The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-06-09

...,,oosart hole I'm one Of them. All me
,,.a,. an tho station they tried 20 ioi'e
MIN ga confess 10 should be uhn'i ."''
tbat I'm France the American melhou -
reverscI-a prisoner coii7inei'N 49,
untu he proves himself innocent
has had one effect at least 1T mas
MANY men who were not b"h'g ~.
French prisons because theE Oon 10
.,,o,a that they were innocent anu '"o
n,,.4o Inc cautious Partisan careful 10
.,.ofd evon the appearance or eNll. f"'
II has made it almost as bad 10 p' sue.
,,l,ted of a crime as il is 10 nave aciu"ilS
committed it, But Pierre was suhlS'
IIe SIM carried the fatal blood upon
his clutching fingers when NE vas ioOHe'
lp for the night n the httle ponce 49,
con AIS i'm the morning the great o'-
lure de Prison" drew up at the uo.I' an
he with a few others manacieu' wac
put into IT. in this prison van ne was
NOT permitted 10 SIT on "a long seat where
he might converse with other prisoners
as are Americans who have been arrest
cd but was placed i'm htlle chpDoain'
lust big enough for him 10 STAND lh UNI
comfortably. This cupboard was care
fully locked. and after the other pas
senrcrs had been similarly placed the
outer door of the carriage was locked
also These Paris prison vans accommo-
date twenty prisoners each. and mario"
aisle runs between the rows of cupboards.
The driver can look through a little win
dow. which Is just back of his head, ana
see the doors Of each prisoners closet
and frequently there is another man. VINO
sits at the other end of the passage, on
a scat supported by the outer DOOR
Pierre. through this system, had most
thoroughly secluded journey.
The "Noiture de Prison rumbled away
I.. 3D. f4f
roar. which deafened Pierre and made 30
impossible for him 10 think. lie was half
stupehed by the jOlting and the STIFFNESS
OF his little coop by the time The van had
ratified along the quai 10 the Place 81.
Michel. turned thence across the bridge
which crosses this arm OF the Seine. and
finally. having travelled some brief and
very in-paVcd streets on the island where
the Palals de Justice and the police build
ings stand, stopped i'm gleat courtyard,
watched everywhere by Republican
Guards in their ugly uniforms and bear
ing enormous rifles
The particular doorway before which
the prison van stopped was the entrance
20 the Depot" 1t is at the Depot
that am the prisoners of Paris are receive
ga from the police. Pierre was rcleas-
cd from his coop in the van, and marched
between two rows of Republican Guards
into the bare reception room az precisely
o o'clock There were many with him.
and they had come from all parts Of Paris
charged with an sorts OF crimes. num-
bor Of oricials stood behind long. high
desks OF plain boards. and before them
the prisoners fasscd IN single NE answer
lnr questions with lies or truth. as the
case might be. protesting innocence 20
deaf ears: some few conlesslng suit 10
the extremity Of their fright The oin-
cials did not fail TO listen 10 the con-
LESSONS of guilt.
In the melancholy file Of which Pierre
formed part were old sinners and young
sinners Girls with faces from which
NIGHT OF confinement in the police station
cells had stolen part of the paint were
there. charged with having violated the
State regulation IN their vice, little boy
lust I'm front of Pierre was accused or
stealing "a loaf Of bread. an old woman
al his back openly and loudly avowcd 10
all the world that she had been drunk
the night before.
An pricked up their ears when they
heard the official read Pierre's name and
give the charge assassination and ne
Instantly became the aristocrat among
the motley crew of criminals.
Presently he was led away This first
march within the walls of the depot was
calculated 10 impress him with the fact
that he was now a prisoner, Wild beast
who must be Gagged II led from the little
receiving room into the great Vaulted
vcstibule of the prison proper and from
here after three bolts had been slid on
each OF three doors IL lei into a gloomy
stone staircase winding in a small spiral
up Il tall stone tower This staircase,
dripping with dungeOn-damp. its stairs
highly polished and with corners worn
round by countless preceding criminal
feet was an uncanny experience. So
short were the turniugs that Pierre could
not see the guard who went before or the
guard who followed. lie could only hear
their rcsounding footsteps and the clank-
ing OF their arms. Nisibly he was ali
alone IN the gray gloom OF the round
tower Audiby he was between two men.
each with a loaded musket IL was here
that fear first overlook Pierre. lie felt
as he climbed up and up that he was
climbing 10 his doom.
But the climb ended al last, and Pierre
was ushcrcd into a small room wherein
were ranged four rows OF little coops.
somewhat similar 10 the ore In which he
had been locked In the prison van. But
they were provided with little seats. ana
were open without doors In front once
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