Star. — London, England, 1818-08-28 00:00:00

REPORT FROM.TfIE CO:VMITTEE ON ma STATE OF PRISONS 1Y rim METROPOLIS. CLERKF.NWELL PRISON. (Continued from our Paper of yesterday.) Classification. —The prison is calculated to contain .140 persons; but the keeper thinks 340 may be con fined there. The greatest number ever confined in the old building was in September last, when 324 prisoners were there at one time, being an excess of nearly 100 above the average amount; from 200 to 230 may be considered as the ordinary number. When the Committee visited this prison, there were 95 males and 54 females within its walls. There are six yards on each side of the prison, making in the whole twelve. Day-rooms.—There are day-rooms to each yard, sufficiently spacious, paved with stone, benches All round the rooms, and a fire-place in each. Siceping-rooms.—Each yard has its respective dor mitory ; these have each a soldier's barrack-bed ;no straw is allowed ; but each prisoner has a rug and a blanket; in addition to this arrangement, there are eight beds or. the_Male and four - on the female side of the prison, provided with flock and feather bed-, ding, and clean sheets once a fortnight, or oftner if , necessary ; these beds any one can have on _paying sixpence a night; at present there is only one sleep ing-room for each sex, so that the felon and mister,. meanant may not only occupy the same apartment, but share the same bed. The keeper, however, ex pects he will be enabled to remedy this evil. This indulgence of a better description of bed is not very generally enjoyed, as the prisoners now committed are for the most part so poor as to be unable to pur chase it. The keeper says, he has taken one guinea a night; and in that before he was examined he took only friar shillings, though there were 132 persons confined in the prison. Food.-:—Each prisoner is allowed one pound of, wheaten bread each day ; hut the Surgeon has it in' his discretion to make an additional allowance of any thing he thinks fit to the sick, and to those who are, infirm and indigent in circumstances, though they - not in the hospital. When the Committee visi-1 the prison, fifty pounds of meat were boiled down - other day with vegetables and oatmeal. The was given to the indigent one day, and the soup next. About 80 persons were thus fed. Your tvnittee think the allowance of bread to be too 1, and that one pound and a half ought to be daily . to each prisoner. lospitals.—There are at present two infirmaries A the prison, and when completed two more will be added; they are spacious, airy, and well built. The patients sleep separately on iron bedsteads, with good bedding, and the whole arrangement is admirable. FrieL—Something more than a peck of coal is al lowed daily for each fire-place, and the keeper sta that no complaints have been made to him on subject. Clothing. --There is no regular allowance of clothes, if any person is much distressed from the want the common necessaries, the keeper states to your Committee that he provides them ; yet when priso are fully committed, and are deficient in clath , a dress is given them; and your Committee saw several persons wearing it the day they inspected the • __ prison. Irois.—The use of fetters is very generally dis- { touriged in the prison. When it is completed, Mr. Beeby states that he hopes to do away with the sys - altogether. The day your Committee were there three persons Were in irons--one committed for may robbery, who was under re-examination, and been so for fourteen days, and the two others brought in ironed from the Police Office. VisitiniMagistrates.—Magistrates attend here on first Thursday before the Sessions, and the second ursday afterwards. Besides this general inspec. individual Magistrates often visit the prison. Clerk to the Committee keeps the minutes ; but there is no book in which the Magistratesrecord their observations at each visit. Religions Attendance.