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Show FRANCE'S FRANCES ' "DRY DRY " " GUiLL DTI N NDevil's Devil's Devils ' Island , a Prison Dreaded by Criminai . Death Haunt the Prison Colony-Maxi Colony Maxi ColonyMaxiSQase - zqe SQase SQaseOne , One Time Permitted , Now Fo rb1dden , n % , r rf ri i / rqy / sq + Mys/ Mys Mysc Mysb MysiJi / f / . ' - * c b iJi iJij j 4Im 4Im4.i 4.i 4i 4.iL . ' ' L F ' ! e er , r r 1 1Y Y r/ r rys / ys ysx x A ,1 1 ,1v , v 4 K y , / i aa32 ] t _ Nk s Y + . , . , "aW aW " NAru4wwv wi wiBy By RICHARD HALLIBUItTONluthor HALLIBURTON ALLffiURTON HALLIBUItTON HALLIBURTONnthor ALLffiURTONuthor \nthor nthor \uthor uthor luthor \ of "The The " Royal Road to toRomance toRomance toRomance Romance , " etc . 6 ! ; St 6EN 'TEN TEN ' ' TpEN escapei prisoners pnsoners escapefrom escapefrom escape i- i ifrom - from DeviFs Devll's Devlls Devil's Devils ' Islandland Island- Island Island-- Islandland Island Islandland - - - land at Trinidad Tnmdad . " "Fugitives Fugitives " from Devil's Devils Devll's Devlls ' Is- Is Island Island Is Island - land arrested in British BntIsh Gui GUl- GUl Gui- GUlana Guiana Guiana - ana ; returned to French au- au authorItles authorities au authorities - - ' " , thorities thorItles . "Devil's Devils " ' ' Island escape re- re revealed revealed re revealed - - vealed when bodies of SIX sixFrench sixFrench French convicts drift dnft ashore ashorem ashorein In Brazil , . " Scarcely a month passes without withoutits \ withoutits \ Ithout Ithout1tS 1tS its press story of an escape from fromDevJl's from fromDevil's fromDevil's fromDevils DevJl's DevJls Devil's Devils ' island Having Havmg spent a sum sum- summer summer . - mer m In the famous prison , I am par par- particularly particularly . - ticularly interested in m these reportseven reportseven reports reportseven -even even - - even though I know that none of ofthem ofthem ofthem them are trueThere true trueThere There has never in m history been beenan beenan beenan an escape from Devil's Devils Devll's Devlls ' islandl island islandlLives ! Lives Lies Ln es as Convict . . To find out why deportes never nevercome nevercome nevercome come back , I went to Devil's Devils Devll's Devlls ' Island Islandof islandof islandof of my own accord I put on the theconvict theconvict theconvict convict stripes , , and lived llved where the theprisoners theprisoners theprisoners prisoners lived hved and as they lJved lived livedexcept , , e\.cept e.cept e .cept cept etcept ' \ . that with the connivance conmvance of ofthe ofthe ofthe the guards I was able to move moveabout moveabout moveabout about wherever I chose . , . Nor could couldI I . , , bemg being a free man , , ever feel even evena evena a small part of the degradation and anddespair anddespair anddespair despair that I observedLandmg observed observedLanding Landing Landmg on the mainland mamland at Cay Cay- Cayenne Cayenne . - enne , . the capital of the colony and andthe andthe andthe the headquarters of some eleven elevenhundred elevenhundred elevenhundred hundred deportes , I lost no time bme In Infindmg infinding mfinding findmg finding a convict uniform unlorm ! , a very verysimple verysimple verysimple simple little httle costume consisting conslstmg of offaded offaded offaded faded cotton trousers and a stra\\ stra straw strahat strawhat strawhat \ \ hat Wearing it , I walked into a abarrack abarrack abarrack barrack unchallenged , and was waslocked waslocked waslocked locked up for the night with 77 con con- convicts convicts . - victs . The barrack , a hundred and twen twen- twenty twenty . - ty feet long by twenty wide , . was wasmore wasmore wasmore more like an army dormitory than thana : a prison Down the center ccnter ran an anaisle anaisle i aisle , on each side of WhICh WhIChstretched whichstretched whichstretched stretched a row of canvas beds On Onthe Onthe Onthe the beds the convicts ate , sprawled sprawledand , and slept They Thcy had no lockers , no