Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-10
MEMOIRS OF CRIME
REMARKABLE BOOK By A
FRENCH CONVICT.
Paris Publishers Are Offering the Po--
lice Large Sums for the Copy
right-Adventures and Morals.
Special cablesram to The Star.

Special Cablegram to Thesis
PARIS, December 10.-The police have dis
covered in the rooms of convict named
Sporn manuscript entitled THE True Ac-
count of the Adventures Of an Escaped
Convict" The book Is extremely power
full, and Paris publishers are bidding high
for the rights to produce the same.
Sporn appears to be something of a phi
losopher, for the recital of his adventures
is interspersed with numerous moral re-
fections and appreciations on the beauties
of nature. written in almost a religious
strain.
Sporn, as a habitual criminal, had been
ordered to live for the remainder of his life
In French Guiana, and he has just finished
a sentence Of eight years there. But he
longed to revisit France and to participate
In his escape he selected fourteen followers,
"murderers but not thieves Each paid
SO per head toward the expenses.
Under the pretext of wishing to start in
business as a fish dealer, he obtained
nshing license to. navigate in the Maroni
This he gradually stored with provisions
and all being ready he started of with his
fourteen companions.
MY object was to run for Venezuela" he
says, carefully avoiding landing in Dutch
or British territory where all French con-
victs are Immediately handed back to the
French authorities, and to reach the Vene-
zueian Republic. 1t was necessary to
steer right out for the open sea, out of
sight of the coast. Ny companions had all
promised to obey as captain, for / had
made a special study Of navigation and of
charts and maps of the coast. But when
the morning broke and they discovered they
were already out of sight of land all be-
came alarmed and threatened to kill me
II did not return. OF course, expostulated
with them and pointed out that If they
Id hoy yorY1d h, TO owl
gate the boat, and that they never would
get back to land. This argument held them
down for time, but not being sure of just
what they would do and not caring to VEN
ture too far from the shore, l returned.
After two days We were caught, in a heavy
ground swell and thrown upon sandy
beach closed in by dense bush. Four of
us were drowned.
Driven to Cannibalism.
I'VE succeeded with infinite pains in re-
covering the boat, some of our provisions
and the body of one of our companions.
And there is still before my eyes the pic
ture of the impressive and solitary funeral
we gave our poor mate on this lonely
beach. Outside the pale Of the law, as we
were, there was not a man of us who was
not profoundly moved. One OF us had Tor,
a few extempore prayers over the new
made grave in the sand
The ten survivors finally succeeded in
making the little British port of New
Amsterdam. After revictualing they were
obliged to get away as hastily as possible.
for they noticed that they had already
aroused the suspicious Of the residents. Out
In the sea they were caught in fearful
hurricane and were afraid that every mo-
ment would be their last. They were buff
feted about within easy reach of George
town, but dared not go in: Eventually they
were again wrecked on a lonely and dan
gerous coast and they finally suffered SO
much that they were obliged to resort to
canuibaIism. 1t is advisable to pass over
the cannibalistic features which Sporn
gives 1t suffices to say that after strug-
giles for day or two they all became can
nibals and once more put off to sea with
provision Of human food. In the delta OF
the Orinoco river they were captured by
Venezuelan revenue launch, which confis-
Gated the boat and what little money they
had with them. The men were taken pris-
oners and placed out to labor with planter
named Ricardo. Sporn ultimately escaped
at night in a canoe and met with many
thrilling adventures in the Venezuelan for
ests. At the village Of Urracoa he discov-
cred that the village priest was French
missionary, and, wonderful: to relate, ma
tive of an Alsatian village, only six miles
from Sporns own birthplace. Eventually,
through the intercessions of the priest, he
was returned to Paris, where he Is now
on trial for completely in frauds.