—There is none at present, when the chapel is built, service will be per- Irmed once on every Sunday. The Chaplain visits prison occasionally, but he states that he never tinistered the Sacrament, not even to the sick and dying. Your Committee wish to repeat here, that :main periods of the year, it is their opinion that option ought to be given to the prisoners to re :k.e the sacrament, if any should be so inclined, and, ,n the opinion of the Chaplain, qualified to receive it. They cannot avoid remarking, that a prisoner on his kth bed, who expresses remorse for his former guilt, . displays that repentance which those who have :messed such melancholy scenes must be aware is act of common occurrence, seems to them to af ' an occasion where tharrite of our religion might administered with safety and propriety, furnishing ;ereby a consolation to the dying . penitent, and a li g i o us example to those around ht m, the associates his guilt and the sharers in his punishment. Your ,:ommtttee found a number of Bibles and religious tracts in circulation among the prisoners. Admission of Visitors.—Visitors are admitted du kg the spring and summer months, from nine to ten the forenoon, from twelve to two in the afternoon, .1 from five to six in the evening ; and, from Sep amber to April, from nine to ten in the forenoon, ' from one lo three in the afternoon, Sundays cr aned, when visitors are admittedtwo hours in the :y—from nine to ten in the morning, and from one :wo in the afternoon ; they are not admitted into yards,but speak to their respective friends through double grating. Upon a review of the present state of Clerkenwell, I more particularly contrasting it with the deplo- Ae,and discreditable condition of the old prison, 'our Committee observe with pleasure, that a great tprovement has taken place; much, howeircr, re ams to be done; but it is the opinion of your Com ittee, till some plan be adopted to separate the old trom thei young offenders, and to classify prisoners -.cording to their degree of guilt, these places of :onfinement can be considered as nothing else but liseries of crime. Your Committee trust the attention of the Magis trates will be called to this important subject, and that they will carry into effect arrangements as spec "ty as possible, the object of which shall be to make t distribution of prisoners in the different yards, shall Lot expose those of either iies, who are com• ' P. Slerpi mitory ; straw is blanket ; eight be of the ding, ar necessar sixpence ing-roor meanani • • but shat pects he indulge] generall are for chase it. a night; only foci confined Food. wheaten his disci thing hi • infirm • are not ted the every meat w. the next Commi small, given ti No . sr in the . 11 - added; patient! ;! 1, t beddinl Fuel. lowed ‘ ted tha this silk Clod but if t of the Comm ners ar ing, a • several prison. Iron courip • Beeby tern al only t.l highw; had be were b Viai the fir. Thursi lion, i The C there i obsery Rai but w forme the pri admin the dy at cert an °pi t ceive t in the They i death • and di witnes an act ford a • be adt thereb religic tf in his Comn • tracts ‘• Ad" ring t in the and fi tenth( and fi ) 1 1 1 1 ceptei day— to thy. the y; a dot Up and r r abic your irnpri main mate. , from actor confi • lima( IC trate that dily that at sh .• • \ . \ • mated for the minor - jet:eel' oPtheistititoasseieiate with felons or with .persons who have passed the:: time in the violation of its ordinances. COLD BATH-FIELDS PRISON. Your Committee proceeded to visit the House of' Correction in the Cold Bath-fields ; and having sum moned the different Officers of the establishment be fore them, submit to the House the result of their inquiries : The Cold Bath-fields House of Correction was established by Act of Parliament 26 Geo. 111. ch. 25,1 and is under the jurisdiction of Vie Magistrates of the County of Middlesex. Your Committee refer to the Report of the Commission of Inquiry, dated No vmtber I, 1800, which details with great minute ness the structure and management of the prison ; with some few alterations it remains in the same con• dition ; no change in point of fact having taken place in the form of the prison. Officers of the Prison.—The Governor (Mr. Ad kins) enjoys a salary of 4001. a-year, with a house, coals, and candles ; - the Surgeon has 2001. a-year, for his attendance here and at Clerkenwell, with a house; and the Chaplain, for the two Gaols (that of Clerkenwelt and the Cold Bath-fields), 1201. per annum. For the whole extent of the establishment and its cost, which amounts to 2,0801. per annum, your Committee refer to the evidence of Mr. Adkins, annexed to this Report. The Governor was directed by your Committee to lay before them the Rules and Orders by which he managed the prison ; and, to their great surprise, he informed them, that he had none; though he had been keeper for seven years, he had never received any Rules or Regula tions, and that none were hung up in the prison.