The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1872-03-02

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bread; and at 3 p NJ. wi h vegeta-
bles and tread. five times week.
and meat and bread twice. The
quantity of bread is sufficient and
quality good. Excellent bathing
arrangements are provided and
used ircqucn IL. The prison dress
is of one kind Of goods, but no
stripes OR unpleasant uniform is
used. Tue punishment is con
finemen. in a cell. dark CT neatly
SO. on bread and water, lesscLing
of privilege. &c, at the option Of
the Director The lash is in no
instance allowed to be used. The
labor Of the convicts is let to con-
tractors-one half Of the proceeds
is paid to the convicts. Their
earnings are very small, and meet
but small part Of the expense
I'VE were Informed that there are
5000 prisoners in Paris The total
expense of the prisons is 100000
francs, and the earnings of the
prisoners, 10000 francs The
prison is presided over by Di
rector, who seems to be an able
we'll qualified man, and has under
him forty four Other flicels. be-
sides some employees. Three Chap
lains are employed, A Catholic
priest who has charge Of The relig
ious interest Of large majority of
the convicts, and who resides On
ne premises; Protestant minis
ter, who has about fifteen, and
Jewish Rabbi who has one oliary
nearer. Each of these classes
have separate chapels. There is
no literary institution, but libra
ry belongs TO the prison, IN, each
prisoner is furnished with books if
desired. We observed that such
writer's as Voltaire made up
large part Of the library, but were
glad to see one copy Of the Bible
in that vast prison. Most of the
conyicts are on short sentence.
Many OF them being from the class
we should call 'loafers,' who live
half their time in prison, and enter
it for the twenty-tiflh time with as
much carelessness as if they had
arrived at home Among this class
was one black man; supposine him
to be fe!low-citizen, l called him
out and spoke to him, but was
glad to fad he was from Dcmarara,
and could speak no English. We
never saw in any land q prison
more perfect in all its arrange
ments, or more carefully and neat
ly kept, but we could not learn that
there was snything of reform atory
chat acter connected with it; but
our want Of knowledge of the Ian
guage prevented us from learning
much On this point. Tho gentle
man who accompanied us has very
correct ideas in reference to GRIM
inals and prisons, and hopes to see
some more efficient reformatory
system adopted. He is President
of a society which takes the boys
from the prisons ana finds homes
for them and exercises paternal
care over them.
We next called for short time
at the 'Mazas. a depot for 'the &C
cused,' or untried prisoners, hay
ing 1l64 within it's walls. 1t is
also we'll constructed and well
kept. The building is large and
Las every convenience. Its Di-
rector was, himself, a prisoner TO-
sixty eight days, during the time
the Commune held this part OF the
city-and we were shown the cell
where Archbishop Dsrboy was
confined for six weeks. 1t was a
simple criminals cell with 20 9TH
er comforts than such as are allot-
ell TO common criminals. From
thence we drove to the Depot des
Condamnes' Tor Laroquette) a
large prison, unusually strong, for
the worst grade of criminals, es :
pecially for those condemned to
execution, OF which there were
several awaiting their time. Exc
cutions are still by the guillotine,
which 10 erected in front Of the
prison, open to public view. 1t
was too late in the day to see much
Of this prison, but we were taken
through its gloomy corridors and
shown the cell from which the
Archbishop and five companions
were taken last May into the yard
and shot by six squads Of eleven
soldiers each. We followed the
steps of the party in their solemn
march from the cells, throu sh the
corridors, down the narrow wind
ing stairs, out into the court
where the Archbishop kEeeled
down and pronounced a benedic-
ton upon his executioners-to the
place where they were first taken
for execution, but from which they
were transferred to prevent per-
sons from opposite windows wit
Messing the scene, to private
part of the yard, where ten balls
were fred at each The walls still
show the marks of the bullets
and q marble slab commemorate
the names of the martyrs. 1t was
Il sad scene and brought wildly
before us the terrors of the unre.
strained passion of men. We hal
seen in the House Of Correction s
largo number of wounded Com
munists who are awaiting the heal.
ing OF their wounds for further
disposition. One, a captain, said
to have been unusually severe, wa:
xnnnded in the chest and evident,