The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-06-26
n CALIFORNIAN
ABROAD.
By Thomas Fitch
MAOCElg
MARSEILLES
Copyright 1901


chained to an oar, and the harbor was
filed with galleys propelled in this
mysterious and interesting manner.
Instead of that the four thousand pris-
oners who occupy La Bagne at Tou-
lon, do not row boats at ALL or have
other opportunity to gain freedom by
breaking their irons and plunging into
the sea to rescue French countesses
who fall overheard for that purpose.
Instead of placing their damp preserv-
ed princesses in the arms of ruff1ed
papas Fright center) and shouting Cleft
upper entrance) Lady, these accursed
irons cover a wrong-ed and innocent
man"-the prosaic convicts at Toulon
work on shore in the most common
place manner, and their prison life IS
like that of convicts elsewhere.
From Toulon we proceeded to Cannes,
beautiful little seaport city>of about
ten thousand inhabitants. 1t is famed
for its saIubrity, and has a large num-
Der of English winter residents. All
these, as well as the hotel proprietors,
are accustomed to dwell with pride
upon the fact that Lord Brougham died
there, though why that fact should
shiningly exenplify the sanitary excel
1ence of Cannes, is not entirely clear to
my comprehension.
AAA
In the bay opposite Cannes, and about
four miles distant, is the pine covered
and castIe-crowned island of Saint
Marguerite. In the castle, which was
built during the administration of the
Cardinal Richelieu. is a range of cells,
facing the sea. In one of these the
man with the iron mask was confined
from 1856 to 1898. The true story of
this mysterious being has perhaps
never been told. 1t is certain that for
twelve years there was confined here
a prisoner who dined off silver plate,
and who was treated with the greatest
Difference, but who was compelled to
wear day and night a black mask, some
say of iron and others assert of black
velvet. and who was never left unat-
tended. 1t is related that once, when
the officer in charge absented himself
for few minutes, the prisoner wrote
a few words with his pen-knife upon
silver plate, and threw the plate into
who brought it to the commandant. On
being questioned the man declared that
he could not read, but they put him
to death nevertheless. There are a
dozen conflicting stories as to the iden-
tity and crime of the ferruginous head
ed individual who was thus immured
in a dungeon cell with which no tele-
phone communicated. Several writer's
have asserted that he was a young
foreign nobleman, the Chamberlain of
Queen Ann, and the real father of
Louis XIV. Saint Michel published q
book to prove that he was the son OF
Queen Ann and Cardinal Mazarin, who
We're secretly married. The Able Son.
laiVe claims that he was a twin broth
er of Louis XIV, brought up in secret,
so like the king that it was necessary
to mask and imprison him in order
to prevent accidents. Romances,
dramas and poems have been given to
the world upon the basis of the Man
in the Iron Mask" but until this writ
ing, his true story has never been
written.
1t may not be known that I am at
times a spiritual medium of great abili-
ty Not rapping or speaking medium,
but an all around inspirational inter
prefer of the occult-a species of mag