The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-25

away the artillery Formerly these islands
were well wooded. They are separated from
Cayenne and safe anchorage. Their climate
is salubrious. They are now only used as
penal settlement, and the worst kinds or
criminals are incarcerated there where
they cannot get away from their doom. On
81 Joseph the governor of Cayenne has
summer residence, though he has no lack
of residences on the mainland itself. Be-
sides the governors residence on st. Joseph
a very strong prison is being built for the
dynamitards and other Socialists, who are
specially Kept together on this island.
Among others the notorious Meunier has
ands do not consist of French subjects
alone. Most of the nations of the earth are
represented by criminals.
The lie du Diable, standing seaward OF
the lie Royale, the headquarters of the peni-
tentary administration of the Safety ISL
ands, was formerly a leper settlement.
When DreyfuS was condemned to life i'm
prisonment In strong place the DeviPs
island was the only spot which It was
thought would hold him with any degree OF
security The lepers were therefore re-
moved and a residence constructed for
him. This residence is somewhat in the ma
ture of cage, the innermost depths of
the headquarters on the lie Royale. AL
most oil the vegetation has been cleared off
the island, so that every point of 1t may
be commanded A battery of Hotchkss
guns is permanently dressed ready for
ton against any attempt at a rescue of the
prisoner. On the first alarm of such an at
tempt the orders are that Dreyfus is to be
shot.
About a year ago report gained ground
of Dreyfuss escape. Thousands of pounds
were spent in kilograms to ascertain If the
report was true or incorrect, and the then
Governor was recalled. Since then every
day at stated hours the prisoner is obliged
to,appear outside his cage, and his existence
is announced by. telegraph to Paris. None
of his guards, who are frequently changed,
is permitted to hold any conversation with
him. DreyfuS is allowed to pay a convict
to act as his cook. He gets many news
passes through the hands of the administra-
ton.
allowed to have their wives with them, but
in his case this privilege was refused. al
though Nine. Dreyfus offered to build the
necessary habitation at her own expense,
and to be no charge to the government. The
authorities were afraid that her presence
might cause them further increase of
Dreyfus has fattened since he has been
prisoner. He reads and writes much. sit
ting outside his cage. where he can be seen
on all sides. His guards watch him night
and day, never letting him out Of their
sight. All the stories of a substitute hav-
ing been provided for him, and that the real
Dreyfus is not in custody, are utterly abb
surd and fabulous.
Since the French, in Difference to repre-
sensations of the Australian government
and for other causes, have given up send
ing convicts to New Cal donia, Cayenne is
the principal French penal colony. The
escape from the mainland is comparatively
easy, though immense hardships have to be
endured in order to reach either Brazil or
the Guianas. Convicts caught in Dutch
Guiana are invariably sent back to where
they came from, The British colonies also
refuse them an asylum.
From the Safety islands the escape is ex-
ceedingly difficult, as the waters around
them are infested with sharks. One of these
sharks, the biggest and boldest. is well
known the 'harbor master" Deceased
convicts are taken out in boat, fitted out
with plank on q lever. When the lever Is
released the plank turns and the body on 1t
pitches into the water.
The toling of the death knell is a signal
for the sharks to appear. and the body
hardly reaches the water before the sharks
begin to struggle for it. The boat has to be
accident from the commotion caused by the
sharks in their struggles to get at the
corpse.
Notwithstanding these dangers, however,
convicts do get away from the Safety isles.
Only a few months ago, at II O'Clock in the
morning. six convicts seized a whaeboat
and took flight after having had time to
happened al an hour when convicts are not
supposed to be at large, and when the
guarding of them is at it's easiest. The
fugitives. amid a shower of rifle and re-
Volver shots. succeeded in getting away.
passing under the stern of a schooner
the steam launch was being prepared for
pursuit. the schooner's services We're requi-
sitioned, but the fugitiveS promptly made
for the coast where the water was shallow
and where their pursuers could not follow
them. Topographic notices of the escape
were rapidly sent around, but the fugitives
succeeded in landing, and the only salts
faction the authorities had was TO retake
the abandoned whaeboat. One of the con-
VictS was a notorious assassin.