New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-26
FRENCH PRISONS.

THEIR CHARACTERISTICS BROUGHT TO puErM
NOTICE BY THE PANAMA SENTENCES
Mazas Prison In Paris Is the one which was ~
most frequently mentioned In dispatches and Euon..
correspondence about the yet unfinished trial Of na,
ties implicated in the Panama scandals But Nam
Is only kind OF reception jail for yet unconvjcts1
PERSONS, who are transferred after the compeoo -
their trial and appeal to the different Maioo.
Centralcs' which answer to American pcni,entisrr,
and which are located in several departments 4.
France. The accused persons IN the Panama an,,
will not bc sentenced TO those extreme penalties which
conduct convics for burglary MURDER or crimes Of N.
worst order ID the penal settlements OF Guiana ana
New Caledonia. to La Eoquctte JAIL the sn,a
chamber OF the guOtluc.
At any rate, II must he snid that in no Promo,
prison are the cOnvIct' treated iudcy and In
humaney Is the practice in British a!l. II can IN
added too, that men Imprisoned In France on political
charges always enjoy some small privileges. and an
never subjected TO the horrible Treatment suffered b,
the Irish patriots in Kilmanham and Portllnd jaib
or by Polish and Russian Liberals In the siberian
mines.
Any person arrested In Pars by TIE police Il taken
first 10 the depot, at the Prefecture Of Police and
after rapid examination by the Judge Of Instruction
Is transferred Mazas. That prison. built under tia
reign OF Louis Philippe, is situated opposite the ter
minus OF the Paris-Lyon- Mediteralee Railroad and
can be plainly seen by all American tourists bound
for Nice, MentOnc, Cannes Monte Carlo II Is near
the Alserlitz Bridge over the River Seine and strape,
ns 1t Is. was named after Colonel Mazas a valiant
soldier OF the first Empire, who killed at Auster.
litz at the head OF the Thirty fourth Brigade and
whose name given 10 the square upon which tho
prison built 1t is run on the system Of solitary
confinement II divided into six divisions and contains
ZOO cells ranged In scmcirce. AT the centre Of
which Is the altar where mass Is celebrated SUNDAYS
and all great Catholic relgio days. on these
occasions the cell doors left little ajar and the
prisoners though not able 10 each other can hive
a distant view OF the altar. The cells are well
lighted, ventilated and warmed a hammock Is
pended every night across each and rolled up In
the morning by the prisoner, who has the Of .
chair and q small table. Food, which Is not luxu.
rous OF COURSE but sound and sufficiently abundant
Is passed through opening in the door; but tho
inmates can have their meals brought from outside,
and n this case the wachmen carefully inspect every
article destined for the prisoners. About thlr;yfve
or forty five minutes allowed for walk in yard
divided into high partitions, 80 that every prisoner
Is quite Isolated and cannot talk 10 any Of bis
compan mons. Visits from relatives and friends are
permitted twi'c a week, but only after the Judge Of
instruction has terminated the preliminary invesu'
cation OF the case, during which the accused or pre-
venus are rgidy kept secret that Is without
any communication with the outside world, not even
with their counsel.
The prisoners, soon after 'her mcar'e'a'ou o.e
visited by the almoner OF the prison, who Is Catholic
,. -, -, 90 oror.d uhan M, beon ling TO
p'i'''' o"' 'h'' NJ "''V - -, ,I,.or .,
the Roman creed, 10 receive Tue VISITS oi Hepc" VI
pro,es,ant cl.rcymcn III they decline to the
aImoner he does not force himself on them. IL they
want IT, he calls on them is often As they WISH Inc
library OF the Jail Is placed at the service Of Inc
.ison,. !, q co,,,n.od mainly Of books bearing on
P''So"e'S' - ''''l ' u, -. ,rorL.
the National clas slch literature anu VI n'N''"
Of travel Ike the novels OF Jules Verne ana INC
-, r.,,,...,.,o
volumes oil the S'as"s'i i''o''oP"' -,...nor, 4.
This MANS regime OF preventive 'lit'o No.,