THE ESCAPED FRENCH COMMUNISTS.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1172, 1 May 1874, Page 3

THE ESCAPED FRENCH COMMUNISTS.

How the prisoners got on board the barque P. C. E. at New Caledonia is not known, the master himself, Captain Law, does not know, but once there and he at sea he says he had no course left but pursue his voyage. The following particulars are given in the Sydney Morning Herald : —When the escapees knew from the heaving of the ship that she was out of the reefs, they made their appearance on deck. When they presented themselves suddenly, the Captain had some misgivings that their design was to seize the vessel ; but his fears were dispelled by a statement from Eochefort, who told the captain that they were simply exiles trying to make their escape from New Caledonia. Each gave a name, although those they gave were assumed. Rochefort, who is of a noble family, has several surnames, one of which he gave to the captain, while he apportioned others of his surnames among his fellow exiles, who, acting on his suggestions, gave them as their own. No suspicion seems to have been entertained as to the importance or rank of the exiles till after they had been at sea for some days. The discovery took place in a very remarkable way. In reading Bow Bells the captain came across the portraits of M. Gambettaand M. Eochefort, members of Government of the National Defence. He was at once struck by the likeness of one of his passengers to Rpchefort. He interrogated the passenger who resembled the portrait (Eochefort (>f course in propria persona), as he now believed him to be M. Rpchefort. On being confronted with his own portrait, the passengers remarked that itwasnotatallstrange that he should have noticed the very close resemblance between that portrait and himself, seeing that it was a correct copy of his own features —in other words that he was none other than the Eochefort whom it represented. M. Eochefort, on the ice being broken, gave the real names of his companions, and mentioned what parts they had severally played during the Communist troubles in Paris. Of the six escapees, four are said to have come from the Peninsula of Duces ; and two from Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia. The two who made their escape from the capital are believed to have planned the release of their comrades, or, at all events, fiom their positions to have greatly facilitated it. Pour of the party who recently arrived from New Caledonia left on 11th April for America, per E.M.S ' Cyphrenes.' These were Messrs. Henri Eochefort, Paschal Grousset, Er. Jourde, and Oliver Pain. M. Bastiat Granthilde proceeded to Newcastle on Thursday night, to leave there by sailing vessel for San Francisco, where he intends remaining with some of his relatives. The other four purpose proceeding to Europe without delay. Eochefort intends going first to London, and from thence will probably go to Switzerland, where one of his children has been at school since the death of his wife, which occurred about three months after his trial.