Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-08

he exception OF the two picturesque towers
known as Julius Cesar and Montgomerie,
and the cell of Marie Antoinette, nothing
of the original building remains intact.
According to q very minute plan taken in
1890, the arrangement of the prison during
the Reign of Terror was as follows: The
principal entry, as at present, was from the
inner courtyard which opens into the
PaIais de Justice. A narrow Gothic door
way led 10 a small inner courtyard, at the
far end of which was the guichet, or turn
stile, a low door about three feet and a half
high, to enter which the prisoners were
obliged to bend nearly double; or even
crawl on their hands and knees.
WHERE WOMEN SUFFERED.
Once within, they found themselves in a
large and well-lighted chamber, where they
were confronted by the chief gaoler, Rich
ard. Beyond his salon was long dark
passage, in which the women we're kept
until they were wanted pour la toilette.
Sometimes they remained here a month,
their food being handed to them through
narrow slit in the wall. Not few died
from the effects of the horrible stenches with
which this sitting corridor was always
filled; for the unfortunates were not allowed
to leave it for moment day or night. At the
height of the Reign of Terror it was generally
crowded with from 80 to 100 parsons, and not
always of the same sex. A little to the left
was a spacious cloister surrounded by ar
cades, and having a small fountaiu in its
center. Here the female prisoners were
permitted to take exercise, wash their cloth
ing, and not infrequently in fine weather
spend the whole day. This courtyard was
separated by an iron railing from similar
one used by the men, who we're free to talk
with the women, and even to play cards with
them, through the rails.
On the righthand side was a series of
rooms known as Chambres de Pistole. This
consisted of what had originally been one
vast vaulted hall, but was now converted
into sort of dormitory containing as many
so beds 1t was called pistole because here
people who wished to have bed could do
SO by paying from q to 80 llvres a month;
but it very often happened that the same
bed was let three or four times over, owing
to the fact that its latest occupant had been
sent to the guillotine.
LODGINGS FOR POORER VICTIMS.
There was another set of cheaper lodgings,
with litter of straw thrown on the ground,
and used BY those who could not pay for
more luxurious accommodation. Those who
slept here were popularly known as pailleurs
tyranny of Robespier-e, whea the Tribunal
was sending its daily carloads of victims to
the guillotine, from 40 to 30 beds were used
every night by fresh victims, who paid each
10 livres for their sleeping accommodation.
This system brought in profitable revenue
of about 1.O00l. month
A little beyond the Chambres de Pistole
a narrow passage led into the apartment
known as that of Heloise and Abelard, which
had very fine vaulted ceiling. and was
situated directly under the hall of the
Revolutionary Tribunal, where the prisoners
were judged, and served as general pas
sage to and from the hall. It will be re-
membered that in The Dead Heart, the duel
between Landry and Latour takes place in
the Conciergerie.
Externally the Conclergerie was apparent
ly modern, having been whitewashed. and
the Gothic arches of the windows bricked
up and furnished with the usual green
blinds, so that little or nothing of its orig
inal architecture appeared. But internally |
the ceilings throughout were vaulted, the |
doors Gothic, and the whole prison had |
thoroughly feudal aspect, which was sug- |
gestively dismal. The first official whose |
the prisoner formed was the |
chief gaoler, Richard, already referred to, a |
fairly humane fellow according to his light. |
1lS Wlle, hHt. hlcndru, mas won ue- |
served place among the heroines of the |
for her respectful treatment of |
Marie Antoinette and her general kindness |
to the unhappy victims in her charge. Rich
ard had ten gaolers under him, seven or
eight of whom were imposed upon him by |
those in power, and were fearful brutes, gen.
orally half drunk, and attended by half
dozen savage dogs.
ONE NIGHTS BrJTCHERy
All the memoirs of the time describe the
as dreadfully damp and filthy |
The majority of the dungeons were below
the level of the street, on that of the river,
and infested with rats to such an extent that
more than one prisoner was nearly killed by
them. In the first year of the republic the
was fairly well organized; but
from 1892 to 1894 it became veritable pam
1emonium, being literally packed with pris-
oners OF both sexes, beds being made up in
what had been the chapel and in some of the
passages to accommodate the ex-
traordinary number of poor creatures
who were dooomed to pass here
heir last hours on earth. To give some
dea of its overcrowded condition, the fol-
owing statistics will suffice. The prison
,ould contain with ease 800 persons, but GER
ainly not more without cruel inconvenience.
)n the night of September 10. 1892, there
we're 511 prisoners distributed among its
,arious halls and dungeons. According to
n official statement recently discovered, M.
nd Nine. Richard declared that on that
Il Tiki &I~ l. Ill