1955-10-08 — Page 7

One of the World's Strangest Stories

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1955,

WHO WAS THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK?

By

GERALD BOWMAN

F you go to the lle Ste. Secretary, Mattioli, to negotiate Lang and Monseigneur Barnes Marguerite, which lies the whole thing.

the

The wily Mattoll, however, off the charming little tried to fill his own pockets by Riviera town of An- double-crossing both his master tibes, you will enter an un- and King Louis. Louis was not of a forgiving temperamen. He There cient stronghold.

rent his agents after Mattioll. cell amall,

wili grim

be

They klapped him on May 2, the 1079,

carried him to and pointed out to you 28

in for ress of Pignorol. Here, and one in which the Man

and at the the Tron Mask was imprison at Ste. Marguerite

Bastille, Mattioli expatialed his ed.

double-dealing through 24 years If you rend - 25 recom- of captivity. You will note the mend you to do "The Man isimlarity of the names "Malli- the Iron Mask"

of The Vis oll" and "Marchin com.c de Bragelonne," by Bastille documents.

Dumas, Alexandre

you will in the Se. Mai- how

Aronghold

karn

Kuun.e

or

keteers D'Artagnan

hid

The inus- and Athos

ihan

One fault

such

the

BS

in na angle of stube

There is, I admit, one fault in s.aircase

And saw a prisoner

This story if it is really that of chapel from re urning

the Iron Mosk. "by the red flashes of the light the Mun in ning against the plotet fog which Unless the idea of the mask b the pure Voltaire-Dumas romantic- the wind stamped upon

possible-why backward sky

at six paces tem--which

should

prisoner behind the governor, a clothed in black and marked by Mat.ioli have been required to a visor of polished meet soldered wear a musk at all? There was lity and to a helmet of the same nature no queret about his identity foreseent The no bother to be which ultogether enveloped whoic

him The anyone recognising his head of

a montent prisoner stopped for to contemplate the infnt e hort- of any kind connected with the zon, to respire the sulphuroux case that mentions a mask to be fumes of the tempest, drink worn by the prisoner by Royal

ས

by

ent this point there is no document

On

i thirstily the hot rain, and to or any other command. treathe a 17/1 resembling

smo hered roar,”

Silver plate

Previously. in the story.

found

siver pla.e

upon

the the

dry Band below had borne „nser;j; JON; "I am the brother of the King of France a prisoner today a madman to-

Murot.

French gentlemen and Christians pray to God for the Stanl and the reuson of the con of your masters,"

This was muugnificent literary imug nation. Dumas did not know whether the Man in The bon Mask was really the twin brother of King Louis XIV. or whether he

1 was

a valet, or a dustman--and Mor does anyone els. who ever wrute a word upon the subject,

els.

The only thing that is known as a fact is that a man whose name was given as "Marchnali" spent over 40 years in the state prisons at Piguerol. Ste. Mar- guerite and the Bastille by urder of Louis XIV.

There are

documents

which 18,

Of the host of other stories rumoured the documentation is non-existent. Andrew equally

Miss

Dub forward Д "Eustacho Dauger" claimed by Barnes 20 be the Abbe Pregnani, a natural son of our own King Charles II. Hero again there is no tenable evidence,

Thoso who 150 concerned more with romance than with

facts have also traccable

put forward suggestions that the prisoner was the son of the Duc de Beaufort, the Duke of Mon-

own secre mouth or Maitioli's

tury Jenn de Gonzague—or that he was Louis Duc de Verman- dols, natural son of Louis XIV by de la Valliere,

In

The only other good circum- the stantial story holds that prisoner was General du Bul- ande who In 18691 raised the siege of Cuneo against orders.

with connection

this Ir Temps published in 1893 trans- Bozeries of Intions by Captain some cypher dispatches at the time which, at face value, gave the suggestion a probability. On the other hand researchers sour that the Man In remembered the Iron Mask-whoever he was ignerol in --was imprisoned at 1003.

Intrigue

can

ono

So what

believe? That there was some poor un. 10nute devil locked away in period, French prisons of the

"A man clothed in black and masked by a visor of

polished stool.

