The Glasgow courier., 1916-02-11
4 ROYAL MYSTERY
Most Famous State Secret of the
Reign Of Louis XIV.
THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK.

Has Never Been Disclosed and
When Hs Died His Body Was Dc.
stroysd by ChsmieaIs In HE casket.
A famous state mystery Of the reign
Of Louis XIV. of France was the mys.
terious prisoner, the Man In the Iron
MASK. Many are the guesses which
have been ventured as to who he was.
Plays and novels have been written
with the iron mask as the central char.
acter, but his identity has remained q
secret 1t Is known without doubt
that st. Mars during his life had as
. prisoner q man whose face always
was covered with a mask of black
Velvet fastened by springs Of steel be.
hind the head.
The guards had orders to kill the
man II he ever exposed his face, and
St Mars own life depended on no.
body finding out who his prisoner was
His first prison was the castle of Pi.
gnerol. When St. Mars was trans
ferred to the isles Of st. Marguerite the
king himself told the jailer to take his
prisoner with him and cautioned him
not to let him speak to any one. even
his guards.
On the night Of April 20, 1874, clos
ed litter escorted by a troop of horses
stopped at Bron, some leagues from
Lyons. From the litter descended a
young man of slim and active figure
his face hidden by mask and his
hands firmly tied. in which state he
lay down on couch prepared before
hand. Next day ten hOrsemen arrived
with sealed orders to convey the pris.
oner with the utmost secrecy to the
fortress Of Plgnerol. So it was the
Man In the Iron Mask began his
twenty.nine years of captivity under
the impassive silent. remorseless st.
Mars.
Several years later the man Of the
mask was seen again when st. Mars
was transferred to st. Marguerite.
This time troopers surrounded chair
covered with waxed cloth. The trav.
elers stopped at an inn for supper
The more daring Of the curious peas.
ants peeked through small window
from outside the locked supper room.
The prisoner sat with his back to
the window. and they could not tell
whether he had on his mask. St.
Mars sat opposite him with pistol on
each side of his plate
This prisoner was the subject Of
much correspondence between st. Mars
and Louis XIV. of France. Louis con.
tinually was asking about him. He
Of the man. and about the cell he was
to occupy the king wrote:
LET there he so many doors closed
one after the other that the sentinels
cannot hear word. and you will new.
er listen to anything he has to say on
any pretext whatever. Threaten him
with death II he ever opens his mouth
to speak Of anything but Of what he
may be absolutely in want Of"
The blindly obedient St. Mars fol
lowed his instructions caHfully The
doctor who waited on the prisoner said
he had never seen his face, although
he had examined his tongue. Dishes
and plates were examined each time
the prisoner was served to see II there
was any writing on them. The guards
always were ready to kill the moment
he took of his mask.
In other respects the greatest atten-
ton was shown him. and nothing which
he requested was refused. He always
was dressed in black. st. Mars him.
self stood uncovered In his presence
and remained standing until the pris
oner had requested him to be seated
The jailer often took his meals with
the prisoner.
Just who was the Man In the Iron
Mask? Some thought he was an ille-
gitimate son of Anne Of Austria. 9th
efs said he was twin brother Of Louis
XIV. whose claims might. have de
prived the king OF his throne. Another
writer makes him the leader Of IN as
sociation which was formed to assassi
nate the ruler. The most general be-
lief Is that he was Count Mattioli. first
minister Of the Duke of Mantua, who
had betrayed the interests of Louis
XIV. by failing to secure for him. as
he had pledged himself to do in con.
sideration for bribe. possession Of
the fortress Of Casale from his master.
Louis XIV. knew the secret, but to all
questions replied that il it was known
who the prisoner was every one would
be surprised to find him so uninterest
ing person.
The prisoner died after short illness
in 1903. He was buried one autumn
day, and his name was inserted in the
prison register as M. de Marchiel."
Eighty six years later the frenzied
citizens Of Paris broke into the Bastille
and rushed to the cell where It was
known he had been kept. They stopped
short before clean whitewashed walls
Nothing was in the room. The prison.
er's clothes and the mask had been
burned when he died. Chemicals had
been put in his casket to destroy the
body. Only one man had seen the face
hnhi,,A thu ipOn 1rr;,,<. A.. ....