The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-06-29
A GRIMOLD DUNGEON
THE CHATEAU o'IF, TtsE PRISON or
EDMOND DANTE9.


I've, Gloomy jan Imfhortaifred by
Dumas In ..Monte Cristo.'
]. E. Jenner gives description OF
the castle made famous by Alexander
Dumas in his novel OF Monte Cristo-"
'swho has not read the Count Of
Monte Cristo' and formed en- opinion
as to its possibilities? / had my doubts
regarding its truthfulness, for the ter
rible tale seems to appear exaggerated
and Impossible, but am now conyinc-
ed that Dumas has intended to place
before US a fairly accurate picture OF
the grewsome prison Of bygone days.
During my travels in south France.
while stopping at Marseilles. 1 had an
opportunity 20 join small party on
steamer plying between the city and
a group Of islands in the Mediterranean
sea belonging to France. The smalles.
of this group, a solid rock, not more
than q quarter of a mile In circumfer-
ence, rising almost upright out OF the
water and accessible only on one side
by steps hewn into the rock, is known
as the Isle DIFF.
"On this rock is built the celebrated
prison, or castle, the chateau dIi,
which Dumas has immortalized In his
Monte Cristo.'
1.-THE keep, or dungeon, was construct
ed in 1919 by King Francis l. to i'm
prison his captives sitter the victorious
battles with his adversary, the Duke OF
Bourbon, and subsequently used for
centuries by the later kings as state
prison. It was known at that time az
the 'bastile Of the south
1.-THE outside walls are fifteen feet
thick. In the middle Is a small oper
court Sufficient to give light to tie
entrances Of fourteen encircling cells.
which are divided by partition walls
ten feet thick and can be entered o1ly
By one small opening from the inucf
court.
Directly opposite the entrance to Tao
court is the cell which was occupied b.
Edmond Dantes, made famous by
Alexander Dumas as the hero-the
Count of Monte Cristo. Dantes and
the Able Faria. who was sentenced b:
order Of the pope as conspirator,
each passed sixteen years Of their lives
In these cells.
THE suffering Of these and otLeT Tn.
happy prisoners who were coafinai
here must have been horrible ia
cells lack air and light The walls.
ceiling and floor are Of soiid stone, AMI
escape was utterly impossible. it be-
ing a veritable sepuicher
"In going through the prison one
feels that from behind these walls you
hear the CRY Of suffering. the las.
breath and rattle of those who died fn
despair.
"All OF The other cells are labeled
with the names Of the most prominent
prisoners who had been incarcerate.i
therein. Among these were:
"Bernaraot, rich trader, who had
been arrested on suspicion Of having
designs against Cardinal Richelieu. Ha
resolved to die Of starvation, and for
eleven days refused. to eat or drink
With piece Of charcoal he wrote on
the wall the torture which he endured
He died on the twelfth day.
"John Paul, sailor, for slapping his
commander. died In 1TI9 after thirty
one years Of captivity.
Marquis dc Larelette, the minister
Of finance under Lofts VIII, for dis.
loyalty to the king.
albert Campo, for having published
the secret Of q prison which he bad
discovered
paul and Louis MarteI, imprisoned
for life on suspicion of murder.
"Boissow, religious fanatic. who
made an attempt upon the lie of q
Protestant nobleman.
"LaJolais, for an attempt to assasst
.,ate Consul Napoleon before he be-
.ane emperor.
Prince Casimir. brother Of Ladislas
VII. king OF Poland, imprisoned by
Napoleon I. on having betrayed the
French and serving fine Spanish.
'Louis Philippe d'Orleans. father of
King Louis Philippe. for siding with
the revoIutionists in 1913.
'a1irnbeau, for general insubordina-
ton. ducling and publishing infamma-
tory writings against thu royalists
%Chevalier de Ballesteros. consul
from Spain at Bayonne, imprisoned by
srder Of Napoleon /. for opposing and
interfering with the Introduction Of the
Napoleonic law codes.
This castle was crowded with polit-
ical prisoners sentenced during and i'm
mediately before the revolution Of 1850,
when Ii was possible for the leaders to
order the arrest and Imprisonment of
any citizen without trial and upon sus-
picior or '-trumped up charges.
Napoleon l. during his early reign
sentenced many Of his opposers to this
isolated dungeon.
I'm 1853 over 400 persons, principally
political agitators, were imprisoned
here for an attempted plot to over.
throw tie government, and as late as
1871, during the commune. 500 were
massed together in this limited space
sentenced as participants in the revolt
against the government.
''Since France has become a republic
new prisons have been erected through.
out the land, and the dungeon on the