The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-05-30
Communist Life in the French
Penal Colony.
Petty Tyranny and Semi
starvation.
PLANNING FUTURE OPERATIONS.
Interview with ROchefOrt
and His Companions.
THE ARRIVAL IN CALIFORNIA

NIAGARA FALLS May 20, 1874.
Henri ROchefort, q deuant noble, enemy Of the
Empire, exile OF the Marshalate, condemned ieOn
OF New Caledonia, is seated before me. He talks
sharply bitterly. sarcastically and pleasantly by
turns, following his mood. He is tired and travel
stained, with little inclination to submit to the
torture Of an interview in iorm so we chat indif-
ferently OF all things carriage rolls along to
the hotel. where we are to snatch hasty lunch
before setting out on the voyage to New York.
Contrary TO what might be expected the escaped
prisoner looks hale and hearty. This he attributes
to the exercise and constant sea bath which were
adopted as preparation for the attempt to escape
feat which in daring resembied the escape Of
Monte CrstO from the Chateau Dill No traces
can be discovered on the strongly marked brow
and Drowned cheek of the pale, delicate, lantern
jawed man who chopped with the merciless fe-
rocity OF q famshed wolf at the throne Of Napoleon
III. lie is about five feet ten inches hign large
boned and nervous, brows heavy, and pronounced
eyes, not large but In expression intense,
80 that when he speaks you feel the
man opens his heart without needing what
may be thought by the world OF what he chooses
to say There Is about him power OF exciting
sympathy that tells he Is ordinary man. Not
that he always impresses as over frank, for he
appears to attach some subtle meaning to the
some hidden meaning which he does not expect
the vulgar world to catch appreciate at once.
He believes the world wants his lamp, the famous
L0fte'ne, to throw light the humbugs OF the
age. Neither Is he conceited. He speaks little OF
himself except in connection with the important
events Of his life These he reviews with well con.
versed pleasure.
THE WAR OF THE JOURNALISTS
against the Empire of Napoleon the Little, the
smallness OF the means which suficed to over.
throw that greatest OF modern shams and the
pride with which he repeats Napoleon's famous
confession OF mbecility to Ollivier-"Inpossi0l
de g0urerner pendant que Rochetort est ld,,-
call up the latent enthusiasm OF the man, and az
he speaks hts face glows with animation and salts
faction. The most nattering moment OF his life
was when the modern Cesar. hedged rouno Dy
pratoran legions, tremhled behind his boosted
100000 bay0nets ct the power OF one man
who welded for all an arm ana a pen and as lie
leans towards me to assure that this Napo-
leonic confession is beyond doubt authentic, be-
cause Olivier told it to him personally, he chuckles
with delight and satisfaction. 1t was to Olivier
the humiliating confession was made.
But l DESTROYS OF knowing about
the penal colony of New Caledonia. C'etait aDre,c
Ut was hOrribleJ
LIFE IN NEW CALEDONIA.
fortunately the v1vandieres had some money.
They had little luxurles; but for the poor VINO
had not sou, 1t was a miracle how they lived.
little meat, often not fit to eat, issued by the
authorities. and little bread and water enabled
the unfortunate convicts to exist. The
government nominaliy gave land TO be
cultivated, but it was sham The por-
tions OF land were mere plots, and then
the convicts had nothing, and were given nothing
except this diet to keep them from starvation.
Besides the land Is barren and the climate detes-
able. Four months OF the year the sun scorches
the vegetation, and during the remainder OF the
year tropical rains are almost constant. For ff-
teen months the other convicts had suffered the
horrors OF this exile, but when (RocheforD ar
rived, said to some OF my fellow conyicts,
III am not going to stay here" The cliffs
were high, and the sea at their base swarmed
with sharks The government thought there was
no possibility Of escape. II death was not encoun-
tered among the rocks the voracious sharks kept
watch over the victims OF MacMahon. A few COM
rades resolved to brave this danger, and at last
the opportunity came, and, in spite OF the sharks
and the close watch OF our jaiiors, we reached
British vessel ana found ourselves In comparative
safety.
POISONED DARTS FOR M'MAn0N.
When MacMah0n and De Broglie heard that / had
escaped they said 1t was impossible. The news
was, however, true. De Brogle fell sick, and Mac
Mahon tried to conceal the fact as long as posi-.
BILE. Poor Marshall he has o mortal dread of me.
He thinks WELD some occult power. It il ridicu-
lOus that such o man should rule France. He
was put forward by the Right to advance
the interests or Henri Cinq, but the Left
will never submit to his rule. They have
too many able men, real statesmen, to oppose this
bungng General. What could be expected from
man who had spent thirty years IN the Bureau
ArabeS Then Rochefort laughs at that absurdity--
Err NOE mad INV Nah Uo cho htv
self, and, with an expression OF concentrated
passion, he says:-"Events, it appears, are march
ing rapidly in Europe. Within three months
MacMahon shall be overthrow. France cannot
continue to be ruled by that stupid soldier"
THEIRS TYRANNY.
Then he stops to rail ut the military execution.
ers who showed themselves impotent and
stupid before the Prussfans, so cruel. memorable
and bloodthirsty with the unfortunate prisoners
OF tne Commune. Never was such turpitude seen
III all history. These men we're not alone beaten,
out they seemed proud OF their defeat. They
mad the look of saying, "Behold me, 1 am
one OF tue captulated OF the heroes or sedan"
whenever an unfortunate Garoe rationale came
Deiore the military tribunal, If ne had been doc
orateo ior vaior IN defending Paris against tac
Trussiahs' OF wounded lac was Immediately SEN
senoea W Transportation, as though they desired
TO punish courage and patriotism az a crime, 1t is
noteworthy TACT that an immense number OF
the men transporter to New Caledonia had been
made chevaliers Of the Legion of Honor for yalor
during the siege OF Paris
RocHEFoRT's FUTURE ENTERPRISES
Much interest has been felt as to what courseN
Kochefort viii pursue on his return To Eurone
VIII he light his famous Lanteyne? Perhaps so
but 1t is not certain. The dificuty OF introduc,ng
any journal edited by him into France Womb nre.
vent the enterprise from succeeding He viii.
however, continue to war on the Versailles GOV.