The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-01-30
Horrors OF the Bagnc--CioAtnE OF the
Great state PrfsoIs ut TouI0n, France.

tortS>0nc prisoners were TeWOFeu from tue
Bag7,e Of Toulon. aud that famous establish
ment, 40 long the terror Of French criminals,
and whicl, has long been a fruitful source of
narrowing subjects to tho ablest romaucists
and poets Of France. was closed torevermore.
The scene when this great place OF woe and.
there eau be no doubt In many instances, of
| revolving cruelty WA closed Wns interest
| inc aud thrilling in the extreme.
! President Theirs, in accordance with the
law passed some time ago hv the National
Assembly, scni, on the aforementioned day,
three commissioners TO the Ba%nc for the
purpose of either setting free or supeT1ntead-
ing the transportation of the remaining con-
yic,s TO Il man-of-war that was to convey
Them TO the penal colony Of Cayenne. All
oC the forty one cpINictS had hccn sentenced
10 ,ru,l ssfyiiude for life, and they wore, as
,n rmI,In,n of thCir doom, the famous green
cap. While q chain Three feet and halt long
| WAS fastened 10 their left wrist and ankle.
| When the sir;ll notes OF the stcanl-whlstle at
The rcpairing-Shcp in the Bagne announced
the hour OF noon on Christmas day the three
commissioners, Mcssrs. Durivage, Lafout,
and QucrigucS, repaired to The rotunda,
| where :be forty-onc Couricts were drawn up
| i'm line, Tic latter were unaware Of what
was about to happen, and most of their faces
| EXPRESSED considerable surprise when the
| three commissioners, accompanied by several
! prison officials, made their appearance, while
| some of the older conyictS, whose senses
lone confinement, brutal treatment, and utter
| drS;ljr had b.untcd. Stared with Stolid lndli-
ference at the new corners.
| " ,,rivar9 look lfi+ stand in the front Of
tho drrlry line and spoke ns follows:
.:,.uyiri-.-Tbc National Assembly has
4 .,.rrca tho removal vt you all to Ca, cnnc.
| Tn;,ty.our of YOU. convicted of murder,
arson. or robbery. will be transported 10 Tue
South American colony. Th' remaining ten
will be- 81; at libcrtv through &c cleInency
Of III, Eycclcncv the President OF the Re
puh'ic. viii now read tue list OF oailicS Vi
tie la'icr.'
\ s,4,nc Of understandable excitement en-
sued. Despite the adH0ni;ion OF the kt Up
crs the prisoners crowdrd around VI. ~
rivtrc aud his colleagues. som" OIL thcth tL-
tered cxcainnIonS Of intense Su5p2n,c,
while GE:IcyS cla,pcd their hands, therc.'H
causing Il horrible clan&!nG OF c;iaillS. All
eyes were ryitcd on Vi. Dur!vagc a. he no"
! read oil the ten names OF those VINO Mele
| destined 10 th" happiness Of rrgiining theif
liberty, which they believed 10 have lost tor
cycrInorc. As the nainc% were read OIL the
hIppy convcts, With only two or three cX-
crI!ion>. broke iu!o demonstrations o! un-
| rounded delight. Seine danced around like
m uimrn. willie others burst into Hoods OF
tears. THROWN" themselves on their knees
AMI rlIving in loud tones of profound a3lta-
ton.
When the ten names had at last been an
nuunrcd those who were to remain III du-
: rance manifested their rage and dlsappolnt-
) mcnt in cqltily singular ways. There were
: tears nn;l crcl of hcari-rendinG despair, and
there were also curses too blaSi,hemo's to
,yrat. The keepers. at sign from the COM
mis- <iouCrs, dragged them to IN adloinIng
corridor. beating them with lhcr Sticks aiiu
threatening them with still more severe ln"a-
/. surcs III case they should continue Violating
the rules of the Bagne.
Meanwhile three h'ackSmthS bcSas 10
= strike OF the shackipS from the limbs OF HE
parioncd convict|. Tbi- Is always sole'
what painful operation, and some OF the coi'-
Y;rts uttered s,llrd cries rs the sedgc-hiln-
mes fell upon the rings Of their chains. ~
last all Of them were unfet.crcd. Even the
pri.on officials, hardened us they were. could
. moi help looking without emotion upon the
poor w.c.rrS who hid suffered so much and
50 Qnr. There was not one among tucn
hul had been IN inmate Of the i<iSnc iorlip-
ward Of twenty years. One OF tllctf, /hht'le
, Fr,ron, bad been there since 1929.
The criminal code Of France formerly p,in''
i>lru cyii-ducrs with extreme cruelty. ere
f ron was Il pcknocrt. lie had been logged
for his first offence; for his second offence nc
had he2n exhibited in the pillory with
thrrccornerci paper cap bearing the lllScrlp-
ton "Uhcf' on his head, and had. more
over. been cruelty branded with Il rcdhot
iron OF ll> Left shoulder. This severe lesson
WAS not vet sufficient. aud being caught again
III picking pockets, he was sent is rccidl
10 the BIguc for lite. Such Il latc then wa:
: horrible in the extreme. rrCron WAS branded
= Oh tie lack with the umincu> letters r.
+" Unclaing Ur,vauX Forces, ani with his
: neck in The c;lain.-ug OF the recent con-
yirlS sen; on foot oil his long way from
/ Dion 70 Ioulon. In the Baync, during The
tulty-Scycn years Of bis Imprisonment, lie
= never slept in u bed, but always on q
= wooden bench lie never heard music eX-
{ ccpl in the prison chapel. and never tasted
p >il@ar. butter, milk, or spirits, while his
+ CHAIN WAS his iuscparihIc co!nirnion, and
i,,,--crltyl lnrr'tcrv-had 10 FURNISH 1t twice
4 week in order TO keep it bright and clean
t Aud vet Che old man--tor hc is now IN his
| >iNty-ciShth yc.ir-had rarely been SICK, ana
l is now hale and hearty. lie expressed almost
childish delight When he was told that lie
=, WAS free, ard said he hoped he might meet
: scmc OF his relatives agail at DIXON. Poor
F., old uau, who will still rcmcmbc" him there