Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-02-07
BazaIne in Prison.

Writing from Cannes, on Dec. 80,
a correspondent Of the London Dahl
Telegraph says:' ''South of Cannes,
in front of the harbor, may be seen
the Lerins Islands, Ste. Marguerite,
and st. Henorat, about two miles
distant. The former, which is four
miles in circumference, is associated
with one of the most interesting his
torical problems that have ever per
picked the world-that of the Man
with the Iron Mask; and it is on
this island-foFtress that an Ex-Mar-
shal of France is now prisoner, at
present almost as strictly guarded
and jealously watched as was the
mysterious victim of Louis XIV.
The Ex-Commander in chief of the
Army of the Rhine is a prisoner in
the stIietest sense of the term, and
no one has been allowed to see him,
with the exception of Gen. D'Audel
from Nice, who paid him visit yes
terday, and the Commandant of the
Gendermerie, who escorted him to
the island but has now left. am
inclined to think, from inquiries4
have made, that he occupies the very
room in which the Man of the Iron
Mask languished SO many years, and
looks out of the window from which
the unknown prisoner flung into the
sea the silver plate on which he had
previously scratched his name and
history. Bazaine now contemplates
Cannes, and luxuriantly covered hills
of Cannet, backed by the splendor
of the distant Alps. It is a lofty
apartment and not nearly SO uncom-
Portable as might be expected; for it
contains fireplace and a large win
dow, the latter grated, however, with
three strong iron bars. The prisoner
hiss been allowed a servant, a medi-
cal man when necessary, and a priest
for whom Rp altar has been erected,
according to some accounts, at the
end of the narrow passage from
which the cell opens. These persons,
together with NJ. De st. Mars, gov,
ernor of the fortress, the prisoners
family, and Col. Villstte are, all who
will be permitted to see and converse
with the Ex-Marshal. 81
The Island of st. Margueriet was
called Lero, a celebrated pirate chief
which seems a strange confusion
of ideas, 1t is more elevated than
St. Honorat, and possesses a little
bay and port; but its chief beauty
is its magnificent forest of pine
trees. The other and smaller island
was called by the diminutive Lerina,
and it is said there was once a town
within its narrow circumference, in
habited, as indeed the spot still is,
by monks. A visitor to the island,
in very ancient days, irreverently
remarked that the monks andthe rab-
bits were more numerous than the
hairs of the head. The Ex-Marshal
may be seen pacing up and down on
the little terrace near his room, and
even that he is not allowed to do on
ly at stated hours. He has his son,
a little boy of seven years, with him,
and Col. Villette, his faithful friend
and companion, who has given in
his resignation in order that he may
remain with his former commander. /
Madame la MareehRle is in Cannes
with her other child. The fort is
'garrisoned by two companies of the
One Hundred and Eleventh Regi-
ment of the Line. 1t would be diff
ficuIt, perhaps, to find more agree
able prison than the fortress of Ste.
Marguerite, and every comfort CON
sistent with Basalns's present posi-
ton is afforded him but at the same
time the sentence which depFives
him of his liberry is with all scrupu-
lousness carried into execution"
A Vallejo, Cal, business man is
said to be the father of the follow
ing stanzas "The drummers came