noposseSSions nopossessions nopossessions posseSSions , no privacy . Eight small smallbarred smallbarred barred windows wmdows near the ceiling cellIng let letill letin letin ill in a faint famt breeze , and many , . many manymosqUitoes manymosquitoes manymosquitoes mosqUitoes . Of the 77 men in this barrack , 49 49were 49were 49were were serving servmg life Ide sentences for mur mur- murder mur- mur murder murder - - der . Only 44 " , were ere French The Theothers Theothers Theothers others were Germans , . Poles , . ne ne- ne negroes ne-groes ne groes - - . groes and Arabs . , Among the theFrench theFrench theFrench French , more than half were from fromthe fromthe fromthe the Marseilles distrIct-the distrIct the district - the Chicago Chicagoof of France . Lyons had the next nct neat " , best bestreprescntatIon bestrepresentation bestrepresentation represcntatIon representation Only two came from fromParis fromParrs fromPans Paris Parrs This division was fairly typi tYPI- tYPIcal typi- typi typical typical - - cal of the 40 other barracks in the thecolony thecolony thecolony colony . . The French prisoners . , , with withall withall withall all their misery and hopelessness hopelessnesstalked , , talked animatedly ammatedly . , , as Frenchmen Frenchmenwill Frenchmenwill Frenchmenwill will ( the subject is usually escape ) ; ; or they played cards for the francs francsthat francsthat francsthat that they had earned as servants servantsor or laborers laborersHow How do they guard their wmnIngs winnings winningsin wmnIngsm m in this community commumty of thieves9 thieves ? There Thereare Thereare Thereare are no binks b\nks b nks banks ' \ The uniforms umforms have haveno haveno haveno no pockets Money hidden ludden would wouldbe wouldbe wouldbe be found and stolen Nevertheless Nevel Neveithclessmoney theless , money is accumulated against agamst the theday theday theday day of escape escnpe , and guirded gU1rded gu-ided gu ided - in the thesafest thesafest thesafest safest place a con1ct con\ict con ict convict \ ; has-Ius has Ius has-his his has - his own ownbody ownbody ownbody body Eichipnsoner E\chlprlsoner E chlprlsoner Eichiprisoner ' \ cainc Calr1e cairns ; > wlthm within wlthmrus withinhis withinhis rus his psulethree body an aluminum alummurn c.psule cpsule c . ipsule , ' three inches 111ches long and an inch thick thick'called thickcalled , called a plan , in m which he secretes secreteshIs secreteshis secreteshis hIs hoardings Because of his plan , . - The Island gUJUotme guillotine , shown at left It , takes lakes the l'Uds lUds t ' t of the unfortunate-or unfortunate or - - fortunate-prIsoners fortunate prIsoners - - every y fear fJz and fJzand strongest convicts arc are used as ganey galley ] S slave fes , as ai Tllesc These aiThese photos were \ ere taken by Richard Ballibtuti Halliburton , ; nl prIsoner to obtain th1s this story . : i many a convict has lost his l life- life lifegarroted life lifegarroted e- e egarroted - garroted by his fellows and carved carvedopen carvedopen carvedopen open for a profit of five francs . Meeting l\Iectmg l Iectmg \ the Prisoners Prsconers ; . Looking Lookmg at the men m In the bar bar- barrack barrack . - rack , I could believe belleve them capable capableof of murdering murdermg for less They \ were ere a atough atough atough tough and stupid lot , for generally generallyspeakmg generallyspeaking generallyspeaking speakmg speaking , those with refinement or orIntellect orintellect orintellect Intellect are the first to die off-or off or offorbe offorbe off - orbe be killed It is a sad fact that un- un under un under . - der such conditions CO'1dltJons CO1dltJons co'iditions coiditions ' ' , the sub normal normalI1ve normallive normallive I1ve live longer and thrive better Some Someof Someof Someof of them , having havmg become immune unmune to tothe tothe tothe the prevailing prevallmg diseases , actually actuallyglOW actuallygiow actuallyglow glOW giow strong on the meager