— There were committed to this prison in the course of the year 1815, 2,100 persons of both sexes ; in 1816, 2,875 ; in 1817, 3,667 • being an excess of 792 per sons above that of the preceding year. When the Committee visited it, there were confined in this pri son $79 persons ; 295 males, 76 fethales, and eight children : the average for the last two or three months being about 400. The male prisoners are classed after the following manner:—fines or felons from Newgate; misdemea nants, among whom are those committed for assaults, bastardy, leaving their family, perjurers, passers of bad money, anthose under the hawking licence act, as well as persons committed for want of bail ; all these last are associated and mixed together. On the day the Committee visited this prison, the distribution of the prisoners was as follows :—ln the first felon yard were 53 prisoners, all 'felons ; six of whom had been there before, and one had been dis charge] from the hulks ; among them were two young lads, one of 18, and another 21 years of age, who were in prison for their first offence. , In the second yard were 42 felons, and one mis- , demeanor, who was the wardsman ; of these 43, two were of 18, one of 19, and one of 17 years of age;' one of the 43 had been six years at the hulks, a man , of notorious bad character ; some of the above num-' ber were under sentence for three months, some for, six, and others for twelve ; the young men were there for their first offences, one a clerk to a law stationer, whose sentence was an imprisonment for three months; his offence was slight, and he had borne heretofore a remarkably good character. hi the third yard were 52 felons ; of these, three had been in the prison twice, five had been oftener, and one had been at least six different times. In the next yard were eight Tower Hamlet debtors, ror 40s. and one misdemeanant, who was wardsman. In an adjoining small yard were five reputed thieves ; along with whom were six felons, short fines for a month. The next yard was occupied by the misdemeanors, 38 of whom were confined there, comprehending assaults, bastardy, leaving their families, perjury, passing bad money, and those committed under the hawkers and pedlars act for selling without licenses; and one person for want of bail, who had been thole under different charges several times before. In the boys yard were" 26 ; two for re-examination, 20 convicted felons, one misdemeanor, and three re puted thieves; four of the 20 were transports, one of them sentenced for seven years ; he was convicted at 8 years of age, and had been there for three years. In the state room were two soldiers. In' his quarter of the prison are three galleries for solitary imprisonment ; 14 persons were there con fined in separate cells ; in the third gallery were several soldiers under sentence of regimental courts martial. In the vagrant yard were 23 persons ; 16 of whom were vagrants, and seven committed under the bum boat act. Woolens' side.—ln the first' yard were 10 prisoners; felon fines from Newgate, all convicts ;'some sen tenced to transportation for life, for 14, and seven years ; and others working out the time of their im prisonment. In the second yard there were 15 ; three for re examination, and 12 for misdemeanors, cor.victed and for trial. There were, • when your Committee visited the prison, neither debtors nor disorderly fe male apprentices, all of whom are confined in this yard, mixed wi th the above characters, and with the women of the town, who are committed ; . there was also one vagrant ; one of the females there con fined is hardly ever out of prison, being either here or at Tothill-fields 10 months out of 12. The school is in the next yard ; it contained four persons, two felons and two misdemeanors; there is besides this, a small yard used as ,a" nursery, where the women who have been brongltt to bed in the prison suckle their children till they are old enough to be weaned. In the nextirard were prisoners committed for re examination, who amounted to 12, all ironed; six of whom were for Bank offences, two of whom were boys of 19, and one of 17 years of age. The King's witnesses are placed in the state room whenever there is sufficient accommodation there, and if not, some-! times with the misdemeanants, or in the boys yard.' Your Committee are decidedly of opinion that these persons ought to be kept separate from all other pri soners ; and by the 24 Geo. 111. ch. 54, sec. 4, it is expressly directed, that a, separate place of confine ment shall be provided for them. (To be continued). is- Monday se'nnight, a herring-boat belonging to Holy Island, with five men, was upset by a squall near that place, by Which accident George Allison and Richard Smith were unfortunately drowned; ,the other three men were picked up. POLICE. rictom HALL.