The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1866-01-20
Tbe Man LID the Iron Magk.


Many have inquired who this celebrated
historical parsonage, to whom so many allu-
lusions have been made, really was. Vol
taire, in his 4" Age of Louis XIV" !, gives the
following account Of the mysterious prison
er Of State s4-.ss"
In 1861, there happened an. event Of
which there is no similar example in the
history Of the world and with which the
historians Of that time seem to have been
totally unacquainted. There was sent to
the castle in the island Of St Marguerite,
in the sea Of Provence, an unknown prison
er, rather above the middle size, young, and
of a graceful figure. On the road he wore
a mask with steel springs, which enabled
him to eat without taking it off He re-
manned here, closely confined until 1850,
when St Mars, the new Governoriof the
Bastile, had him conveyed to that prison.
During the Journey, he remained always
covered with a mask, and the Governor new
er sat down in his presence. He was lodged
at the Bastile with all the attention possible
in that dungeon. Nothing was refused him
that he desired. His chief taste was for
lace and linen, remarkably fine. During
his two journeys, the soldiers who escorted
him had orders to shoot him if he made any
attempt to discover himself
This unknown person died in 1703, and
was buried IN the night. What increases
our surprise is, that when he was sent to
| the island of St. Marguerite, no person of
| consequence In Europe was missing, Yet
the prisoner was certainly one Of the great
| ones Of the world Every circumstance
connected with him proves this The Gov
/ ernor put the dishes on the table himself,
| then retired and locked the door One day
the prisoner wrote something with his knife
| on a silver plate and threw itOut of the Win
dow. A fisherman picked it up and brought
it to the Governor, who, with evident aston
| ishment, asked the man if he had read what
] was written on the plate, or if any body else
| had seen it.-He was not allowed to 90 till
he had proven these facts decisiYely. The
| Governor then dismissed him saving " 1t is
lucky for you that you cannot read" One
! Of the prisoners shirts, written upon in a
very fine hand, was one day discovered in
the water by a. young barber. Two days
after the boy was found dead in his bed.
Another authority adds " On the death
Of the Iron Mask, his apparel, linen clothes
mattresses-in short everything that had
been used by him, were burnt, the walls
were scraped and the floors taken up; al
evidently from the apprehension that he
might have found means of writing some
thing that would have discovered who he was
The glass was taken out of the windows Of
his room and pounded to dust, the window
frames and doors were burnt and the ceiling
and the inside of the chimney were taken
down. 1t was. even affirmed that the body
was buried without head and it wa:
currently reported that a gentleman having
bribed the sexton, had the body taken w
in the night, and found stone instead of
head. The most prevalent opinion as re
CARDS this singular individual is, that he wa.
the twin brother Of Louis XIV, born some
hours after him and that the King, thei1
father, fearing that the pretentions of a twin
brother might one day rekindle war il
France, cautiously concealed his birth, anC
sent him away to be brought up in private.