The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-11-13
The Man or the Iron Mask.

I Aht anu sun
an enigma 10 history. In 1856. an un-
known person from the Castle Pignerol,
where he had been coniined since the death
OF Mazarin in 1892, was taken 10 Salnte
Marguerite. by 81. Mars, who had just
been appointed Governor of that island.
This unknown prisoner says Vol
taire, "was above the ordinary height,
young, and of most distinguished APP
pcaranee.N On the way he wore mask
the chin-piece of which had steel springs,
which permitted the prisoner To eat with
the mask over his face. The orders were
10 kill him IL he unmasked. lie remained
on the island until Saint Mars, who was
made Governor of the Bastile i'm the wear
1890, removed him from Sainte Marguerite
10 the Bastile. The Marquis of Iouvois
visited him before his removal from the
island. and conyersed with him standing.
which showed respect. The unknown
was taken 10 the Bastile. where he was
lodged as well a one could be i'm that fort
ress. He was refused nothing that he
asked for; his greatest liking being for
linen of extraordinary fineness. and for
laces. He played the guitar. They pro-
vided for him the best of fare. and the
Governor seated himself AT the table with
him. An old physician of the Bastile,
who had often treated this singular man i'm
his illness. said that he had never seen his
face. although he had often examined his
tongue and the rest of his person. He
was admirably well formed, and his skin
was rather dark. He interested the list
ener by the sound of his voice alone. never
complained of his condition. nor even init
mated who he was. This unknown died
in 1903. and was buried at midnight
in saint Paul's Parish. What in
creases the mystery is, that when
he was sent 10 Sainte Marguerite,
there disappeared no man of eminence in
Europe. This the prisoner was. without
doubt. for the following is what happened |
within few days after his arrival upon |
the island: The Governor himself placed |
the food upon the table, and retired after |
locking the door of the CELL One day the /
prisoner wrote with knife on silver /
plate, and threw the plate out OF the win
dow toward boat which was upon the /
bank almost at the base Of the Tower A 4
fisherman. 10 whom the boat belonged, /
picked up the plate and carried it 10 the |
Governor. The latter. amazed. asked the 4
fisherman /" Have you read what is writ
ten upon this Plate. and has any one seen \
il i'm your hands,"
- do not know how TO read replied /
the fisherman = have just found il. No \
one has seen it,
The fisherman was held until the Gov I
ernor was convinced that he did not know
how to read. and that no other person had \
seen the plate.
Go" said he: q" you are very fortunate
in not knowing how 10 read"
Another historian adds the following
account:
'1They sought for person of the OPP
posite sex 10 serve the prisoner. A wO-
man of the village of Mangien came 10 of
a. 4. l.. -. 4 ~. = -
the means of making the fortune Of her
children but when she was told that she
must ren0uscc seeing them. and even to
hold no Intercourse with the rest Of man
kind. she refused 10 smut herself up with
a prisoner whose acquaintance was pur-
chased al such "A price. | should say,
further. that az the two eXtremities of the
fortress. on the side toward the sea. were
stationed two sentinels. with orders 10 fire
upon any boats which might approach
within certain distance"
This mysterious person was buried UNI
der the name OF Paul Marchiali. They
said that he was only - years old. while
the surgeons who had seen him affirmed
that he was 90.
Who was this prisoner over whom they
watched with so jealous care. and in
whom they had 20 much interest to con-
ceal his personality. Historians have :
endeayored 10 solve this enigma.
They have found no less than dozen his
torical characters whom this incident might )
/. That he was Count Vermandois. ma
tural son of Louis NV. and Mile de la !
Valliere. They claim that the death of the
son OF La VALERIE, occurring the 18th Of
November, 1853. was simulated. and that ,
The young man. sent TO the island. was /
Il
,. That he was Duke of Beaufort. This
nero of the Fronde. King Of the market
place. a he was called in Paris. command 1
II the expedition TO the island of Gambia. :
n 1853. History relates that he died in
srand sortie the 18th OF June. According 4,
% certain historians the Duke might have
'ccn removed, for fear of his popularity. .
nd sent To the island. \
3. Dske of Monmouth. natural son of i
1harles III. and Lucy Walters. 1t is I
Known that the Duke of Monmouth. hav-
NJ conspircd against his brother, James i
L.. was decapitated at London. Some u
oppose that James III. secretly removed I
lin to Sainte Marguerite and there inn I
'risoned him. Eugene sue has written u
Ipon this supposition one of his most in
eresting romances.
4. MattiOls. agent Of the Duke Of Man
Ila. This Italian spy used every endeav-
If 10 sell Casale to Louis XIV. and. hav- II
NJ received many presents for his SER :
ices. delivered up the secrets Of the ncgo-
stion 70 the Italian princes. Louis XIV. u
au~ed this disloyal mediator to be seized
nd imprisoned for life. Many believe Q
hat they find in him the Man of the Iron !,
Task, and, in the obscurity which exists Il
pom this subject, their opinion appears L
.e most probable. l.
). An illegitimate son Of Anne Of Aus
ria. This opinion l. advanced by Voltaire. y
nj devoid Of all probability. v
9. An illegitimate son OF Buckingham z