—Yesterday a charge was brought against a set of persons called Afar rate-bone and Cleaver-men," by Mr. Dunning, a baker, residing at Brixton, Surrey.—Mr. Dunning said he was married on Monday last, and a short time after he was iu bed his felicity was disturbed by a number of men coming before his house making the most horrid noise with marrow-bones and cleavers. He calledao them to desist, and go about their business, when Ithey answered, they would not depart until he had given them a sum of money, he threw them 3s. and they went away. On Tuesday night his slumbers were broke by the same fellows, who again deman ded money ; he begged them to go away, and told them that he should not give them any more. They made the most horrid noise by yelling and shouting,,, and before they departed they threw several stone s of considerable size through his chamber window, one of which passed close to the head of his wife, as she lay in bed.—The Magistrates issued warrants to apprehend the parties. STAoa COACIIES.-••••MAY V. was an information under the Stage Coach Act, for carrying a greater number of passengers on the outside thaa is allowed by law. The case was adjourtied from the 20th inst. and judgment deferred in order to al low the defendant an opportunity of proving that he had been convicted for the same offence at another place (Portsmouth). The defendant made the same statement as upon the former hearing, that a prior conviction had taken place, but failed to produce any record of such decision. The Magistrate said, that no sufficient evidence was produced to support the defence set up, and convicted the defendant in the penalty of £lO. and 40s. costs. The Magistrate, after delivering judgment in the above case, again referred to the . Act for the regula tion of stage coaches, and delivered an opinion re specting offences under that Net, highly important to the proprietors and drivers of these vehicles. The information, he said, upon which he had just deci ded, set forth that the offence complained of took place in the county of Surrey, on the 7th inst. and in the defence it was stated, that for the same offence an information was laid at Portsmouth, which stated that the violation of the Act of Parliament took place on the Bth, in the County, of Plants. He was de cidedly of opinion, that the law would not consider it as the same offence, but that a fresh offence was incurred in every different county, and that a fine might be inflicted in every fresh jurisdiction through which the coach travelled, and continued to carry more than the 'legal number of passengers ; and it was therefore possible that a driver of a stage coach might by the illegality of his conduct incur a penalty of ruinous magnitude on the same day, when he might be satisfied in his own mind that his breach of the law could not extend beyond the punishment of inflicting a penalty of £lO for each passenger beyond the proper number, even should he persist in the of fence throughout the journey. Several proprietors of stage coaches Mere present, and appeared to feel much astonishment at the above opinion. lIATTON.GARDert.--Yesterday, Mr. Jonathan Goodall, one of the Proprietors and driver of the Watford stage-coach, appeared to a summons, on an information laid against him by one of the passengers in the coach, charging him with having, oft the Bth instant, carried fourteen outside passengers. A Gen tleman from the Stamp Office produced a copy of the defendant's license, to shew that he was part owner, and that his coach was not licensed to carry more than twelve outside passengers. The Magi strates convicted the defendant in the full penalty of £2O for each of the two passengers so - over-carried, being in all £40.--There was a second information against the same defendant, charging him with Wan tonly and furiously driving 'his horses along the Edgeware Road, on the day mentioned in the first information, at the rate of fourteen miles an hoii. his coach being at the time heavily laden, whereby he endangered the lives of his Majesty's subjects.