"

ཝ་

REALLY MONUMENTAL

PROPAGANDA

S everyone

By MAURICE MANNING

knows,

A presenta aro some Maurico Manning is a

that

It is a pity, therefore, the monument is not both more beautiful in itself and more in harmony with fik surround- ings. The huge pile of "icing

times n doubtful Floot Street journalist who blessing. For not only is has observed and reported on one obliged to express grati- Communium in action in sugar is quite out of keeping .with the general style and tude whether one feels it many parts of the world. His spirit of Warsaw, and is what or not — but often it is varied assignmonté have on- tho Poles themselves call difficult to hide an unwel- abled him to pursue his "Russki" architecture, .como gift for fear offending the giver.

of particular interest the

A recent gift, impossible

This is the second time in study of the impact of her long struggle with Russia Communism on the that Poland has had to accopt

to concenl. is the new ordinary man and woman, an unwanted landmark. At the Palace of Culture in War-→→

the

in

cathedral Warsaw. It was in

and gold

th the rest of the

it

end of the eighteenth century, the Russians built an enormous saw the Stalin Palace of

with onion Culture and Science, to give housing expendl'ure in 1854, it white

domes like Moscow's Cathe.rat it its full titlo, This im- stated that the "Cultural Palaco

the city of Warsaw has of St Basil, and quite out of

more keeping wi mense building, presented to probably swallowed up

loathed i the Polish people by

money than the yearly housing city. The Poles

ita belfry Soviet Government, was programme of the whole coun- nicknamning

tower of Orthodox

pressure," formally handed

on y

As the Palace was a present to and during the 1920 it was July 21, 1965, as part of them, the Poles did not, of demolished on the grounds of the compulsory "Libera- course, have to find this money, architectural unsuitability. tlon" anniversary celebra- but many a Polish citizen, living tions held the following in the miles of slums which still abound in Warsaw, must feel day.

that such n large sum could have been spent more usefully. It

over

sur-

con-

upon

The Palace of Culture is the series of gigantic of a latest

impressed Soviet thumbmarks

Two Eastern Europe. that evidence

of a central

other notable examples are the consists whether he wore a mask or not, it is understood

Soviet Army Memorial in East there is no doubt. The French has come to light indicating that skyscraper 600 feet high

Berlin and the Stalin statuto mounted by a strange erection Iron Mask induced the Governor

in Prague, The Berlin memoria), Moreover, money apart, how with its drooping of the Bastille to admit a lady which looks like a minaret, and Court of the time was a hotbed

of jealousy, of who, for a of intrigue,

very large sum is surrounded by Doven

one wonders, do the inhabitants

flags, huge hkicous measures of vengenner. settled upon her, consented to necting wings at a lower level.

and so on, is Ufe. son The general effect occording to of Warsaw view this obtrusive I can add only one thing more thare his prison

senle which the French

suggests a burial paper Le Monde is gift, this "token of the ever- and transported

Prague was born who and that by sheer chance. The

of something made out of icing lasting, unbreakable friendship scal to Corsica in the charge of

nations," s the place for glants. The uniting our

statuo of Stalin, monster other evening, at my shelves, I person who

that ho sugar or lard. was told

Soviet Ambassador, M. Pono effigy with a head six feet high

described it at the s matenko, was turning over half-forgotten was di buona parte-that he

coat buttons as big was well born. In this name,

Are they d opening ceremony? books and opened "Gossip from

grateful and pleased, or do they loaves of broae, looms, over the beside the Buonaparte, the child grew up Paris 1864-1809" which 432-

Inside this pile of stone con- and, according to the accouni, tains the dispatches of a jour-

resent it as a symbol of foreign city from a hilltop there

2,800 power which has been thrust Art of Napoleon | fectionery North became a forbear alisi-nttuche, Anthony

rooms, Including three theatres, upon them? Peat, to the London Morning 1."

two cinemas, a concert hall, A clue to their attitude is Star later Incorporated in The

Again, none of the authorities Ubraries, a museum, a swimming

behaviour of Daily News).

I have consulted

Polish workman

the cun point to pool, and a conference chamber provided by the

who, in any written evidence of this de capable

well over

stoges of construction, early lightful Idea. And so I can only 3,000 people, with individual worloed alongside men from the loudspeakers beside every seat Soviet Union. These Poles show- and huge statues from the USSR ed such resentment of the Rus Haing the walls.

stans that the two contingents bad to be separated by a wire this fance.

Under the date September 13, 1884, is the entry:

"The mystery of the Man in Mask again occupies the Iron the attention of bibliophiles ...

Icave it to you....

(COPYRIGITT)

Ramsay is not typist

a very good

BUT NOW SHE DOESN'T HAVE

TO BE.............

M

London.

