The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-02-05

Visit to the Historic Pile Near the
GuiIIotine.

PARIS, Feb. 4-The correspondent of the
Associated Press to-day paid visit to the
famous prison De la Roquette, where the
condemned Anarchist, Valiant, is await
ing execution. The Roquette is a prison for
persons sentenced to less than a years i'm
prisonment, and is only temporary place
of detention for those undergoing longer
terms. 1t owes, therefore, its hard repu-
tation to the fact that within its walls
criminals condemned to death, sometimes
as long as four weeks, await the reprieve
or confirmation of the sentence The prison
Is situated at the extreme end of Paris
and In one of the poorer districts The
dismal character of the neighborhood is
intensified by the dilapidated condition, by
the surrounding wretched novels, by the
shops containing, exclusively, funeral mon
uments, wreaths. etc, and by the vicinity
of the Pere la Chaise Cemetery.
1t is in front of the prison gate on an
open space between two small squares that
the guillotine is erected on execution morn
ings. Five large granite slabs mark the
exact spot upon which 1t must stand. Not
sentry guards the gate and announces Wis
itors. In response to the correspondent s
call warder emerged from the side gate,
looked at the pass and desired the visitor
to cross at the yard and knock at another
heavy gate. This second gate is the en-
showed the visitor to an office, where the
latter was requested to wait He had no
eeTk for the chief Msder came m m
troduced himself and said that he was at
the callers disposal
NONE EVER ESCAPE.
The prison De la Roquette, which was
designed by n German. is a three-story
building of massive stone. 1t is surrounded
by two square walls. each about thirty feet
high. A walk, fifteen feet wide, separates
the prison from the first wall, and another
walk, equally wide, separates this from the
outer wall Sentries are on duty day and
night on both of these walks Only the
most reliable prisoners are allowed under
escort, to sweep them Escapes are thus
rendered we'll nigh impossible. In fact, not
even an attempt at an escape has ever been
recorded.
ner courts. The first and the larger of the
two Is surrounded by the four walls, with
nothing to relieve their monotony other
than the four rows of equidistant heavily
straight line. The uniform of the prisoners
is composed of gray jacket, with brass
buttons. gray trousers. gray skull nat t.n ana
youth, who as a distinctive mark, had two
red stripes on the top of his Jacket He
was bqsily engaged In cleaning the yard
prisoners undergoing imprisonment of over
three weeks are shaved, and that men
whose behavior Is gOO0 were allowed more
freedom and were given employment as as
sistants TO warders. The ground floor of
the prison is occupied by the chapel, the
refectory the library and the workshops.
The work in the latter is contracted by the
government at 10 pence per day. Half of
this is kept to defray the expense of the
maintenance of prisoners, while the other
half is accumulated and given TO the priS-
onerS on their discharge
on the occasion of the correspondent S
visit there were more than $50 silent pris-
oners polishing brass, binding books and
manufacturing women,s cheap boas.
Among the 80 clean-Shaven faces there
were many iail-bird physiognomies. but
many pale and haggard looks, inspiring
more sympathy and compassion than repUl-
sion. Questioned as to the amount of sym
pathy different classes of prisoners inspire
in the warders. the guide said that in the
silence which is imposed and the numerous
preoccupationS which absorb the. warders,
and their ignorance most of the time of
the crimes which bring the men to prison,
they have no time to discriminate. and all
The refectory, the chapel, the library. and,
finally, ten punitive, cells. were next Wis
tied. No wonder there not more of
these hells. for when a man has been in
one once he never wants to return Each
cell is about eight feet long by five wide.
One of the sides is occupied by a slanting
wooden couch five and one-half feet long
by three wide. For a pillow there is a
slightly raised block. The light which
comes from above is just sufficient to make
darkness visible. No bed clothing is given
condemn to many as five weeks i'm
murement. His food is composed OF bread
and water. and only once in four days a
plate of soup.
VAILLANTS CELL.
On the first floor IS the hospital, in which,
however, only light cases are treated. The
old mems ward and the school room which
is not frequented at all, are also on this
floor. The two floors above, to which ac-
cess is obtained through heavily barred
doors, are divided into 800 cells. Each cell
is eleven feet long by eight feet wide. and
contains only bedstead. The prisoner must
be UP at o'clock in the morning and pre-
pare his bed. TO which he returns at .. m.
The first cell visited was No. %. This was
occupied for a month. during the commune
In 1871, by Monseigneur Darboy, Archbishop
OF Paris. He was imprisoned as a hostage
and conducted from his cell TO he shot with
four other companions within the walls OF
the prison. The prison authorities have
never locked another prisoner in that cell
sacred 20 his memory, nor has the now
worm-eaten mattress or table and chair
been removed. The cells which are built in
a row opposite each other. in the two sides
of the corridors, receive the light from
either the large court or from the first walk
outside the prison. From this court the cor
respondent descended TO the second and