The Washington herald., 1909-01-10

him life was indeed bitter
Beginning his career as q shoemaker.
GOrky ran away and obtained work as a
designer Later he found employment in
the shop OF a painter OF images. After
that he became a galley boy on Vega
River boat
The boat was a sort OF prison for him.
and its confinement proved a blessing. He
developed a love for reading and as the
cook happened to be the owner Of quite
library he found opportunity TO delve
deep into all sorts Of books. legends o.
the saints. folklore. and the novels OF
the elder Dumas
After that time, no matter what vas
his work, even while he was a gardeners
apprentice, a bakers helper. a porter. a
wood cutter. an apple peddler. a signal
man on railroad. A vender OF beer.
which ne sold from a barrel he trundled
ABOUT the streets, a lawyers clerk. a
heTcsInan- chorus singer. or a news
paper reporter, ne spent every available
spare moment in reading
IN 1892 a broken down student s5,-ie.5
him n write. and under the guidance Of
korolenkO. Gorky soon became as popu-
lar with the masses as he vas hated b--
the bUreaucTatS- In 1850 and 1893 he was
imprisoned for short terms. bur 50 moor
was his health and 50 greatly was public
indignation aroused that each time Re
was liberated promptly. Yet in these brief
intervals within prison walls Gorlv Oh
tanned the inspiration for two OF his
strongest dramas.
Attempt on Dreyfus' Life.
The recent attempt 10 asssssinate Al
bert Dreyfus recalls Devils Island. where
the victim Of the most tragic army scan
Il n
lSss TO 1889. Imprisonment. however.
brought to Dreyf8s only gray hair and
premature feebleness Of body. IN the
tropical climate Of the Caribbean. under
the depressing influence OF guard a.
ways lurking AT his elbow. T1revf-s
found little opportunity 70 do more Than
brood over the crimes committed against
him
When Dreyfus returned 10 ReDnas IN
lSs Tor new trial D.. appeared ike 4
man in dream. He was white haired
stoop shOuldered. and broken in spirit
He was tried. convicted u six years i'm
prfSonment that the dignity OF the co71-r
might be sustained. and immediately na--
doned by President Loubet- On regain
ing something Of his old self Drevfug
Joined with his friends IN bringing about
third trial in 1915. when al last the
court Of cessation quashed the former
verdict. and the Senate and Chamber ~
Deputies promoted him 70 major.
Gen PiCquart. an army's head who
was prisoner. who was involved IN The
Dreyfus scandal. has been said to oz-a
MS present position Of French minister
OF war 10 MS prison experience Il was =
test which proved that PicGuart would
not shield those h. knew were k-5JfItv- b--
falsely accusing Dreyfus So nobTv DID
ne bear up throughout this ordeal that ne
became recognized as one OF the Sr-o1g
men which the French army raada5
Clemenceau. on becoming premier. racoS-
nlzed this. and made Picquart head %
The department Of war
Charged with Forgery
! At the time the Dreyfus scandal b-o.-s
Picquart was a lieutenant colonel in
charge Of the secret intelligence bureau
He maintained that Dreyfus was iu7oos7-
and Esterhazy guilty. He was cIz-vs5
with forgery and locked ID in the Cyl,a--b-
SiicI Military Prison There was talk that
PicquaTt might commit suicide. as I'D
Col Henry. a bitter anti-Drevfl-sz-5
who had confessed that he had commit
TED forgery 70 shield those guilty. pic
quart heard the TumOr cooperating him
sei. and. believing Il meant a plot n
murder hin, he sent 4 thrill through the
courtroom as they led him OFT by ex-
claiming:
I wish 10 deFare that II I find in
Cherche Midi the rope OF I<en4r~;a-
Picard "a murdered police spv) or The
razor OF Col Henry. il viii be murder
nave no idea Of committing suicide
FIcquart vas released after s90 9svs-
IMPRISONMENT the German government
having made public the fact thar tbs
petit oieu- which = was alleged
LS.qIaIt forged was the handiworE %
Col SchwarZkOppen. & German off,
The French republic also derives -,
NJ from the imprisonment OF the Duke ~
orleans The duke also profted nv -bs
experience. His confinement AZ CIsf---
FauN vas sort OF test OF the st-snrrr
OF the royalist sentiment Il proved t6s+
me cause Of monarchy in France MAS
hopeless.
Duke Louis Philippe Robert Of Orleans
VINO nad been living In exile. decided il
l%g 70 stir things up in France" H
toia his father thar the tine vas rioe =,
renew their precensions To the F-re1cb
throne Accordingly, he went 10 -
cTu'lns bureau in Paris. stated he vas
t"enty-one- and asked TO be permitted N
shilst N the army. He was shifted nv
one oInclaI 10 another Until the public
vas Wei aroused. rival factions had
arisen. and there was tan az g.. g
some quarters Of Paris.
Duke Goes 10 Prison.
In October the duke finally was s-reS..
co and tried for violation Of The eri1a 1sv-
The duke had a little epigrsu7ns.i,
speech. which he tried 20 r-pea4 f7or
memory But his voice was husky ~.
gestures without force his bearing M.
particularly impressive Yet 2 few n re
crowd began TO cheer for the duke with
the result that there was almost a riot
The duke spent four months IN the prison
OF Clairvaux- His wife later tried Ia stir
I'D sympathy for his claims. but n No
avail With the death Of his father. the
Count Of Paris. in 1891. the Orleanist
cause practically died. too
The fact that T Estrada Palma CUbs.s
first President. who died recently. xss
shut Up in q Spanish prison for three
years. added 70 his popularity among the
masses In 1876 Palma was chosen head
Of the provisional republic Of Cuba He
was man OF wealth. having inherited
large plantations from his father. The
poorer classes regarded him as an aris-
tocrat But when the Spaniards laid
hands on him. conlscated his estates and
shut him up in a Spanish cell. the crowd
forgot much Of its old prejudice and &C
claimed him a hero and a martyr.
The civil war has furnished many no
table examples OF imprisonment proving
the nobility Of men even more than their
exploits on the field OF battle.
Samuel Hawkins Marshall Byers the
author and diplomat, says that he owes
much TO his Imprisonment following his
capture at toe battle OF Chattanooga In
a Confederate cell he had the opportunity
of thinking out many Of the literary
works which he afteTward accomplished.
L 10