TISS LOUIE RAMSAY'S career suggests that the old adage might well read: "If at first you don't For Miss Ramsay's #litter to the Bastille from Ste. succeed, give it up."

because she the great opportunity came

show that on September

1898, a prisoner was brought in

governor.

-:

I face was ob-

scured by a mask..

Marguerite by Saint-Mars, the decided that she would never make good

there ..but

on the stage, She was in the chorus of is reasonable evidence that this "South Pacific,' and when its long run wes velvet,

ended at Drury Lane there was no work over five years later on Novem-

and no prospects.

not of iron,

Just

ber 19, 1703, the primer died and was buried in the nearby churchyard of St. Paul.

Most likely

During her hiatus of un- employ - ment, which actors cuphe-

These are the only written mistically call records to substantiate one of "resting," history. They were published she did some in 1808 by Funck-Brentano in small club in-

the greatest romantle stories of

Bet Archives de la ltimate revues

A

SPOTLIGHT

on a new star of 1955

bv MILTON

there SHULMAN

But of all the tales and then de concocted by Dumas, and elded dozen others. the

LOUIE RAMSEY: Il at first

was only two. The edd spelling

of her Christian name

comes

from a grandmother after whom

sho

"I suppose named. WID

I should have become a' nuts"," sald Loule, "but I was never noble caough."

After matriculation he en- tered RADA at the age of 17 and two years of dramatic train- her ing ba no

way dimmed ⚫ ambition to become a dancer.

There were, however, even fewer opportunities for a dancer than an actress. She did re- pertory at Nottingham for four tour months, an Arts Council playing small parts in "Macbeth" and and "Hobson's Choice," some sketches in a club revue.

Then the was told that singers were needed for "South Pacific." She had takor a few anging lessons but never thought stre had much of a voice. She went along to the audition its a lark and in spite of running out of breath at the crid of "Wonder- ful Guy" she was taken on,

"I had heard Ethel Merman sing and decided that it wouldn't be too dimcult to make that kind of a noise," she said, "I don't know what you'd call my on volume than voice. It's a contralto range concerns no man of Royal blood. ways of making a living. Incidentally, it was exactly the relles more

same yong that she used for her melody, she delivers her songs but I think 'loud' best describes I'll return

The only technique I knew to this later. She

shorthand- cudition to make the chorus of as if they were left hooks. Meanwhile since we All love

and got A "South Pacific." "I ran out of She pours herself right over

was belling it out." asks the romance I have to admit that typing course

a film producer's breath during all tho I'm in the footlights and the story of his being the twin job as

loves' at the end but they took audience to feel the muscles of her personality, It such a ther of Louis XIV-who was secretary. brother

me anyway," she said. imprisoned so that he could not

Having got the part

in relict from the listless annemia

acts now

to be the put forward his right to the There she was found by Peter

sho that put forw

of the authors of "Twenty Minutes South," one throno-was first given out by Myers,

the hit revue "Intimacy at 8.30." now had to resign as a secretary, occupational discose of mos, of being In the lie had seen her on the stage It was with considerable trepida our musical comedy stars.

tion that she broke the news to

ECCIES

one which to be most likely in truth were

the

emba by Dumas,

thron Voltaire befor

before

this whatever and the tongues

of rumour and columny have

other

took

2

Good idea

20

Marriage

As third understudy to Mary Martin-he never went on, or did the second understudy-che But it was not until "Twenty earned a great deal about de- to be and was astonished to find her her employer since he had been the son of Anne of Austria. But prosaically typing ecripts.

ཟས་

so patient about her revue work, Mnutes Sou.h" transferred to livery and distion. In the chorus there is no documentation

He was delighted. He had the West End como two months been wanting to fire her for later that anything much hop- she yelled louder than anyone

Tac else. months becsure her typing was end to Louie Kamsay.

When "South Pacific" closed since that the

pri

Sho so bad. But he hadn't the nerve, play had not improved, bu

had Buggested e'nce

Ramsay had

fine los confidence in berseli. father soner's

was Cardinal

Assuraber, He was writing à revue for a is encouragement of her out- Miss

acquired a smooth Mazarin, Fouquet or even

ran off with "After all I didn't think I had much to offer." the confessed: Mollere. In any case Saint-night-club and urged her to take side activities, wes in the hope

most of the first-night noticesi

"I kept loring my volce, and my Mars. Governor of the Basilea port in it. Her employer, too, that she would find herself an- and the castly

looks are a bit weird with these in 1898, admitted that he him-thought it would be a good iden, other job.

caution Mira

"Twenty Minutos South,"

teeth that stick out," She flash- self had circulated fairy tales With hard-headed

ed a toothy but gay smile that about his prisoner after his Ramsay decided to venture bacit

into cabaret but keep her job as which opened at the Players' turned out to be cne of those

belled her own descriptions. death.

u secretary as well.

aggrezalvely coy musicals that twea.

