The sun., 1905-08-06
s0xs PRISONS or OLD PARIS,
Hsrribis Tsrtuses Experiences by PRissa.
~. v era af All ClaaaeA. y.

t b t ere OF All Close0es W. Ft
PARIS. July s7.--As late - the fourtesnth
sAntuy judicial fairness In criminal trials
was unknown In France. kemorselese pun.
bhmant for even the most Insignificant
penal oYenses was the rule Under these
conditions IL 10 not surprising that the prisons
OF old Paris were places OF detention horrible
beyond the power OF the most fertile irnagt-
nation to conceive OF. The Conoiorgerie was
q representative type Of one Of these peniten-
tial cloacas. abodes of torture for thousands
OF humble and illustrious prisoners.
This prison was Q part Of an old fortress
Of the Carlovlnglan Kings. II was situated
In Paris on that long island of the Seine called
La Cite palace built by the Romans
occupied the original site. This fell into
decay and was replaced by a fortress and
castle near the end OF the ninth century
Following the CarlovinRlan Kings. Hugh
Capet and his successors lived In II until
the reign OF Charles ", when the Louvre
became the royal residence. Later on the
former structure was destroyed by fire. ex-
cept the prison of the Concergerie. 40 called
because 10 was governed by Concierge, an
individual Of great power. who had jurlsdic-
tion not only over IL but also over the entire
island. He was clothed with judicial preroga-
tives and with the right Of inficting death
upon offenders captured within his territory.
For this purpose he was provided with six
gibbets set M in the courtyard OF the prison.
They did not decay through lack OF use.
The cells Of the Conciergerio were dark.
damp and unsanitary. Each. whore persons
: could not pay for superior privileges. was
occupied by several prisoners. Some were
situated under the tanks In which the water
supply was stored The leakage from those
flowed into the cells under them. adding
TO the intolerable sufferinss Of their inmates.
Sixty Years or more ago two pits were dis
covered about fifteen yards deep. The floors
OF these were Rarnished with iron points.
upon which those thrown ,S INTO INTO snsm were
mpaiea seardn o. .ne sds ~, ,h n1nti
"ss s s'n" ,he % from one points s' until IN reh
in the seine lifted and carried them into tho
strsnm a. '''''e ''''e ''''>' ''>' ''' ''''
held 'ss on cS as well "ss' as
in small cells whose aocumulated NTH wa wac
"s the i lives of the oos From
this center issued terrible plaques which
devastated Paris. Under the roof Of ~ this
esn tinesion were from % Pierre de Ia Brosse in ,a7s
favorlte Of Philippe le H1rd to Marie is,o An
the that
the c""clerserie "" erie Witnessed the most terrible
kind hearted man. who did ali in hi. power
The prisoners, men and women. were allowed
s.vsrish ' ansistr attending the uncertainty
ieVerish dnAie'' a''eha'.is .ne unes' .o'Ao
among them: These t had hardly hardly had inceP..
ton when the terrible guillotine brought
n dsast .1 Rs honsSs rom
dessa shy nPe and the
satqrnslia ei nervous selety: They Or
TO try them. Seated on their cots, some as
eumed the role OF judges or jurors. others
conde@ned Wsre sshed to psnk and dee
capitation simulated with the edge Of chair.
hsy s t.sssv fSss to the
caused E 50 y many @ hesd. 70 ist. va. i turn
confined ip a small cell adjoining that formerly
occupied by Marie Ant2instte on TIE 2sth
we're beheaded. This was the end Of the
Terror and Of the horrors OF this famous
prsop s fand 81 9d cbhteIet a. used a. prison for
commencement. of the nineteenth century:
sewers. Of decayins 6sh and meat. II was
the focus Of deadly epidemics and plaques
Attached TO the ChAtelet was a. court where
or %eae
ing. banishment. decapitatlon. hanging.
breaking the wheel ana torture OF every |
kind. Some examples will give an idea Of
the iron handed Justice meted out by this
court.
In 1900 a certain Jehan Jovsso. for false |
coinage. was boiled In kettle Of III. About |
tho same time a woman accused Of ct ealing |
a few silver spoons from her employer was
sentenced to have her right ear cut of apd |
to be banshed from Paris, with the alterna- |
tive of being buried alive did she ever return:
to be 1oE few yeaf later WSo
had entered chapel of the Virgin had desc.
officiating priest through with q sword was |
sentenced 70 have his right hand cut OF and
cut of: sorcerers We're burned at the stake,
rnd publishers who printed unauthorized |
some of the penalties inflicted BY the court
70 tho IN" r9Tss we're e seleteus Of the
souls Of those, they had sentenced. They
OF the sacrament OF confession and the prayers |
Of snroaly designated eoclesiastfcs. In
on q mule always aecompaRied the victims
49,