Cruelty in a French "Reformatory."

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 125, 28 May 1887, Page 5

Cruelty in a French "Reformatory."

A recent scandal at tho Island of Porquerolles, near Hyeres, throws a' strange light on the workings of on) paitof the French Republican system, and the benevolence to be expected from tho patriots appointed to reform young offenders. Oh ! for the pen of a Dickens to depict all that took placo in that delectable abodo ! The young boys sent to Porquerolles are most destitute vagabonds, of the London sfcreet-arab type, sentenced for trivial offences. Tho establishment is a large one, and although supposed to be under Government inspection, it wa3, in fact, managed by the owner and his wife, two so-called philanthropists,M. and Mdme. de Roussen, whose amiable qualities so far throw into the shade the doings of Mr and Mrs Squeers that the latter seem quite lovable in comparison. Tlio misdemeanours of the unfortunate boys wero punished either by a diet of bread and water, or by confinement in the " Cellules"— dungeons in a deserted fort, situated at a distance of about half a mile from the principal farm buildings, and where the unhappy culprits were left absolutely alone at night, without any keeper or assistance in case of need. The fort contains four cells, two on tho ground level and two above. The former have been made by partitioning a disused powder magazine. There is no light, nor any means of ventilation, nor any flooring, although the boys have to sleep on the ground. Those above are more cornors parted off from a square room by a brick wall, roaching up to within ISin. of the coiling, tho aperture thus left affording the only means of securing light .and ah-.. Those triangular cells are one yard deep and two in width One might suppose that such strict confinement would be sufficient punishment for young, growing boys, many of whom were kept thero for thirty and forty days; but, in addition, other tortures were freely applied. For instance, thero was the barre de justice, with iron rings, into which the feet were locked, so that they could not movo or even stand upright • and la crapaudine, by which tho hands and feet of tho sufferer wore tied together behind his back, so that his body formed a half circle. But what had the boys done to be punished so terribly ? Wo find that one had a month in the coll, without fresh air, and the crapaudine torture for half a day, because he had asked for lighter tools ; ho ran away afterwards. Two others wero thirty days in the cells because they had complained of the food to Madamo de Roussen. Another boy (Lemoine) put in the cells, had food only threo times during eight days ; Lacombe was tied up, "crapaudine" fashion, and hung up to a nail, nearly six feet from the ground . his companions took him down. Another boy (Pascal) tried a certain amount of mutiny; he refused to work unless ho had bettor food. He was first publicly flogged by the overseers ; and then having applied to Madame de Roussen, begging to be employed at farm work, that amiable lady had him tied to a tree in the open Place of Porquerolles, and severely beaten again by the overseers. The boy uttered piercing erics; Madame de Roussen was looking on from a window, and called to the overseers, "Gag him (baillon-nez-lc) ;' he has. no more than ho dsserves." An indignant crowd collected, amongst whom were some soldiers, who interfered and took the boy down. During the year 1885, a number of boys ran away, but woo to those who were caught and brought back! At length tho inear, ceration of a culprit, who Was for gotten in a cell without food for two whole days and nights, caused an outbreak amongst the boys, who jumped out of the windows, and in true French fashion mactcailag out of a handkerchief fasteiied to a stick, wrote on it, " Liborty, Equality, Fraternity ;" then, singing the " Marsellaise," marched to the fort, took it by storm, and delivered the half-starved prisoner. The boys were desperate, and considerable energy of repressionwasrequired to put down the mutiny, which happily caused | nquiries, and finally revealed a state of things only equalled by certain scenes in " Undo Tom's Cabin." The matter is still under investigation. It is to bo hoped that the benevolent owners of this elysium of bliss may meet with their .deserts, and that tho poor waifs who have begun life with such painful experience, may yet discover that the paths of virtue are not necessarily so very unpleasant. —"Murray's Magazine."