FRENCH CONVICTS. TWO THOUSAND IN AUCKLAND. Auckland, April 16.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 256, 18 April 1888, Page 4

FRENCH CONVICTS. TW O TH OU SA ND I N AUCKLAND. Auckland, April 16.

Tin publication in oui Thursday-? i^siie oi the nanathc of the escape of two French con wet s ffotn New Calecloni<i appeal -s to ha\e diiccteil jmbliu attention somewhat forcibly to the whole quc-t ton of leeidnntes in the-e colonies, it is gencralh conceded that the time has anhed when legislation should be introduced dealing with the e\il, and in this lespect Now .South Wales baalrcaih .set u- a Aery good example. Theie i- leabon to belie\e that duiiuir the last ten yeai- the number ol ideated convict- who ha\c been allowed to make their a\ ay to the a arioiia colonies has been \cvy contideiable, but there is, no mean- of obtaining leliable information on the point. The men Cury and (ia^pard, who were ie feued to in our article ot Thursday, are still m Auckland, and, ao far ao we can leain, it i- not intended to intorfere with them, intclligeneeof their whereabouts lia~>, ho\vc\ cr, been forwarded to the New Caledonian authorities by Inspector Broham, but the lettei miibt ncecssaiily go b\< A\ay of JSyd ne), and cannot leach it- domination foi some time to come. Cur} hubecn befiiended by Mi Faiavel, hairdre&sei, ot Queen-Street, and it is the intention of that gentleman to tike care of him until he U in a position to pro\ ido for himself, Oaspard is, however, still at laigo, and the police June not succeeded in tracing him, The fact that he is alleged to ha\e been -eiving <i mmteneo of twenty Aeaia foi lobboiy with \ iv lence w lien he e-caped is in itself a -ound iea>on why he should be placed undei -mscillance. M. Cuiy tcpudiatc- any connection with lui-paid, and sa\- he anus <*impl\ associated with him tor tnepuipo^e of escape, and ha- no longet mi) inteic^t in him. One ot our lepoilcif ananged tor an inter \ iew with M. Cuiy tlie other day tot the putpo-e of eliciting from him some inioimation ie-pecting hi- espetienccs at New Cali'donia. Lury was tound ab the shoj) of Mi Faiavel in (jhicen sticet, and the inten iew took phu*c in the j)icsence of that gentleman. The e-capee \\a-, liow c\ct, mote than ictiecnt, and at lii.it absolutely lehietd to uttei a woid lcspccting liis antecedent- beyond what was disclo-ed in the nanati\e published on Tluiraday. c may -ay, '// i>a^Hn>l, tljat C'ni\ i- a man ot perhaps 45 or 50 years, of slight sinewy build, and piobably li\e tcet stsen inches in height. )\c is oi hwai thy complexion, and has lather goofl features, but his taee indicates, plainly that he has j)as-cd thiough a gteat deal oi ttouble. JJe has a \ cry intelligent countenance. The object of the intci\iew awim stated to Cur}, as ho, however, shook his head and lcphcd somewhat excitedly that he would lathei nou say any tiling moie about him*Uf. " on see," taid Mr Faravel, "lie is annoyed about the publication of that nanathc of his e\peiicnccs which was published in yom papei. Tic had no idea that it was intended for publication, or he would not ha\e written it." " But w hat is he alraid of now . Does lie think he will be recaptured and bent back V " No, no ; not that, for there is no power according to the law of tints colony to interfere with him." 11 Then w hat doet- he feai '.'" "Oh," leplicd Mr Fara\el, "you can understand how it is. \ou ha\o members of Parliament here, and when there is any agitation here they make alterations in the law." " Then you think that would tend to put a stop to French prisoners coming here from New Caledonia ?'' "It would not he very good for them if I the French (.Jovemment a detective here,'' replied Mr Faravel. "And do you think that would be the result of giving publicity to this escape .'" "Not only h>, but it would evcito the people hero not to reecho any moie of these recidivistes or freed .prisoners into tint, colony." " Then you think the people of the colony ahould be content to receive them ?'' "No, not at all, I don't think it right that they should come. But when 1 have saved one man, I don't want them to come and take him away. 1 ' The conversation again reverted to Cury, and several questions were put with regard to his antecedents, but he declined to furnish any information regarding himself. Subsequently, however, (Jury .«aid he had been managing a large wine and spirit busine&» in Paris. The concern, however, failed, and although there were about twonty others in the business, he was singled out and sentenced to seven years at New Caledonia for fraudulent bankruptcy. Mr Faravel bore out this statement by .saying that he knew the business* referred to, and knew atao that Cury, who -was a highly-educated man, had occupied a high commercial position in Paris.

