Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-06-02
A GRIM OLD..DUNGEON
THE CHATEAU DIFF, THE PRISON OF
EDMOND DANTES.

the Mcdicrrnncnn Sen, This MRss-
i've, Gloomy jail Iinmortnlixcd by
Dun,ns In ",Iontc Cristo."
J. L. Jcnncr gives Il description Of
the castle made famous by; Alexander
Dumas in his novel Of Monte Cristo."
"W'ho has not read the Count of
Monte Cristo' and formed an opinion
as to its possibilities? l hal my doubts
regarding its truthfnlncss, for the ter
riDlc tale seems TO appear exaggerated
and impossible. but am now couvinc-
cd that Dumas has intended TO place
before us fairly accurate picture Of
the Ercwsumc prison of bygonc days.
During my travels in south France,
while stopping AT Marscillcs. had an
opportunity to join Il small party on Il
steamer plying between the city and
Il group of islands i'll the Me litcrrancan
SEA belonging to France. The smallest
of this group. Il solid rock, not more
than quarter OF II mile in circumfcr-
cncc, rising almost upright out of the
water and accessible only on one side
hy steps hrwh into the rock, Is known
rs the Isle d'1f.
"On this rock is bnllt the celebrated
prison. or castle, the chateau dTf.
which Dumas has immortalizcd In his
Monte CriSto'
THE keep, or dungeon. was construct
c,l i'll ll29 Ivy King Francis |. 10 i'm
prison his raptivrs after the victorious
battles with his adversary. the Duke or
Bourbon. ana subsequently used for
centuries by the later kings as Il state
prison. 1t wns known ut that time as
the 'l,astilc of the south
'''!'lic outside walls are fifteen feet
thick. In ihc middle is Il small open
court sufficient Ia give light To the
entrances of fourteen cncirciiDg cells
which are divided by partition walk;
ten feet thick and can he entered only
by one small opening from the inner
court.
"Dircctly opposite the entrance TO the
court is the coll which was occupied by
Edmond Dantcs. made famous by
Alexander Dumas as the hcro-thc
Count of Monte Cristo. Daptcs and
the Able Fara, who was sentenced by
order of the pope us conspirator,
each passed sixteen years of their lives
in these cells.
'"l'hc suffering OF these and other un-
happy prisoners who We're confined
here must have been horrible. The
cells lack air and light. Tic walls.
ceiling and floor are of solid stone. nnd
escape WIS utterly impossible, it be-
ing Il vcritablc Scpulcher.
feels that from behind these walls YOU
hear the cry Of suffering, the last
breath and rattle OF those who died In
despair.
"-tll of the other cells arc labeled
with the names of tho most prominent
prisoners who had been incarccratcd
therein. Among these were:
"Bernar,lot. rich trader, who had
been arrested on suspicion of having
designs against Cardinal Richclicu lie
resolved 10 die of starvation, and for
eleven days refused to eat or drink
With IL piece of charcoal he wrote on
the wall the torture which he endured
He died OH the twclftl, day.
''JGhn Paul. Il sailor. for slapping his
commander, died in 1910 after thirty
one years Of captivity.
Marquis dc IavcIctte. the minister
Of finance unGer Louis VIII, for dis
loyalty To the king.
ALBERT Campo, for having published
the secret of prison which he had
discovered
Paul and Louis Martcl, imprisoned
for life on suspicion OF murder.
"BOissow. Il religious fanatic who
made an attempt upon the life of
Protestant noblcmnn.
"IaJolais. for an attempt to assass-
nate Consul Napoleon before he be-
came emperor
prince Cnslmir, brother Of Ladlslas
VII. king Of Poland. imprisoned by
Napoleon l. OH having betrayed the
French and serving the Spanish.
Louis Philippe d'Orlcans. father OF
King Louis Philippe. for siding with
the rcvolutionists in 1793
"AIrabcau, for general lnsuhorlna-
ton. ducling and publishing inGamma-
tory writings against the royalists.
"Chevaicr de Bnllcstcros. consul
from Spain mt Rayonnc, imprisoned by
order of Napoleon I. for opposing ana
Interfering with the Introduction of the
Napolconic law codes
'This castle was crowded with polit-
lcnl prisoners sentenced during and i'm
mcdiately before the revolution Of 1885,
when IL was possible for the leaders to
order the arrest and Imprisonment OF
any citizen without trial and upon slls-
picion or "trumped up" charges.
Napoleon I. during his early reign
sentenced many of his opposcrs to this
isolated dungeon.