The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-06-12
A CONNECTS EscApE
Subeerfuge by Which He ContrIved to Get
Away from a Prison COLONY.

So0eerfuge by Which He ContrIved to Get
Away from a Prison Colony.
Mr.. E. Ordinaire recently returned
from long sojourn in New Caledonia.
the big island in the Pacific to which
several thousand French criminals have
been transported for their country's
good. 1t is mistake, however, to sup
pose that many of these convicts spend
their lives drudging away behind prison
Ealls. If they behave themselves and
do not try TO escape they are in time per-
mitted to enjoy good deal of liberty, live
in cottages of their own outside the pris-
ons, marry female convicts, and acquire
moro or less property. While in Now
| Caledonia Mr.. Ordinaire met beautiful
young French woman and her husband.
They lived in good style, entertained
him handsomely, and, as they were not
convicts, their guest was curious to
know how it happened that they wore
living in such an out of tho way part of
the world. They satisfied his curiosity,
and later he heard the story they told
him from the French authorities on the
island.
About twenty years ago q wealthy
Ffenehman named Lamy was condemned
TO life imprisonment in New Caledonia.
1t had been discovered that he had sue
oessively poisoned two legitimate wives,
and the public sentiment was that he
was very lucky to save his head. His
sentence was that he should be kept at
hard labor. It happened, however, that
in his new home, being far away from
the French court that tried him, he was
not confined very long in the prison
gang, and gradually gained many privil.
eyes Mr.. Ordinaire hints that Lamy'e
money was Influential in making COM
Viet life easy and Comfortable for him.
AT the end of ten years tho wife
poisoner was as free as any one could be
who was not permitted to go anywhere
he pleased. He wandered at will among
the settlements of New Caledonia.
bought property In Noumea, the ehiet
town Of the island. and started ranch
on which before long he had two thou
sand head of eattle, He had other bust
neaa irons IN the Are, and eAjOyea oil
the privileges Of tree oolonist, except
that he could not quit the island. whore
he had been condemned to perpetual
exile, ~
But. Of course, the thing he most de-
sired was the complete freedom that
was denied him. In spite of his fortune
and the comparative comfort be enjoyed,
Lany made up hfs mind TO go back to
Europe IL he could get there.
One day he went to Noumea, wearing
very lugubrious face, and told the
Governor of the Penitentiary Admins
,tration that tho climate was simply Kill
ling himS Il he did NOT have change of
air he would die. He begged for per:
mission to spend six months in Sydney
on accoHnt af his shattered health.
II is hipted that sympathy ola not
mpYe the penitentiary apthoritiea half
80 much as the gold which is capable OF
working miracles. A privilege that had
never been extended to prisoner on
tho island before was accorded to Lamy:
he obtained permission to seek change
of air, ana openly embarked for Austria:
lia on o French steamer, buying the
beat accommodations the Yesael provided,
Lamy was now really fugitive, for
he had not the slightest intention OF re-
turning again to New Caledonia 1t did
not take him long to discover that the
Sydney air was not sufficiently curative,
and he accordingly toak passage upon
ono Of the San Francisco steamers,
crossed North America, and embarked
from Now YORK Tor Europe.
few months after Lamy should have
reappeared in New Caledonia his son and
daughter-in-law, the young people who
so handsomely entertained Mr.. Ordi-
naire, appeared on the scene. They were
equipped with full powers TO dispose
Of hie property on the island, and they
settled in one of their fathers housEa
and proceeded leisurely to realize upon
the lands, houses, forests and herds of
their parent At last accounts he was
still Feposing from his adventures in q
country bordering upon France. IN. Y.
Sun