rahons rations rahonsand rationsand rationsand and hard work A few in m the bar bar- barrack barrack . - rack were physically magnlficent magnificent magnificentwith , wIth hard muscles and skin skm burned burnedblack burnedblack burnedblack black by the sun These were the the"strong the"strong the"strong thestrong "strong strong " arms , " the dictators , tyran tyran- tyrannizing tyrannizing . - nizing mzmg over the \ weak \ eak and diSpIrIted diSpIrItedwho dispiritedwho dispiritedwho who make up the mass \ More 1\Iore 1 Iore than thanhalf thanhalf thanhalf half my fellow prisoners were W1der under W1dertwenty undertwenty undertwenty twenty five , several hardly more morethan morethan morethan than adolescent But nearly all a11 , of ofwhatever ofwhatever ofwhatever whatever age or color , came from fromthe fromthe fromthe the off oIT scounngs scourmgs scourengs of the earth earUl . A Adecent Adecent Adecent decent and appealing appealmg face was a ararIty ararity ararity rarIty indeed mdeed indeedI mdeedI I found an empty bed ( which v.as vas was v.asreally wasreally . wasreally really just lust one of 80 canvas stnps strips stnpsstretched stripsstretched stripsstretched stretched taut from the wall to an an1ron aniron aniron 1ron iron bar ) , , and made the acquaint acquamt acquaint- acquaintance acquaintance . - ance of my neighbors On my right rightwas rightwas rightwas was a tattooed plug ugly about thir- thir thirty thir thlr thirty - . ty , , who said he had murdered lus his lussweetheart hissweetheart hissweetheart sweetheart . . The tattooed gentleman had been beenin beenIn beenin in "the the " box bo"t bot " " seven years He had hadcome hadcome hadcome come from France with 700 others otherson otherson otherson on the convict ship Of that ship ship- shipment shipment . - ment , less than a hundred were left leftahve leftalive leftalive ahve alive . From him I learned that thatthere thatthere thatthere there were about 5,000 5000 , prisoners pnsoners 1D in 1DGUIana inGuiana inGuiana GUIana (4,400 4400 ( , on the mainland mamland , 600 600on 600on 600on on the islands 1s1ands ) , . and about 3,000 3000 3,000lIbereres 3,000hbereres 3,000hbereres 3000hbereres , lIbereres hbereres , . freed treed prisoners not per per- permitted permitted . - mitted mltted to leave the colony . No More lUore \ Marriage l\Iarnage l Iarnage . I asked him if there were any anywomen anywomen anywomen women convicts conv1cts with whom the pris pns pris- prisoners prisoners . - oners could marry . He laughed cyn cyn- cynically cyn- cyn cynically cynically - - ically . Once , yes , but no longer longer.In longerIn . In former times hmes , if l ! a convict wanted wanteda a w wife e , , . he went to the women's womens ' bar bar- barracks barracks . - racks and announced the fact to thematron the thematron thematron matron , who lined hned up all the women womenI womenand womenand womenand I and asked , "Who Who " wants this man man9"The man9The ? " The hands would go up He'd Hed ' look lookover lookover lookover over the willing w11lmg wilting ones-"No ones "No No ones - "No No " , not you ; you're youre ' too old And you're youre ' too eVJl- eVJl evil- evil eVJllookIng evillooking evil-looking evil looking - "The The " lookIng . And you have no teeth The matron would hurry hun hurl hunRushed hurlRushed himRushed Rushed for time , . he'd hed ' pick out the themost themost themost most acceptable one , and she would wouldbe wouldbe wouldbe be marched to the office . Thclr Their Thclrnames Theirnames Theirnames names would be put m ill in the book bookThat bookThat bookThat That constituted a marriage marr1age , and and.they andthey . , they could set about rearing a anew anew anew new , unfortunate generation for forwhom forwhom forwhom whom environment was sure to ac- ac accomplIsh accomplish ac accomplish - - complish whatever heredity had left leftundone leftundone leftundone undone . These offspring , as lawless lawlessas as the very prison rats , , became becamesuch becamesuch becamesuch such a problem that France was wasforced wasforced wasforced I forced to ban prison marriages marriagesand marriagesand marriagesand I and , , in time , , discontinued dlscontmued complete complete- completely . - ly the practice of sending sendmg female femaleoITenders femaleoffenders femaleoffenders oITenders offenders to Guiana . . However , it if they have money , . the theprIsoners theprisoners theprisoners prIsoners can still find women-usu women usu women-usu- womenusually women - usu usually . - ally .lly lly . the daughters of convicts &nd nd and &ndbush andbush & andbush bush negrcsscs negresses Moral standards standardsscarcely standardsscarcely standardsscarcely scarcely exist e'lst elst " ' at Cayenne The heat heatthe , the monotony , the debased class classfrom classfrom classfrom from which guards and prisoners prisonersahlce prisonersalike prisonersalike ahlce alike are recruited recrUlted , all combine combme to toencoUl toencourage toencouiage encoUl encourage age deprivity depnvlty The popula popula- population population - . tion tlOn is a melange of convicts , lJb hb- hb hberes lib-eres lib eres - . eres , negrocs negroes , Chinese and nnd prosti prostl prosti- prostitutes prostitutes - . tutes , scrambled recklessly togeth togCU1- togCU1 togeth- together togCU1cr - er cr . Not one onc child cluld in m tour four knoWs knoWswho knowswho knowswho who or w.at wat w . at a < , olor his father III is i . I I I riitford convlclraford Even dV dVo for na a convlclra convict nvct ! riit fO ford women o , they tntyuti ue ace fay r3 ; . i.preoccupation faypreoccupation pre preoccupation ccupatl n . . , EaA Each Eachr Eachmy 2cl1 pa r ; my barrack had2cl1 hada had a ife fe ti ? actresses , socie socle j y bea ba bagirls ; - = gl beagirls girls ls , cut from aagar maga mating atIt . : . r red'on . edon ed'on ed * ' on the wan wall b batIt behadh belmd Li'seach Liseach ' each : cherished a : afer aferof test testof of his s wife wue or sweeia sweehi sweeha sweehipersonal sweeiapersonal + ,4 4 ,4personal , personal property properly Ie he be ii b h hIt It was wasnmeo'cMiialtral wasnmeocMiialtral nme o'cloch ocloch o'cloda ocloda ' ' + .ab ab ! . a : .abtral tral tralnil gil oil nil ' ( lampa lamp was exte eiis eiiscard ut extecard hcard card games endedhalf ended . . - Sn . ; ; half all naked bodr bodies al dalaxed u ulaced laced " { ed on the creem crealisgcin crealisgcinBut creaha : ; ca ; But ut I dJdn didn djdntsleoccA6iwas t sect sleconachli sleconachliwas ] ( ) m ; 11 11was was nau nau'eatm naueatm ' eating eatg ! , ? the tle 'L L 'Lmosquitoes ' T Tmosquitoes = mosquitoes s.anred sanred s'sarrredfc ssarrredfc s . ' arireifclknightly k knightly k krughtly rughtly nightly feast , and andliaKinmg the Ih rc rcning nrng ning to rattle on 011 ci ' : the le r 12roof'streamed 12roofstreamed roof , 't t ' 'tstreamed 'streamed streamed ' ' streamed tbroop throu thrsi iei r . im imof : of places pl:1ces pl1ces : The largistright largest largist teright right over my bed . . Ipaisle I 1 i iaisle ' : aIsle all night betvie-en betvie en bet betreaiitssnoring ' ' - n ; i . snormg snoring murderers ui u iA ubandits iAbandits cbandits bandits , and by snip sunLPJ.rt.1 sunLPJrt.1 sunLPJrt1 sunLPJ.rt.1draggled susipbsidraggled lr . . draggled as the restUp rest restUp . Up Early ana and aiiil 14 Ii < rliAt IdAt M rli Id MAt At six the thebarraA&ailocked thebarraAailocked barrack barraci Qai dart dartlocked Qailocked : & locked We all filed bled id tt'kitchen ttkitchen I ' ) Ikitchen kitchen , where w ve we ; suii se.4 se4 suiiplates se.4plates st-iiiplates st iiiplates - . plates and spoons . , , and ark andbreah arkbreakfast triWbreakfast breah breakfast ast of co'feearil cofeearil co'feearilwe colfee coleeailbii'we coleeailbiiwe ' adl'ci adlci adl'ciwe ' ' we ate seated on OD o our ocrc ocrc'Then cEI tt : cEIThen ttThen 'Then Then ' Then the ' \ whistle hlstJe blei bhea bleidioners S |