— The case being proved, the Magistrates, being deter mined, if possible, to put an end to this dangeroUs practice, convicted the defendant in the further sum of ten pounds. GUTLDITALL. Thomas Light was charged on sus picion of having robbed the house of Mrs. Smedley, in St. Paul's Church-yard. on Sunday last, while the family were at Church. The prisoner had been seen lurking near the door of the house, and being a well known character, was apprehended by an Officer, who described him to the Magistrate as a rentrrec tion-man ! otherwise a robber of graves. The pri soner said, he was a dealer in human teeth, and that he supplied the chief dentists in England and France. The Magistrate expressed some surprise at this ac knowledgment ; but as there was no evidence to prove that the prisoner was concerned in the robbery of Mrs. Smedley's house, he was discharged. A most horrible crime was committed at Toulouse, on the 14th inst. by a young female, who assassina ted her own brother. Madame Mazas had become guarantee for her brother for the sum of 1300 franca Before the note was due, her husband went to Mois sac to receive the amount, according to his engage ment ; but his brother-in-law gave him a very eva sive and unsatisfactory answer, saying he would see him at Toulouse. Mazas, on his return, informed his wife of the manner in which he had been re ceived, and the latter, indignant at such conduct, only thought of being revenged. On the arrival of her brother, she purchased a large knife • she then went to him, and after loading - him with the most violent reproaches, plunged the knife into his heart. The unfortunate victim tell at her feet, and instantly expired. The "assassin left the house without any emotion, and went to her own residence to change her dress. She was immediately taken into custody, , and on being interrogated by the Judge d'lnstruc tion, she calmly replied, that if sbe had shed the blood of her brother, she had strong.motives for so doing, and that the want of sincerity on the part of the vic tim bad infuriated her mind, and led her to the corn -mission of the deed. An inquest was yesterday held at the London Hos pital, on the body.of T. Winter, whom we stated some time ago to have met with .a dreadful accident, by fall ing into a boiling vat of blue vitriolic solution ; and lingered in great agony at the above Hospital till Le died. Verdict—Accidental Death. NEW COINAGE. TO TILE EDITOR OF THr STAR. ' SlR—Observing •in several of the Daily Papei, that another hew Coinage of half-crowns is shortly make its way into circulation, with the ircommeutiz, tion of a very tastefully executed N. George end gi, e Dragon on the reverse; I should be glad to be i f ,. formed what propr._•ty the George and Dragon ca possibly have Ur(l any Coin of . the United Ki ng d ot , how long has the George and Dragon liven the suz. ',lard of the British Empire? What right has th e badge of the Order of the Garter to obtrude itseii is preference to the badges of any other NationalOrde of Knighthood ? What will the neglected sand St. Patrick and St. Andrew say to fording it I, tu over them ? Or, in short, what has the eisib m . badges, or mottoes of any of the OAL:rs of Keit : . Hood to do with the Regal device, or the exi O4 ,l standard of these Kingdoms? chancery-lane. R. 3, Friday last a quarrel took place between two pe r . sons, 'icing the preceding and present tenant uc a farm in the parish of Ilangyniese, in Motitgoarr. shire, arising from some differences with respect ict the occupation of the said farm ; one of them had it his hand a spade, and the other a sickle ; the krree e so exasperated the latter, that he thrust his s:ckle through the body of his neighbour, which imnr. .cliately proved fatal ! Several persons were quickly collected together, but were so confused at the cir. cumstance, that the perpetrator was suffered to es. cape ; but on Monday morning last his body ea t found in the Virnievv, a little below Point Robert ;—. and it is supposed remorse for the horrid cousquenom of his passion ieduced him to put a period to ltisoq existence. SUSPFNDFD ANT si rto x.Saturday week, a men man, about 17 Tears of age, had gone to bathe, frog the village of Invergordon, immediately after hnak. fast, and after swimming about for a few rninatesla was observed from the shore to struggle for some time in very deep water, and ultimately to disappea s; an alarm was instantly given, when Mr. Alma:vier Ross, ' surgeon in the village, accompanied by ano'her person, leaped into the water, and swam to the spat where the young man was last seen : after a ctsni derable time they