Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-10-01
Odd Corners of the World Where
French Convicts Live.
isle Do DIABLE fHE WORST OF ALL
A DesoIate Spot Formerly Occu-
pied by Lepers.
OTHERS MORE POPULAR

Copyright, 1898 by the International Literary and
News Service.l
| In the matter of her penal settlements
France is Unique, for while the criminal
code Of The republic is something the Anglo
| Saxon instinct has never been a BILE to Crap
| pie with successfully, the merit of the
system that has controlled the administra-
ton of her convict colonies is patent TO
every one who has any acquaintance with
| it.
| The most important of these are located
| in New Caledonia and in Guyana or Cay
| enne-Frances solitary foothoid on the
| continent OF South America. They are
scattered along the coast of Guyana on the
| Isles, du Salut.at Konron and on the Island
| of La Mere, and at Maroni. The last named
| settlement boasts in Saint Laurent, a
| neat little town of small wooden houses
! raised above the ground on brick piers, and
inhabited by citizens varously criminal.
] But most famous of all-because of the
| feme of one man-is the Isle du Diable,
| where Capt Alfred Dreyfus has spent three
| years Waiting-if the last developments
| claimed for his case proven true-a
tardy Justice at the hands of his country
| men.
This desolated spot is one of accumulate
| ed horrors 1t was until recently leper
| settlement. Here the celebrated political
| prisoner mas HNeu the long days IN chains,
| TO be Gagged at night like wild beast; for
| the discipline to which he has been sub
] Jected has been as rigorous as il is mild and
| humanitarian ia the case of ordinary
! wrongdOer.
| The first convicts were sent out to Cav
! eEr.e in 1852, when some three thousand
| were deported from the prisons of Paris.
| Others were to follow soon as these had
established themselves, but the fevers OF
| the sw&mpy coast proved to be deadly
| That in the end ii was decided to only send
| thlther convicts from Asia and Africa
| while New Caledonia was selected as the
| dumping ground for the criminal contln-
| gent from France.
| Three Classes of Criminals.
| France separates her criminal colonists
into three Observation-Disclosures, that IS ha-
| bitual, criminals; condammes prisoners
| undergoing sentence, and liberes or ticket
| of leave.
| The first enjoy but little liberty TIE sec
| ond by good conduct may aspire to it,
! while the third are practically free barring
| certain restrictions. Yet the lot of a trans
| Ported man is not hopeless no matter to
| what class he belongs. He is infinitely bet
| ter off than he would be in a French
prison.
| Indeed: transportation soon became 50
| popular by reason Of the humane adm mis-
| trFLtion OF the penal settlements that con-
vlctS who had been sentenced to solitary
| III inc nome prisons Were
cusiomed to make more or less murGerous
| assaults on their guards to insure TIE COW
| eted opportunity afforded by the colonies.
! To such an extreme Was this carried that
| In 1880 an act was passed decreens- tha;
| transportation should not be the penalty
| fer any crime committed in Il prison. In
short. tranSporta ton had altogether failed
| to inspire the cvil-doer with anything like
| the measure of v wholesome fear that had
| been hoped from It.
On their landing in New Caledonia the
convicts are first sent TO the Island Of Non
where sort of detention camp is MAIN
| tanned
| The new arrivals told off in squad- of
twenty, Each squad is assigned TO a sop
arate house, or, more properly epcaking.
| hut
| sThose who nave less than ten wears to
serve are fitted out with red b,ouses and
green caps and fustian trousers: those IN
dersoing Life sentence are furnished with
a green blouse and red cap, while those
! who have more than ten and less than
| twenty years t. serve get a brown cap and
green blouse
Watched While They Work.
| When they leave the detention CAM, the
| coionists' are put at various sorts of
| work. such house building road ma king
| or farming. They labor in gangs. always
! Under the watchful eye of an armed mill
| tary escort. They are not shackled in
| couples. a four-pound bah with a chain is
| attached to each mans leg
When a prisoner gains his good conduct
| badge he may discard the ball and chain
and also the REGULATE dress if he plea SEES
| The badge he must wear for five years dur
| ing which period he is on probation. After
| that he is given his freedom, though Re
cannot quit the island.
There are certain rules of conduct he
must observe while enjoying the privilege
| of ticket of leave, for instance he must
| not enter store where intoxicating liquors
| are sold, and he must keep to his cottage
after dark
The convicts receive wages for whatever
| work they may do. One-half of their earn
| tnss are paid them, while the other half is
held by the government against day when
! they Will become actual settlers. In this
manner they are provided with capital for
q fresh start in life; further than this, they
can by good behavior earn prize money.
Marriages Encouraged.
Perhaps the most curious phase of the
| life in New Caledonia is the convict mar
| riages. Just why the French government
should have assumed the responsibility of
making matches among criminals is diff
cult to say. Nevertheless its labors in this
direction have on the whole yielded very
satisfactory results
! Twice every wear a formal notice is sent
! to the various prisons throughout France
where women criminals are >seciude,i in
forming the inmates that any woman who
s loss ttittn tnlrlS years OF ard VINO
has served two years OF her sentence may
ask. TO be transported If she will agree to
| marry convict on reaching New Gale
| donia. This singular proposition meets with
! high favor generally, but the clause that
prospective brides shall have served two
| years of their sentence insures acceptance
| from only the very worst class of female
! offenders.
| The prospective bridegroom is Invariably
| a ticket of-leave man. ana has a cottage
and land, for no convict can marry who mas
not proved his ability to support himself
! Ii everything is satisfactory. there are two
| or three formal meetings; before the en-
| eagement is entered intoI the woman gen
| orally visits the home of her future hus-
| bard, chapeToned by a nun, and inspscts
| his possessions.
No Wedding Festivities.
| The marriage itself is performed with lit
| tie publicity. Once married. the
! couple become practically free colonists,
| though subject to certain restrictions The
! full time required for convict TO become
| a landed proprietor is about five years He
| may then take up any trade or business he
| oh fu1f no