of November,
1812. Mots NAPOLEON BONAPARTE.

Prince Pierre Bonaparte has not yet selected a
lawyer to defend him. He is in a desponding mood,
and looks forward to five years' is elusion. His objec-
tion to the Supreme Court of Justice lies in the notion
that the jury will he composed of large landowners
clevot-id to the empire, who will sacrifice him to save
his cousin. Odd as it may seem, it is said that Prince
Pierre enjoys a certain amount of popularity in the
Faubourg St. Antoine in consequence of his having
married a daughter of the people, and so incurred the
displeasure of the Court.
It is stated in one the Paris telegram. that Prince
Pierre Bonaparte has brought an action against the
Mareilhise f-r accusing him of the murder of a
shepherd at Vivario.