St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-04-10
PENITENTIARY COCKTAILS.
A Hotel Modelled After a Prison anS
Patronized by Rascals.
Paris Correspondence.


Paris CORES pondence.
The latest sensation in the gay capital is
the Tavern of the Penitentiary The invi-
tations were issued in large red bills. posted
on the walls of that eXtravagant quarter,
Montmartre. 1t was announced that guests
would be served by eX-convicts wearing the
gaTb of servitude, at the same time solicit
ing for these unfortunates, whose desire is
now the straight and narrow way, kind
treatment and encouraging words to help
them TO persevere in the paths of honor
and virtue. These were signed by Maxine
Lisbonne.
Maxine Lisbonene, director Of this es-
Enlistment, was a member of the COM
mune and other scientific societies and con-
sequently paid a visit to this colony of
Noumea, where so many even more distin-
guished than he-Henri Rochefort, for in
stance-had been sent to do penance for
their excess of patriotism. The life at the
penitentiary, Of which one would hardly be
supposed DESTROYS of retaining souvenirs,
seems TO have dilated Lisbonne's penitence
to the extent of wishing to surround him
self with living pictures of his life there.
Our curiosity led US to visit this grim
fantasia. which proves OF so great benefit
| to its originator We entered a narrow
passage, its whitewashed walls lighted by
petroleum lamps. leading to the cafe. a
| large hall garnished with simplicity
amounting to crudeness; plain deal tables.
warmed by two huge stoves, the floor
covered with yellow sand. At the end of
this vast hall, to the right. is q small room,
on the door Of which is announced that all
customers are shaved free from the hours
of IL a. IN. TO p. m. Not being custom
ers we were not considered free patrons.
| ClanPn Qnntrbf of Ina harh
rascally looking devil-was sufficient to de-
prive us of any desire to be included in the
category of customers" Hanging on the
walls of the cafe, without frames, were
life-size portraits of prominent Socialists,
congenial spirits, and of the same political
persuasion as Lisbonne himself, two of
them well-known for their prominence in
this line-Louise Michel and Henri Roche
fort. Other placards detailing various
drinks under new names. such as: NOumea
| (absnthe), Boulet, which means a cannon
ball (bock); Soda Canaque and Soupe Cor
gaud de Toulon (chief penitentiary Of
| France).
Seating ourselves at one Of the deal
tables, we were soon approached by one of
the eX-convcts In his sinister garb-drab
breeches. red wooden jacket. with the in
itials Il. 4. (travaux forces-hard labor
stamped in black, and green cap, with his
number on a small tin plate adjoining the
front. The click, click of the ball and chain
fastened to the ankle and the ball attached
to the hip. for convenience, of course-nOt
the solid ball he was accustomed to drag
when a convict He demanded our order
in soft. penitent voice, as though still
under the rod of correction. This bizarre
company of walters fascinated me by the
strangeness of the situation. These strange
faces were n study. Certainly the power
of money does not extend to making man
adopt the garb of disgrace, no matter the
privations the absence of it might incur!
This visit early in the evening. brought
on another after 10 at night, when the place
was full. What a crowd of hard and bru
talized men and women it wasl Theil
songs were infamous, their gestures VIC
: lent and often improper. A woman who
got up and posed on one of the tables wa.
certainly of magnificent figure; but the
braZenness of her face and the coarsenes
of the cries that greeted her were shocking
The convict walters pulled her down wheI
4 she became utterly outrageous. One o
3 them, with face like gargoyle, said il
2 tones of chronic hoarseness:
Look here, public decency must be re
spected!"
So they had a moral code which drew tn
line somewhere even at Nine Lisbonnes.