The New York herald., 1878-12-30
A Visit to the Curious Inmate
of Easton Jail.
GREAT LEARNING AND SMALL GAME
The Man Who "BOught" Machinery and "SOld'
Manufacturers and SayanS.


OF France. He is at the wonder and the mystery
| OF the place. For months past the papers
through Connecticut. New Jersey, Pennsylvania and
New York have contained occasional references to
individual who went about the country under various
aliases, living by trick and DEVICE and who six
weeks since brought up in the Northampton County
| jail His victims were numerous, yet his chcane
had such dash of the ludicrous about it
| that they. generally speaking, pocketed their
| slight losses and let him go his way.
Indeed no almost always went before no
| considered in any other light than patron
and benefactor 1t in his failure to go far enough
and fast enough that he to grief II hintcd
that he slightly crazy but at least matter-of
fact hotel keeper of Easton, whose hospitality he had
exploited to the extent Of SIT IS during residence
OF four days, thought that his enterprise was too
great to be put to the credit of insanity. The Grand
Jury Of Northampton county has found true bill
against the distinguished traveller-and his trial will
come on next month-for absconding without settling
his little BILL and he stands chance Of remaining in
| his present quarters for some time longer
AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
! few days ago formidable roll of manuscript
reached the HERALD Office. 1t from the pen Of
| the prisoner and began follows:-
| NORTHAMPTON COUNTY JAIL, EAsToS Pa.
| To THE EDITOR OF THE HHRALD:-
In your issue Of the I'd ult. noticed article
titled Machine Mad in which article you gave
account of my extensive commercial operations and
in concluding which you stated that was evidently
insane Thinking that it might be OF interest to the
readers OF valuable paper and wishing state
the reasons mad IN making my purchasing tour in
and Pennsylvania, have prepared short sketch of
my career, which, if you think proper you may pub
| lish.
| PUZZLE.
The article he refers to despatch from Read
| ing, Pa, detailing his arrest and briefly telling his
| mode OF operating. The that he went on to
| sketch extraordinary and its apparent
frankness in the portion relating his questionable
operations gave color Of truth to the greater part Of
it, It had it's weak spots, to be surequecr blundcrs
in the spelling of ordinary French words which
| would not expect from alleged graduate Of the
famous Ecole Polytcchnique Of Paris. which. by the
way, he occasionally spelled "Polythacnique." and
| SO on. Notwithstanding these blemishes it showed
| well read, travelled man. close observer and
master Of the mechanical sciences. But at the
| same time it left in doubt whether the fellow
practical joker on tremendous scale, scientific
| swindler on a small scale, or man Of great but
slightly deranged intellect. He puzzle Hence
it that the writer rang the bell the ponderous
door Of the sombre hued, battlemented prison that
| looks down from hill on the prosperous town Of
Easton and the Delaware River Stout built and
| pleasant faced Warden Whitescl opened the door,
and cheerfully consented to granting interview
Ramel, alias Henri de Courcelles. Artium Msgistcr
Civil Engineer and soi-dsant Director of the Juan
Mines, Arequipa, Peru. whose stupendous orders for
machinery, bridges steam engines and rails seemed
at time to promise trade revival in all branches
| of the iron and steel manufactures.
| THE PRISON.
The little preliminary of entering ones name in
tho visitors book showed that one of the names Of
the object Of the visit there also. for he had
| spccted as amateur what he shortly destined
| to enjoy professional.
| Take this gentleman to Peru" was the warden's
rather startling order to the jailer. who carried
bunch of keys. and forthwith led the way up a
wide but gloomy corridor. Faint daylight came
| into il through small gate of stout iron bars
| at the extreme end. With q clatter in the
| lock and grato on the hinge, this door
was opened and I stepped into the prison
With cang the door locked behind me-
| and looked around. 1t much like the run Of
county PRISONS two tiers of cells running around an
oblong, but cleaner. tidier and handsomer than
usual and would look comfortable il it not for
the heavy double doors before each little residence
and the great bolts that shot to and fro with chilly
clang 1t hoorcd with great slabs of dark slate
which must be relief to the eyes of the respective
drunk and disorderlies assault and batteries petty
larcensts and burglars when they tired Of look
ing at the white walls of their cells. Some, indeed
! of these gentry have decorated their enforced
abodes with pictures from the New York
wceklies with hanging chains of colored
paper artisticallv arranged and at least one had
covered the walls with cheerful of his own
| design. The place is warmed pleasantly. Some OF
the inmates the ja1cr said, in another part of
the prison making brooms and carpets. but those
awaiting trial were taking their We turned to
the right and stood before CELL Tho jailer opened
- I.kks
| work. There were two men inside.
"Pnt on your coat and come out" said the jailer
not unkindy to of them. and tall. thin young
man with dark eyes stepped out
| .Now, go in, sir. the others your man."
BARRAUp-RAMEL coURcELLEs.
eutered the door changed behind and curious lit
tie parsonage in his shirt forward with
slight bow. Perhaps there shade Of dsappoint-
ment in the effect of his appearance. Amore magnetic
bearing. more dashing appearance would have been
expected in the outward man Of so brilliant i'm
postor. About thirty five years old, of the middle
height though his puny body and slanting shoulders
made him look smaller. he not at the first glance
attractive in any degree. But his head long.
large and remarkable His complexion was
dark. He wore a neat brown mustac he and
side whiskcrs. had large and very. dark
that was prominent without being long, well set
mouth and u fat chin. The eye ut once, however.
rested ON his towering. square forehead-a regular
double-deckcr," hts qlondaul host, the Easton
hotel keeper. called tand which seemed the higher
that he s bald tho crown of the head from which
the thin hair OF dusty brown frngcd down. Add TO
this that he has large feet least large boots aud
small hands and that his clothes ptfully sccdy
although he clean shirt. He invited me 10
scat apology for stool and sat down himself
on OF the low beds In the cell. On q peg hung
secdy with the red ribbon OF the Legion Of
on the lapel.
HOW TALKS.
II is not necessary TO detail the entire interview that
followed for after brief talk about hs prison house.
which he declared, with shrug comfortable for
place of the kind" conversation directed mainly
to sundry of the weak points ia his story and to OBJ
tanning fuller light upon Others lie talks well. with
decided foreign accent and is ready to branch
of into the discussion Of scientific points
or description of natural scenery, persons
or public buildings in all quarters of the
world lie talked OF his s'opcrations," ~ he
loves to call them. with great g,lsto and
from time to time broke into unpleasant sound
ing, harsh laugh ut the discontinue some of his