discovered the body, and made se. veral attempts by diving to get to it, but the water being twelve feet deep, were unable. They however continued to swim about the spot until a boat came ' from the shore to their assistance, when they succeedei in getting up the body, after it had been upwards cf twenty minutes in the water: and having carried it te the shore, the means recommended by we P.oyalHe• mane Society were used with success, under tie direction of Mr. Ross. Although animation wa>te stored, his recovery was very doubtful until the Ail. lowing day ; he has no recollection of having gone a bathe, or having been in the water. Mr. Mired, jun. of Cadboll, visited him, and sent a supp'of wine and other restoratives. IsaarasT.--An inquisition was taken yesterday, at Guy's Hospital, on the body of T. Cullen, who died from. the effect of the explo,sion in Westminstetant Mr.Monckton ) , Surgeon, deposed, that the deceased was . brougbt_there on Thursday evening, the 40th instant,_dreadfully burnt. The usual remedies were applied' until . WedneAday morning, when he dills his death wa.s occasioned by, the burning. W. Randleo servant to ,Mr. — Mortr.un; - -Westminster-road, mat* facturer pf Are r works : for Vauxhall Gardens, stunt that on, the fatal evening .he left two of the ma making up rackets ;'• ane.arthem was pomading salt,. petre, another was charging rockets, and the &crap ed was asleep in thee-no"; and, about half an hia afterwards, he was informed the shop was on fa; there were about 30 lbs. of gunpowder on the pit. mixes, the whole of which had exploded. The Jef said, that it was irnpossible to . come to a satisfactory conclusion.hovi the , explosion was caused withal betteievidence. The Coroner enquired of the sorra if it was possible to take a deposition from decca,eis fellow-sufferers id. IsLah, a boy, and J. Wigzillf who are in the Hospital.. The Coroner was informed that Nash was in such a state that he could not articulate, his face beingbtirrit too horrid to describe; and oa the Jury retiring to 'the Ward, Wig ill said, " the explosion was caused by Nash charging a rocket, which he rammed down with a stick so hard :ad quick that the friction produced explosion, which communicated to the powder, and set the buildisg on ire." Vcrdict— Accidental lilaTIM& Sunday, at number Park, Notts, tke Duchess of Neeicaldfi of a claw:liter. Monday, at Drayton rectory, Oxon, the L.dy of the R% William I.lcyd.«,i }IAIIMED. August I I, at Green Co: %lye, :tar 1 lgirt I.lclslan llgetodi F.sq. of Itaiginore 1114tgaret, slaughter of Sa Arch. lisalast lfyrt. of Nurthlield. Monday, at AVhitby, M Alewma , l, of the Cherub Grro'iai ship; to Miss 13etsey Martin, of Whitby. Tie bridt,r , e. ■ the true s l )ie of a ;any tar, ordered the Royal Mail Cat la four bones to convey the happy pair to and 'frost church Of course, a few brother sailors were seated upon, deck, to harp good look-out ahead whilst their shipmate was below. • v DIED. June 25, at Gattayve Estate, in the island of Grenada. di Lady of tis Hon. Thomas Duncan, Member of his u? r 1 Council—an affectionate wife, a fond but early bereaved and the delight of the circle in which she moved tar her !cal elegant social accomplishments, and uniform kindliness ui sition. At Kendal, Wm. Gawdmrp, F.Fq. formerly of the Conti:- Land Militia. August 8, at Edinburgh, Mrs. Erskine, widow adviser,. James Erskine, of Bhielfield. Saturday, in Cecil-street, after a short Wens, Captain Exrf Detect, of the East India Comp= y's Service. At Cheltenham, where be went for the benefit of his lierik Sir Gilbert King, Bart. of Charleston, county of Itaicamnwa. t Friday, at the Vicarage House at E.astham, Cheshire, L. 18th year of his age, Edward, fourth son of the Ka. U r . Trr vor, Prebendary of Cheater, Midthiprnan in the 1t0y..1N 1, 1 0 which =pack/ he served at the battle of Algiers, in the ;e ven frigate. . PRICE OF STOCKS iF.STERDAY. Bk. Stock 2721 271 t India Stock 228 '225} Reduced 761 74 76/ 75 1 Bonds 80 82 pr. Cons. 75/+// 76 74 • Omn. SID dis. 3 per Cent. 86t, 854/1 Exch. Bills OM 18'211 9 4 per Ct. 95 Ditto (23c1) 18 19 Navy 1014 105 1041 • Cons. for Oct. 18, 75: iu Long Ans. 201 7-16 7.5311: 111611 wAnat At LONDON BRIDGE TO-M01111(1 Musing 14 minor:. at•er 19 Afternoon - 44 u I4 LONTION : Printed std published by I 11.24 A, Tempt..-1.6r. • vv T. Tye sheorl sa I dia 3 01 tb criel Übe 4 41 'a- Est: 3,11 ✓ :,61 i• So • ri ▪ G.: Jct Ca r. thi A JL rc 64' 11. it I 1 L I. et GE b 4 It; se etr . V