The Sun. — 1841-05-04 (London, England)

THE PRISON OF CLICHY.  (From M. Barthelemy Maurice's _work on the Prisons of  the Seine.)  The year 1838 was saddened by the occurrence of a suicide in Clichy—that of the Count de Raberti. This Count was the son of an Italian General, who d'ed in the French service ; and he bad the misfortune to fall in love with a young French actress, and the still gre der misfettune to marry her. He loved her with an Italian ft rvour ; she returned his love with little gratitude and much coquetry. After having impaired his fortune in satisfying the extravagant caprices of his wife, the Count de Roberti found himself within the walla of Clichy on the 27th of No. vember, 1837. At first he was astonished at not receivirg any visits from her whom he had loved so distractedly ; at length he began to suspect that, far from seeking to put an end to his captivity, she herself was the occasion of it ; and that, in order to devote herself more easily to her paramour, she had made the latter buy as the titles or bonds by virtue of which her husband was retained in durance vile 1 From that moment bit prison became insupportable. He was not ashamed of recounting to bis companions what he considered as a certain misfortune, because he took occasion to s,.teak at the same time of his plans of vengeance, and because in his opinion the husband who avenges himself is not dishonoured. Gloomy, tacitten, and fierce in proportion as his terrible ideas irritated him the more deeply, Roberti spent whole days alone in his chamber, only coining out for a moment about ten times a-day to buy paper at the confine.  . . He began 20 letters to his wife, and as many times tore them to pieces, finding the paper too cold to receive all the emotions of love and anger which his heart contained. He al heard at intervals articulating the name of his wife, and that of him whom he imagined to be her lover; then followed sobs, cu-seP, and menaces of death. He aiked but for one hour of liberty to go and stab the two bangs who had broken his heart, and then he would willingly reenter hia'prison, or mount the scaffold overwhelmed with dishonour.  Already was the unhappy Roberti the object of especial surveillance on the part of the employes of the prison; a hen, on the 3d of August, the director perceived that, after having worked upon the ceiling of his cell (situate on the fourth story) with a knife, he bad passed the night in trying to act fire to a beam with his candle, which was almost consumed. No doubt he hoped to secure for himself a passage over the tiles, but what would then have become of him, at a height of sixty feet, and wish a wall to leap over? Full of pity for such a state of madness, the director refrained from employing any of the means of punishment with which the rules provided him, but contented himself by making Roberti descend to the second story, in order that, in case of fresh attempts, his neighbours above and belcw might " save him from himself." On the sth, towards four o'clock in the afternoon, Roberti, approaching the table upon which the cantinier distributed the per_ tions of the prisoners, seized his kitchen knife, and, hiding it beneath his great coat, hastened back to his apartment, and plunged it into his te'ly. From that moment he uttered not a word, and expired two hours afterwards, in spite of the cares which were lavished upon him. His compatriots obtained from the Director permission to pay him the last honours according to the custom of their country. They washed and perfumed his body, encircled it with a crown of flowers. laid it upon a bed of state, in the midst of a number of wax tapers, and spent the night in prayer. The next day the body was borne to the chapel Pantaleoni sang with his powerful voice the fine mass of Cheruhini. and Graziani resorted to a piano of Pleyel, to imitate the majestic sounds of the organ. This last homage rendered by great artists to a companion in capsivi:y, to a compatriot who bad died far from his country, young, handsome, of good prospects, the victim of a misplaced love, and of a Lad law, was both sad and beautiful.  It is said that an unknown band raised ri stone upon the grave. It is said ,that this sore is often strewn wit'. 11,),.verQ, and that often a woman is ret.n there kw:dal; dlwr, and wet.pirg Of all the legends of the debtors' prisons the most in. trrcsting is that of Kollawip; Kollewig was a Swedish noble, the son of a chamberlain of Bernadotte. His father, in sending him to Paris, had placed him in partner. ship with a man possessing great influence amongst the corps diplomatique. Unhappily be became pleasing to the wife of his partner; be was young and handsome. " The vengeance of husbands," says the Italian proverb,  4 1 ;+3 11 a Invented :?y D 'beezuse he was vt,Net. er Ttiu; thee., the diplontatict >ll, yotang man a ba'ance-sheet, in which the latter owed him• 150,000 f.; and on the 10th of October, 1829, he