The New York herald., 1870-03-16
THE VICTOR NOIR HOHNIDE.
Prince Pierre Eonaparte as a
Prisoner.
History Of La Conciorysrio, His Place OF Con-
hnsment-Special Visit Of Herald Corre-
spondent-An Intaryiew- What tho Cousin
OF the Emperor says-asmin:aceace
Of America = The Trial and
It's Probable Issue.

It's Probable Issue.
A HERALD special correspondent IN Paris supplies
the following repor. OF VISIT to the famous prison
OF La Conciergerie the place of confinement Of
Prince Pierre Bonapa-te. lie nai a special inter-
view with the distinguished prisuner, whose nasty
action against The lale ylclor Soir produced such
world WIDE seHsatlon at the time aud mas brought
30 much trouble 70 the Prince.
PARIS March = 1870.
PLEASANT wEArHsa AND ras C;TY-HgaALDs or
SPRING.
Three days since were sniyering. | am now
writing with my window wide open. Hoary-headed
Winter has gwen place TO genial Spring. Yesterday
the snone brightly; the bouevards aud streets
were crowded win people bent on enjoying them
selves. me Bouts Gras made their triumpha
march through tho city lor ths last Time and must
have been satisfied with the curiosity they excited.
Paris had turned out en- nsdsse to greet them. BY
the blessing OF Providence this II ASA Wednesday
and our ears are spared further annoyance from
those norrid eartaenware horns. tue braying Of
which for the last few DAYS has distracted us.
What earthly amusement children some OF them OF
large growth) eau find III making dlscordant noises
with tEese corneS q bouQat,l Is beyond my compre-
hensi0n. These detestaDe articles OF torture are
made in the potterles at Sayignies near Beauvais.
There not than fifteen retail dealers In Paris
who keep them, but tney contrive 10 sell annually
during tile Jos 01us nearly 5000. We have TO thank
antiquity for their Invention and human idiots OF the
nineteenth century Tor their continuance. The an
clients were accustomed 10 call their n0cks with
shells Tbey were bad enough Ia all conscience
Shells were not TO he found everywhere, and so
human ingenuity replaced them with earsnen In
struments whIca were stu worse. These In their
turn gave way to iron and horn. used by the old
Barons, ana the world has since been free from
the musical Instrument OF the poters craft except
when annually people go mad during the carnival.
Headaches have oeen plentiful during the past three
days. IL was WITH ailrculty that l made my way
through the dense crowd along the line OF boule-
wards yesterday afternoon There were some masks.
but none worth noticing. There was plenty OF
noise and considerable drunkenness. French
crowd however, IS invariably good-natured, and
you are not subjected 10 the brutality the coarse
jokes and skylarKlng which but too often are met
with III other countries. / .urne1 down the Rue
Montmartre passed through the Halles Centrales,
those splendid markets. and reached the Place du
Chateiet. The crowd at tnis point was more dense
than ever. Where all the people come from Is q
mystery; possibly they change from point to
another, and keep perpetually passing like crowd
on stage.
The procession OF the B1u1s Gras was then nalting
before the Palals de Justice but managed to make
my way across the Pont au Change.
LA oOSClRRGRRIH-ITS HISTORY AND USES.
Facing the river, on the opposite side, Is La Con-
ciergerie the only prison. OF historical interest
which still exists IN Paris. When the kings OF
France Inhabited the Palas de la Cite the Concier
gerie was the dwelling of Ihe concierge. For centu-
ries 1t mas been used as . PRISON and has figured
much IN history. The treason OF PGrinet Lecerc in
roduced into Paris the partsans Of the Duke of Bur
gundy who broke Into the prisons among others the
Concerserie ana assassinated the prisoners OF the
Armagnac party on the 18th OF June l41s. Ravail-
lac, Damiens, Montgomery, the involuntary mur-
derer or Henry H., and other celebrities, have been
incarcerated within the walls OF the Conciergerie.
On the I'd OF September. 1902 the massacre Of 141s
renewed. The gates OF the prison rolled back to
give entrance TO those who never left the Coucer-
gere until en- route for the scairod. Marie Antoi-
nete and her sister law, Elizabeth, Madame RO-
land, the Grondins, Danton. the Duke OF Orleans,
Camille Desmouins and their friends Robespierre,
ST. Just ana most OF others, and at more recent
date many political writers, have been inmates OF
the prison. as have also criminals VINO have at
tempted to assasslnate the Chief Of the State
among Others, PIanori and OrsnL
AT rHB PRISON GArH-ENTER
To the gate OF this prison directed my steps. A
gray-headed turnkey opened the iron-barred gate
and told me to traverse the yard.
A second Outchetier gave me entrance to the
prison. and, descending few steps, found myself
spacious gothic nall, tho roof OF which IL sup
ported by columns
turnkey was directed to accompany me, and i
proceeded to an Inspection OF inc prison. Leaving
the sale des pas perdus we entered . dmy lighted
corridor. On the lefs row Of boxes like sentry
boxes with doors to hem Into THESE the prisoners,
when brought nom MaZas, are separately placed
until each III called to 60 through tie tor.
malties required on being admitted as q guest to
the ConCiery erle. We turned down corridor 10
the right az the end Of which, on the lett Ii low,
.neavy door, with ponderous bolts. 1t Is the
trance 10 the dungeon OF the unfortunate
MARIE ANroISHrTE.
StoOp you head sir ~ SAID Tue turnkey, 'the Queen
was proud she would not lower her IS and struck
forehead badiJ.u duckcd mine accordingly aud in
all instant was standing IN the dungeon OF fallen
majesty.
A dreary, miserable hole, with stone noor. stone
walls, lighted Dy small. closely grated window.
There Is a small table, chair and altar, with cruel
FIX. There was formerly = wretcned bed and screen,
behind which laller watched the poor, unhappy,
fallen Queen. A similar cell, entered by an opening
which dd not formerly exist, had once for tenant
the terrible Robesplerre. Adjoining il the chapel,
better known during the revolution as the sale des
Gsrondys. that chamber where the unhappy victims
waited with GREATNESS anxiety their turn TO be sum-
moned for the scalod: one IN every twenty formed
At the further end OF the chapel Is gallery, en-
closed with gralinxs in winch those condemned
ceased to nave effect on the place de la Grece.
We retraced our steps ana entered that portion OF
the Conclergere wncn has been adapted on the cell
lular plinciple Tor prisoners OF the present day.
THR CELLS.
There are seventy-six cells. The average number
OF prisoners Is seventy, consisting OF those sent
from Mazas on the 10th and 10Th Of each month FOR
trial and others who may have been condemned by
she Police Core ctonee TO sentences OF few days
only. With this latter exception the Conc Rerle Is
simply prison Tor the Asslzes. After condemna-
tion prisoner 10 retained therein for three days
The prison Is sufficiently clean. Tne cells nave poll
isned wooden floors and contain bed, table.
wooden stool chained To the moor, gas burner and
q small stove with ventilatlng pipe above. The bed
ding Is good-a v ooien mattress straw palllasse,
q pillow and TWO blankets. Inc cells are We ven-
had an 1nnumeraD.e number OF thcir cyes poked
out when looking at tner prisoners through the
small holes IN the doors made for That purpose nne
wire network has Deen adapted TO prevent similar
accdehts In the Conc rgerie instead OF network
there Is thick glass. visited the punishment cells