New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-05
THE PITY OF THE EMPRESS.
KINDNESS TO THE PRISONERS
AT ST. LAZARE.


her work Of reforming and helping released fe-
male convicts who have been prisoners at ST.
Lazare. Mile Grandpre is not Of those
busting women who grow rich on charitable
enterprises which they start and keep on rum
ming. She is a spiritual daughter Of st. Vincent
de Pau, whose convent, dedicated 10 Lazarus II
now one OF the dark places of the earth. 1t is q
Jail where women convicted by police tribunals
do time" Officials named by the Government
manage 1t according to hard and fast rules which
are never relaxed. Tradesmen contract for the
work of the prisoners. who have no mercy to ex-'
pect from Overseers Sisters OF Charity cast q
ray OF divine pity on the convlcts. but even they
become callOus. Mile. Grandpre lived In the
prison for five years. She had an uncle who was
chaplain there. In 1865 mis- health began to fail.
and the niece allowed to install herself I'm his
lodging his housekeeper 1t was when stay
ing with him that she saw to what a terrible
the Lazarists' convent had been turned
She resolved 10 undertake the work that has
been the great passion OF her life. and placed II
under the protection Of that saint whose name
has become the synonyme Of systematic charity.
During her five years residence in the desc
Grated convent she had t. content herself with
rendering little services here and there and with
trying to get the better of the mechanical off,
cialism which had one measure and set OF scales
for every prisoner. 1t was necessary to have the
wisdom OF the serpent and the peaceable temper
OF the dove. The officials were overbearing, ar
rogant and callous 10 misery. They took no ac-
count Of physical moral suffering. unless II
was certified to by a doctor When he gave a
certificate the person named In 1t was removed
10 infirmary. But nothing was done to get
rid Of state Of things which developed morbid
MI dprh In
relations with some journalists. who called at
tention TO the internal administration Of st.
Lazare, publishing information which was APP
parently communicated by liberated prisoners.
Some Of them made a noise. One described the
the women sat for ten hours a day were only
five inches broad 50 as not to take up room;
tables were in long rows close to each other: the
ventilation was bad; light was excluded from
the lower panes Of the windows; a minimum
work was fixed. and II 1t was not furnished
severe punishments were meted out. Fell chronic
diseases the result. Archbishop Darboy
caused prayers to be said for the unfortunate
prisoners; but officiaism doggedly refused to
give in. Notes were sent to the papers to say
that they had been misinformed.
The Empress Eugene became interested. At 10
o'clock one morning the Governor Of ST. Lazare
came running into the chaplain's lodging to say
that the Empress had suddenly arrived. with the
Grand-duchess Mary. sister Of the Gar He
asked Mile Grandpre to come down and take
the exalted ladies over the prison. She went,
presented and Eugene then told why she had
come She wanted, she said. to see with her own
eyes to Judge for herself and to do what she
could 10 find remedies for the evils that had
been unveiled. The Governor and overseers were
hardly conceal her JOY. She was greatly I'M
pressed with the glow Of human sympathy that
lighted up the face of the Empress. who seemed
to forget her own sharp afiiiction Che news OF
the Emperor Maximilian's execution had reached
her two days before in studying the hard lot OF
the prisoners There was no detail. however
painful. from which she shrank. According to
Mile Grandpre, she was a beautiful woman
when she entered and gloriied by a sanity am
btion she was leaving the place. Her heart
seemed 10 have been aroused, and new and
higher views of life and OF her situation seemed
to have opened TO her. Not long after she went
20 visit the Juvenile prisoners at the Rouquette
JAIL and twice made the round Of the cholera
wards. winning the name the Archbishop OF
Paris gave her Of the First Sister OF Charity Of
France"
ON returning to the Tuileries from st. Lazare.
the Empress sent for the Minister Of the Interior
and the Director of the Penal Department under
him She said II was no use denying the revela-
lions that had been made. She understood the
mpossibility Of a sweeping reform. But the En-
pire being held respons!ble-very unfairly-for the
horrors OF 81. Lazare. she must insist on some
salutary changes being made at once. The MIN
lister said that the Government could afford 10
make no change The Empress answered that re-
trenchment could be effected In many directions
and that 80 FAR as she was concerned. she would
gladly lend herself 10 policy ~ economy for
humantys sake Al council which was held
next day she overborc the Minister. and in the
course Of a week or ~ the prison architect and
carpenter came 10 Mile. Granipre with pIanks
and models FOR new forms. She chose the model
and the plank. ana fairly comnodlous seats were
provided FOR the prisoners
But The Empress had brought u hornets nest
nbou, her head The Prefecture of Police and the
Prison Department M the Ministry ~ the In
tcriOr wer" furious ut her having meddlci In
pcnitentiary affairs. Every story 20 the disad-
vantage Of the Empress that could be- rakcd up
wac circulated by the police. Her whole life was
scrutlnIzed. Tales about her. some true. but
many more false. were given 10 correspondents u
Belgian and German papers. When II became ap
parent that she would soon be Regent. the secret
hostility became moro virulent The idea was to
have her thrust aside and all power given to a
Council OF Regency, should the Prince Imperial
succeed the Emperor I'm his minority. The moro
she gained the hearts Of the people the more ter
rbe became the official amnesty. Jobbery was
rife In the Prisons Department, there was a
vested interest I'm abuses.
Mile Grandpre regrets that no high feminine
influence corrects the too great masculinity of
the Republican administration. She says that
queens ana expresses advance IN years the
sentiment grows strong In their hearts
They learn that favor is deceptive and beauty
vain and try to find durable satisfaction In
simple goodness. Mile Grandpre cited many In
stances Of this, and related many anecdotes TO
prove her position. She sent, on the twenty-fifth
anniversary OF the creation Of her league TO aid
freed prisoners a "LItany Of ST. Lazare" q every
empress and queen In Europe. The Empress
Eugene was not forgotten In the letter that
the litSny addressed to her Mile.
Ora ndpre spoke OF June 26 1867 being stamped
To eha dat on xthla
the Empress was taken by her over the prison Of
St Lazare Since then" she said the crown
Of sorrows has replaced the imperial crown; but
II earthly grandeur IS evanescent. good actions
have eternal life"
The Empress was not told. when Mile Grand
pre- was presented to her. exactly who she was.
and the fact that she was her chaplain's niece
was kept from her. In the two and half years
OF grandeur that remained to her she frequently
inquired through the police and Ministry Of the
Interior where Mile. Grandpre could be found.
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