Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-02-08
THE CHATEAU DIP.
Prison of Dumas Famous Romance
"COunt of Monte CristO," a.
1t Exists To-Day,

A correspondent of the Paris Temps,
VINO attended the recent festival in Mar
settles commemorating the twenty-five
hundredth anniversary of the founda-
ton of the city, visited the Chateau DIFF,
and made some interesting investiga-
lions of the prison where Dumas Count
of Monte Cristo was confined. A boat
made three trips a day to the island
one indication of how widely Dumas Is
still read. The boat was full, and every
body maintained the serious demeanor
proper on a pilgrimage. The trip takes
about half an hour. The castle, situated
on an islet about 800 yards in circum-
ference, entirely surrounds 1t with Its
wall. 1t is a heavy structure, with
short, thickset towers and square dom
ion, yet there is a certain beauty in the
color of its stones, even In It's massive
conformation. 1t was never used as
anything but a state prison-a south
ern bastille. Francis l. in 1924 laid the
first stone. He was through personal
experience a connoisseur in prisons.
The cells open into a small, gloomy
inside court. Many have no windowsi
some are merely low dungeons, below
the level of the ground. Three larger
and more cheerful ones on the second
story have contained famous prisoners;
the Man in the Iron Mask, who was
transferred in 1856 to the Island Of St.
Marguerite; Philippe Egalite, father Of
Louis Philippe, who was beheaded on
November 6, 1893, and Mirabeau, by vir-
tue OF letter de cachet obtained by his
father. But these places are not the
ones that attract the crowds Of visitors.
They all direct their steps first to q
dungeon on the first floor, dreadful Of
appearance, with an iron-bound door,
grilled peephole, bolt weighing
dozen pounds. Enter this door and you
are in a chamber, dry, but gloomy,
lighted by one little lamp. Written out
side it are these words; Cell of the
Able Faris, expelled from Rome IN 1911,
confined in the Chateau DIFF as a con-
spirator, died In 1929" 1t is neverthe-
less only an ante-chamber. Faria'S cell
is In a kind of recess, where man can
hardly stand, and where no ray of light
penetrates. In this cell can be seen
the hole dug by the able to communi-
cate with Dantes'! Yes, 1t really ex-
lists, this hole! What southern genius
dug it? It is not known, but 1t is there,
unfailing proof Of the power Of pop
ular books illusion of reality. Through
this hole Dantes' cell can be dimly seen,
and in a glamour of mystery the more
terrifying because the door has been
walled up and no one can enter.
According to serious archaeological
Investigators, there were really prison
ers confined in this dreadful hole,
among them one named Bernadot, a
rich merchant of Marseilles, arrested
on a charge of speaking Ill of Cardinal
Richelleu, and left there to die of hun
ger. Jean Paul, a sailor who had struck
his commanding officer, died there In
the tower in 1879, after 81 years Of cap
tivity. 1t was doubtless the story Of
these men, literally buried alive, that In
spired Dumas. To-day for the whole
world the Chateau DIFF is the prison Of
Faria and Dantes, and the inscriptions
are there to certify to their existence.
An italian visitor some years ago kissed
the stones of these dungeons and wept
copiously.
The correspondent embarked for the
mainland. The captain Of the boat
pointed out TO him tiny islet sticking
up out Of the sea-a mass of rocks,
wave-benten and tragic in aspect.
"Tiboulen," he said, "where Dantes
first landed after his escape."-N. Y.
Tribune.