But since Twenty Minules Then a girl in the cast of can best be described as "Twenty Minutes South" fell ill. Like "Salad Days," It was sup-

talked to by agents of South" the has been taking her It was a now musical being pre pored to be Britain's now answer and

the American musical and Alm, recording and television prompetts more seriously. She The story which most nearly pared by the Players' Club, with to

us pound as if we had companios. Both the Rank and has begun to study other singing

Korda groups want to give her stars, and hunches over gramo fits the Imown fac's of history hopes that it would repeat the mode concerns Count Ercolo Mattiolt staggering success of their other laryngitis.

musical, Tit Boy Friend." who was Secretary of State to someone knew

who

Double-cros8

someone

the Duke of Mantua. This story new Louie Raunsay, and ahe

I fold in "L'Homme au Masque was asked if she would like to sa do Fer by Marius Topin, ished in 1870-and

Pub

for the role.

but I couldn't have cared

1

High spirits

A nurse?

Since then Miss Ramsay has been audilloned, interviewed

film testo. There are negotia-

llons for making records appearing on television.

records Haloning to their and and phrasing, "I used

to

by a string of other worst broczed along for the audi" suburbiana the high spirits and happened.

tion

.

be very self-contelous on the Ts all wonderfully excit stage, but now that's mcg," she ing," said Miss Ramsay, "but said,"

As it all these 'prospects But through the impering as yet nothing concrete has But at least Ind

*** weren't exciting enough, Loule And

that's al Mire Ramsay being

Ramay at 20, 1 Danning to In brief, Louis XIV of France foss, sald Miss Ramsay,, which villity

managed to push their way, really

ber kef married, "It won't interfere knew that the Duke of Mantua about as disillusioned es any through. Of her, I wrote at the Mi Ramsay lives with her with my career, this deured was financially deep in young actress can

time:

with a future parents in a fint on the grounds. me, because not only is he an Airl hands of his Jows Louis, thoro fore, saw a chance of getting A Wonderful day which she could be Loule Ramey, of the Royal Free Hospital in pelor but he is my greatest fan.

who not only looks fetoning. Hempstead.

be there bee thing the i -the valuable fortifed" towns of should have known" fülrly well but punches out her number unique living quarters to the But whatever, aan? happens to

Casale, on the high rond to since she had had it dinned into with an enthusiastic bounce, fact that her father la the Milan, for a payment in hard her nightly for almost two rowes

hospital's consultant physician, miro obmhe, la never going

The family came to kugland back to typing agreable at Drury Lane during the run Though her technique is still" *This · TYRE, muda to Mantua who told bls of "South Paclickag

somewhat gauobe and, her voice from Bouth Afrien, when:Loute

ooth."

the

She sang "I'm In

Love With

Sho

the

of holding

The exact cost of all magnificence has never been re- vealed, but a correspondent of

newspaper, West GermILAN Frankfurter Allgemeine Z tung, who recently returned from Poland, reports that experts have placed the figure in the region of 500 million zlotys,

river.

In making these gifts to the Soviet GloveJTI – satellites, the ment clearly intends to leave # shall not mark which history

In Poland an almost erare,

was called super-humen effort for, because of the deep-seated hatred of Russia felt by the Polish One thing is certain: no one people the legacy of 400 living in Warsaw can ignore years of struggle and subjuga- the Palace of Culture. For not tion,

only in it situated in the very In Poland, more than any- heart of the capital, in Consti- where else in Europe, the Rus tution Square, but it dominates stars have

to apply

siriven

the city at every turn. Even in Lenin's theory of "monumental the most secluded corners and propaganda, seeking to por

by a mass by-ways one's eye is held by its petuate their held

P There is of stone which is at onc dazzling silhouette.

On July 28, the paper drew an interesting parallel between this figure and the annual no escape anywhere from what symbol of Soviet domination ord 2 practical contre *for Le Monde justly termed "one amount spent by the Polish Government on housing. Basing of the most considerable monu- Soviet-sponsored Communist ac

tivities. its calculations estimated ments of our time.”

1011

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