Evening star., 1936-08-09
BY RENE BELBENOIT.

BALBOA HEIGHTS, Canal Zone,
August 81, Rene Belbenoit, am
fugitive. I write this under cover and
on the run I have no country, have
no home. I was journalist before
I became a convict. I speak and
write only French and there is moth
ing for me in my profession outside OF
France, where I dare not return.
have nothing but my number, 46635,
and my present freedom. If lose
my freedom, I shall be taken back to
the living death on Devils Island.
This is the fifth time I have won
my freedom from that island hell,
and, if I am caught now, Ill never
win freedom again. am 36 years old
and was first condemned in 1921.
Since then have lived lifetime OF
suffering, enduring and witnessing the
horrors of Devils Island. where living
is vile and life is the cheapest thing
on earth. Since my last escape, I
have fought for IA months single
handed against man and nature and
have found nature the less cruel.
Hard to Survive.
What I have undergone since my
FIVE companions and 1 escaped from
St. Laurent on the night of May 2
1885, and plunged into the jungles of
Dutch Guiana, across the River Ma
roni from the penal colony, would
have killed a man not Injured to Suf-
fering as are the convicts of Devils
Island. Life in Guiana makes an ami
NAL of a man, an animal that can
survive the hardships of South Amer
1ca's jungles, unarmed and alone.
But my story does not begin there
After being demobilized from the
French army in 1921, l sought work
in vain over period of months. Dis
heartened and hungry, I broke into
the Chateau De Bel Ali. just outside
Paris, and stole a necklace of the
Countess of Entremeuse.
Two weeks later. I was arrested by
the police. and, three months after
that, I was sentenced to serve eight
years at hard labor in the penal COL
ony in French Guiana.
For 18 months I was held in the
central prison awaiting the steamer
that was to take me to Guiana. Fin
ally, with $50 other convicts, I was
embarked on the S. S. Martiniere.
where We we're securely locked in iron
cages. That is the first step in max
Ing beasts of men,
1 was set to cutting down trees in
the jungle Immediately on my arrival
IN French Guiana, June 81, 1928. Two
weeks later I made my first escape,
crossing the river into Dutch Guiana.
1t was only matter of few days,
however, before I was arrested by the
Dutch authorities and returned to
French Guiana. For this attempt, I
was sentenced to 80 days in a dark
cell on bread and water for periods uf
three days, with fair meal on the
fourth. A month in the hospital fol-
lowed my release from the dark cell
and was then sent to small negro
settlement In the Jungle, Camp Des
Malgaches.
Trip Of Eight Days.
-Four weeks later escaped With six
other convicts. We stole a canoe,
padded frantically down the liver to
the sea and arrived at Georgetown,
British Guiana, eight days later. 1t
had been our intention to put In there
only for fresh water, but We were
arrested by the police and thrown
into jail. Two months later We we're
back in French Guiana.
For that escape, the authorities Of
the colony limited themselves to de-
chring me incorrigible, but they did
not send me to the island itself. In
stead, I was transferred to Charvain,
known to the convicts as death
camp" where the prisoners must
work nude in the jungles to minimize
the possibility Of escape.
After I had been at Charvain for
three months, Nine. Blair Niles, the
American writer, came to visit the
colony and became well acquainted
with her. Because of my experience
as journalist, was aoie to supply
material which I knew would be of
interest to her. Her two books. Con-