The Express.
London, England, 1848-09-15 00:00:00

THE GREAT PRISONS OF LONDON.
COLDBATH-FIRLDS.

Compered with Newgste, the prison of Coldbeth-
fields is certainty not an inspning structure. It has
the thorough gaol aspect. Without the massive dg•
city of the former, it has nevertheless anything but
en inviting outside. It leoks like a place of pu
&haunt though net of torture. We knock at
the great gate : the governor, Col. Chesterton, receives ue,
and, having presented our credentials, we commence our in-
spection. On our entry, the fist idea bons of agreeable
surprise. The interior by no means corresponds with the
exterior appearance. First of all, we notice the immense
sweep of the wall, which includes no less than nine
acres of ground. In front we see the huge pile of
buildings appropriated to the prisoners. Oa the left the offices
of the prisons, all clean and orderly to a degree of nicety
which it is not easy to maintain in a private residence. On
the right stands the governor's house, anything but revul-
sive in its appearance, and, occupying a large piece of ground
along and under the wall, a flower-garden in the finest pee-
&de order, and in such a state of culture and floral health
as to excite—considering thd neighbourhood—both curiosity
and intorno. This garden we learn, is cultivated entirely
by the prisoners, who are wisely permitted, as considerations
of heel* or good conduct dictate, to have out-door
employment. This eironmstance,7 taken in connexion
with the ample epees, light, and air, afforded to the
prisoners, and the general system of the prison, causes
Coldhath-fields to be one of the healthiest places of
confinement in the metropolis. Though it has en average of
from 1,200 to 1,400 occupant' the ye a round, more than
from one to three persons are seldom found in the infirmary
at once—a state of the health-calendar very different to that
of Newgate or Mlllbank, ay, even to thatoof Pentonvite—
thoegh in this latter establishment convicts of sound co !st-
oniest' only aro chosen an the subjects of the experimental
discipline
The oldest portion of Coldbath.ficlde Prison was built
in 1794: large additions have been made from time to time,
and a considerable wing is now in process of erection on the
females side. At present it has proper accommodation for

1,250 prisoners—though many more are sometimes threat
.nto it, amaze great ecofusion of yetem ; but as soon as the
new erections are finished there will be room enough.
It will ;is readily eameived that it can be no way teak to
keep this number of pa sans--nailer sad violent es the,
eve, unaccustomed to restraint, and maned &retest their
wills by fores—ia "objection and order. Indeed, the manage-
ment of a great metropolitan gaol demands finalities in the
governor of no mean order. Hence the function la smelly
conferred upon mums who have served with nooses
in the army or my—strict disciplinarians, men
who have learned to obey as well as been used
to eommand. As an instance of the tide of vin-
dictive passions mallet which the officers of prison,
have to centered, might be mentioned the recent also
of murder in this pima. The fellow who committed it,
Heinen, was one of the most diabolice of criminals. He
had committed s rape upon his own daughter—had com-
pelled her to live in Incestuous intercourse with him, the
resultof which was that two or three children were born, all of
which were made away with. These multiplied and horrible
crimes—rape, incest, infinticide—were not, however, enough
to bring the monster to the gallows. Some links was want-
' ing to complete the chain of evidence against him ; the pro-
secution far the principal offences had to be abandoned ; the
wretch was tried for insist, found guilty, and condemned to
two years' imprisonment in Culdbath.fiehls. He was
a man utterly dehumanised by his guilt—wee mo-
rose, stupid, rebellious, and, firing at a slight,
but well dowered, rebuke, for a gsol offence, conceived the
malignant project of ammineting the governor. For three
months he c.ung tenaciously to this diabolical purpose, and
kept the fatal knife accreted upon his person—ail this while
waiting with the patience of a demon for a favourable oppor-
tunity to commit the murderous sot. That, on a sudden in-
spiration, he used the fatal weapon, reserved for Colonel
Chesterton, against a subordinate einem is well known.
He was executed for it—few men ever deserved death better
—and he tten confessed his former =bid. His poor
daughter—the enforced partner in hie guilt—an object at
once ofdiagust and interest—is in the female prison, appa-
rently reconciled to her situation, and improving in health
and cheerfulness.

It is in the midst of pensions like these, seething in the
hearts of 1,200 criminals, that the administration of this vast
prison has to be conducted. The affi:ial staff consists of the
governor, 2 chaplains, 1 surgeon, 3 trade instructors, and 131
assistant efficeri—in all 141 persota • corps rather too small
than-too large, considering the nature of the duties devolving
rpm it. Without system—or without a system rigorously
administered—it would be impossible to maintain order in
such a place, except by keeping each individual under leek
and key. Puling through en inner gate to the left, we
come upon a yard in which we find a number of prisonen
taking walking exercise, marching in regular order, and in
perfect silence. All of these ere habited in the prison uni•
form, a good, warm dress of mare woollen cloth—the mis-
demeanants in blue, the felons In dark grey. Each primmer
wean a large number on his back, which number constitutes
his prison name and designation—proper names are not used
in this gaol. Every kind of personality, that can possibly
be sunk, is sung. The subordinate °Seen of the
prison schtnm know anything of the person's reel name,
station, crime, connexions, or antecedents, who is placed
under their charge ; and this kind of knowledge—except in
rare cues indeed—never comes to the ears of fellow-culmits
while within the walls of the prison. Some of the men, it
will also be enticed, bear stare upon their arms ; they are
marks of good conduct, of great value to the wearer when in
the gaol, and entitling him to a attain allowance on dis
charge, varying according to circumstances from fin shillings
to a pound. These allowances are often the salvation of
offeneen.
_ _ _

