The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1871-09-28
IDAHO WORLD,
THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK.

the Both day OF April, 1908, man was
introduced by Monsieur de St Mars.
He had conducted him from Pignerol,
in Piedmont, then province of France,
where he had been incarcerated since
1862. This prisoner wore upon his
face night and day, mask Of black
velvet fastened upon bands of copper,
and SO constructed as to permit of the
free use of the mouth. The furniture
of his prison was Of the most sumptu-
GUS description. The vessels of his
toilet and of his table were of silver,
and Saint Mars, who served him with
his food, never presumed to sit in his
presence. The order was to kill him
the moment he uncovered his face.
The fame of this prisoner has gone
through all the countries of the
world, as
THE NAN IN THE IRON MASK.
One day the prisoner wrote upon a
silver plate with the point of his knife,
and threw it out of his window to-
wards a fsherman's boat that lay just
under the wall of his prison. The fish:
erman picked it up and carried it to the
governor of the fortress, ST. Mars. He
took it, greatly astonished, and asked
the fisherman if he had read what was
written upon it; and upon his replying
that he did not know how to read, he
had him held in custody until he had
the most positive proof of the fact, and
that the plate had been seen by no one
else; he then dismissed him saying:
rYou are fortunate fellow in not
knowing how to read" Immediately
after this occurrence the governor had
fastened into the walls (about twelve
feet thick }, outside of the one window
Of his prison, triple network OF
strong iron bars. They are still to be
seen there, half consumed by rust.
No demand of the prisoner, possible
to supply, was refused him. He had
the greatest fondness, amounting to a
kind of mania, for the finest linen and
laces. The fact is well known that, at
the request of Madam de Saint Mars,
Madam lie Bret, her intimate friend,
busted herself at Paris in choosing the
finest linens and most beautiful laces,
which were sent to him in prison.
One day frater saw something white
floating on the water, under the win
dow of his prison. He crept around
the foot of the wall, and drew it up,
and carried it to st. Mars 1t was very
tightly folded up. St. Mars unfolded
it, and found it to be fine linen shirt,
upon which the prisoner had written
from end to end With an air of great
concern he asked the frater if he had
had the curiosity to read what was
written upon the shirt. The latter pro-
tested many times that he had read
nothing. Nevertheless, two days later
he was found dead in his bed.
At another time he demanded that
they should bring in woman to live
with him in his prison A woman of
Mongins was found willing, for the
price offered, which was fortune for
her poor children, But when she was
about entering the door of the prison,
she was told she was never to come out,
or see her children, or have any rela-
ton with any human being. She re-
fused to be shut up with a prisoner
whose acquaintance cost so dear.
At one time the arrogant minister of
Louis XIV, the infamous Duke du Lou
vols, came to see the prisoner, and it
was observed that he stood up in his
presence and spoke to him with great
respect and humility. /.
In September, 1893, the prisoner was
transferred, still under the conduct of
St. Mars, to the Bastile, in Paris, where,
as one may still read in the journal of !
MONSIEUR du Jones, the kings lieutenant
of the Bastile, "he died suddenly, on 1.
the 18th Of November, 1903, at
o'clock P. ~" Surprised by DEATH"
says the Lieutenant, "he was not able !
to receive the sacraments, but our al !
moner exhorted him a moment before
he died." In the nightafter his decease,
they buried him in the cemetery of the :
parish of st. PauPs, under the name of ,
Marchiali, age about 40 years. On the !,
morrow Of his iterment, a person brib- ,
ed the grave digger to uncover the {
body, thinking to get view of the un- !,
masked face, as the faces of the dead are :