Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-08-21
An unmanageable Prisoner.

A correspondent Of the London Tinits.
writing from Geneva, switzerland. tells
about a prisoner in Jail at Vaud. who
seems Ia he an unusually hard case"
The name Of the prisoner ia Christian
Wysg. and hc appears 90 have been an
evil.docr from his youth upward.
Though still under forty. lie began his
career Of crime more than twenty years
ago. being ntonccd In 1858 10 a term Of
imprisonment for robbery committed
at Ncvy. In 1858 he was condemned TO
eight years solitary confinement for
robbery with violence and murdeTous
attack on the gcndarmc hy whom he
was arrested. During this imprison-
ment he made a ferocious onslaught on
n turnkey with u chiscl. of which he had
surTcptiilnusly possessed himself. and
nearly killed the man. No sooner was
Wyss released from prison than he re-
sumcd his evil courses. Two years
thereafter he was brought before a Grim
inal court at Paycrnc on n charge Of
breaking into the house Of the pastor of
Ressudcns. whom hc half stranglod and
left for dead, and. though lac recovered
for "A time, he did actually die not long
aitcTwayd Of the injuries inflicted on him
by his assailant. For this offence Wyss
was sentenced in 1873 to thirteen years
solitary confinement Before tho year
was out he attacked another turnkey,
this time with a knife. and though the
poor man was hurt to death he survived
his wounds few weeks. n circumstance
which. indicating as 1t did a possibility
of ultimate recovery, induced the mag
strate hy whom the murderer was
tried TO take an inhulvnnt Wow Of
the case and add only two years TO
his sentence. Aftor this ev, at. aud see
ing that Wyss. who is not only a crea-
turc Of fcrociuus temper, but Of great
strength and almost hCrCulcIn proper
tions. continued to threaten his iailsrs.
and made several attempts 60 escape, the
authorities resolved 10 provide him with
a prison OF his own. a separate cell of
solid masonry was. Therefore. built for
him. Light was admitted by q single.
heavily barred window. and the door
was OF such strength MS seemingly 10 defy
the prisoners utmost efforts o. break
out. In this door was arranged n small
wicket. through which Wyss was fed
like wild beast, for no one ever entered
his cell. where he remaincd day and night
heavily ironed. But one day when a
guardian of the prison was conveying TO
Wvss his matutinal supply of food he
perceived tlRt the door had been tampcr-
cd with. An alarm was forthwith given.
and investigation made. IL seemed that
the prisoner had managed. nobody could
tell how, TO break a piece of iron from
one of the bars of his window. This. by
dint of hard work--using tho floor ofbis
cell as whetstone-hc had ingeniously
shaped into a sort of chisel, with which
he had forced back one of the bolts oi
his door. and would, doubtless, had he
not been found out in time, have forced
them all and regained his freedom. It
required almost n regiment of gcndarmes
to secure Wyss and carry him to another
cell, there TO be kept chained 10 the floor
until his own den should bo once more
ready 10 receive and, Ms his custodians
hope. 20 retain him. II. before his time
be out, Wyss should commit any more
murders, it Is very likely, in the present
temper of the Vaudois people, that he
will be hanged.