The governor tells us several anecdotes of persons who
have Irma discharged with small gratuities fur good conduct
and industry. They are given by order of the magistrates
—one of their wisest regulations. The culprit is always
in his most trying position on discharge ; often he
is without a friend or a shifling in the world—
with no home and no resource. What is then More
him? His resolution may be good enough; but the
ison if let is now nmoved--and what is lie to dot If the
mind of the poisoner be untouched by any good feeling, he
will go wrong in spite of means. Tam, in one of the yards,
we may see a fellow, an excellent workman, who wee dia.
charged only a few weeks sines with three or four pounds in
his pockets, and was committed again next day with all his
money upon him. Such asses are not at all infrequent.
But in the instance of a parson really penitent, and desirous
of living honestly, it is a mournful thing to think how many
obstacles lie in the way of his return to society and to better
courses. " A short time ago," says tho courteous governor, "we
discharged a man, a brusbmaker. lie was steady and in-
dustrious. He declared that he was penitent and penniless
—that be wished to avoid committing any new offence, but
knew not what to do. He had no credit ; and, as to cha.
Teeter, he was only just going out of gaol. Fifteen shillings,
he said, would save him from relapsing Into crime. The
magistrates considered his case; we gave him some trifle in
money and some brushes from the store, and discharged
him. Several months after, I saw him in the country ;be
had from 61. to 71. worth of brushes for sale. He declared
we had made him a new man. He had remained a teeto-
taller, and was flourishieg in the world l " Such cues must
be very gratifying to the humane mvistratee. With wise
administration, the funds go expended may be most profit-
ably invested. Those 15i. may save the country hundreds
of pounds Prevention is cheaper, as well as better, than
ravishment.
Crossing this yard, we enter a shed, built by the labour of
primers, on one wing of the principal buildings, and find
11.11•ShIS Is a large workshop, in which a considerable num-
I beg el persons are industriously employed in weaving mats
and rugs. This is, in Mt, the best looking room sit the
estublishment. It is miler the ears of a trade-instrument,
and most beautiful rug-work is turned off. Everything is
done in order and silence. The room is spacious and lofty—
and, in its entire aspect is no more goo! like than the I
great manufactoriesof Birmingham and /4a•hoiw. Mary
persons learn this business la pdps. smd aimpdsdad.
employment at it in the O.M sr otkir el
towns, and so again become honest members daddy. Out
this room we go by a long lobby—to the left of which stands
the juvenile school-room—into the oakum picking room.
This is provided with benches Meg each tier backward
above the one before it, like seats in the gallery of a theatre,
on which the less deserving of the prisoners sit picking
oakum. There are about four hundred of them, and
the arrangement of the benches enables us to GM every
one of the four hundred felon faces at a glance. A more
painful sight cen hardly be conceived. Moderately
wellshaped beads and iatelligent count/names are very rare
amongst them. Ocusionally the eye rests upon a cranium
of a superior order—grand in outline, and finely moulded :
the man belonging to it, no doubt, hue history, if it could
only be got at. Hut the vast mass of heads and face' seem
made and stamped by nature for criminal acts. Such low,
misshapen brows; such animal and sensual mouths and
jaws; such cunning realises, or stupid looks, hardly seem
to belong to anything that can by courtesy be called human.
Here, however, is also profound silence—sad work, such as
it is. . _

Leaving the oakum-rooms, we enter the bed y of the original
building. It is built on the radiating plan, but not on the
best model. It consists of four long galleries, forming a
panllelogram by their junction, on the sides of which are
ranged the cells. If the system on which the prison is osten-
sibly conducted were rigorously carried out, all the prisoners
would be separated at night ; but the number of separate cells
is only 650, while the inmates often amount to upwards of
1,300. The surplus is. therefore, to be rovided for in gene-
ral dormitories, in which officers are obliged to remain all
night, to prevent intercourse or disorder. This want of cel-
lular accommodation is greatly to be deplored. Beery pri-
soner should be made to sleep alone ; otherwise, it is impos-
sible to entirely prevent communication, how sevensoever the
penalties for breach of rules are made. Any unnecessary
amount of temptation is in itself= element of demoralisation
which should be carefully guarded against.
Occupying the spaces between tho galleries are several
yarn, in which the prisoners muster and take exercise. An
additional building extends the whole l-ngth of each yard,
consisting of two storiee—the lower one being used as a
school and eating-room for each ward ; the upper one, in one
yard a large shoe-making establishment, in another a salon,
and in two others, we are sorry to say, the treadwheel. The
wheel is the one reahy bad feature of this prison. The labour
upon it is sealers, profitless, disgustlog, and demoralising. It
should be done away with as a mere relic of ignorance and
barbarity.
The other arrangement' of the prison are admirable. Car-
penters, tinmen, blacksmiths, brushetakers, Be, &0., are
employed at their respective trades. The upper part of a
vessel, with masts and rigging, is fixed in the grounds for the
purpose of teaching and preparing boys for nu-service. The
female prisoners are employed in sewing, wishing, mangling,
&e. Considering the disorderly habits of the mesa of persons
sent to this prison, and the *bonne* of the terms for which
they are committed--ea element of great importance in
determining a prisoner to be well or ill-behaved—the dean-
line's, order, and industry prevailing in it are highly credit-
able to its governor and has officers.