Cury also miid he had two daughters in Paris, each of whom had inherited £5,000 from their mother, but lie did not wish anything said about that. "How long have you been in New Calc don in. ?" was asked. 44 Eight years.'' "But you said your sentence was only for .^eveii years. ' " Yes, but 1 escaped twice pteviously on the inland, with the intention of getting away to Australia by the steamer, but botii times I failed. Five jear.s were added to my sentence for the lirst attempt, and ten years for the second. This time, 1 suppose, 1 would get4o years additional for ha\ inir .stolen a boat and escaped/ "You referred in jour letter to crimes committed by the ollicial.s on the island. \\ hat were the crimes?'' To this question Cury would not vouchsafe any an.-wei, and on being pressed said he did not wish to speak about that at all. 11 he wcie to talk about it,, tho authoiities at New Caledonia would be angiy, and woul<l send after him if only for moli\cs of ie\enge. " I)o you intend to stay in Auckland. asked our icpottei. Mi Faravel answeied tin-, question by siying that he intended to take eaie ot Cuiy for the piesent. I'cihaps by-and-by lie would do something in the wine and spirit business, and in the meantime he (Mr Faia\el) had oi'dcied 400 gallon- of wine horn Franco, to gheCiuy a stait. A question was asked iespeoting(!a*>paid, j and it was .stated that he had been in the ' shop only half au-lioin pieuously. Jlesu'd he had come Lo quanel with Mr Fara\el because of the publication ol the ! account ot the escape in the St\i.. Mr Faia\el was noi in the shop but the boy went out to call him. In the 1 meantime a constable stopped at the door, and Ca^paid made his escape. (Jaspaid is a stout man with a led face, daik coniploxion, and shaved chin. Our icpoiter had a conversation subse quently with Mr Faia\cl, when that gentleman made the significant statement that fully 2,000 liberated Fieneh pri-oneis came to Auckland in the four or ti\e years preceding 1883. " Aie } on sine of that ?"' '■ Yes, it i- a lact."' " How do you know ?"' " 1 know more than 2b ol the-e people wlio are here now, and man} of them Ikiao gone away." " Do they continue to come in such numbers ?"' "Oh, no; theie ha\e been \ery few for the la<-t four $ eat ». Only one or two now and again." "What employment aic these people engaged in ?'' "They are all on the gumtields, and the police tell me they do not send them aw a}' because they aic all nrst-class aicn, and not one has got into gaol." " And how do they come heie horn New Caledonia,? ' "Oh,' luplied Mi Faiavel, "1 cannot say that: I ne\cL came from New Caledonia. Heie i-> my pas^poit fiom France, winch I left to go to Melbourne. Mr Faravel produced hi.s pa-Sspoit, which was propei ly signed, stamped, and endorsed by the French Con-ul at Auckland. In tuithei Mom citation, Mr Faiavel s-aid that when Me&Ms Calliau. Villexal and other released political pii-oners came o\er tiom New Caledonia about cighb ycais ago, a convict, whose terra had not e\phed, made his csca[)e tluough being shipped on board in a packing case. The captain, he said, was very indignant, but could not go back to Noumea, with tho \essel, and the man therefore got to Auckland. W e nut} add that the police ridicule the idea ot 2,000 piitoner.s ha\in<^ come from New Caledonia. They sa> that eight or nine weie ga/etted, and these ha\e gone lo the gumfield-.