The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-20 00:00:00

THE CONVICT BARBER.

The Liverpool Albion publishes the following origi-
nal documents with regard to the convict Barber :
"Agricultural-office, Norfolk Island,
October 12, 1846.
" Being about to remove, for a time, from the Nor-
folk Island, and contemplating the possibility of not
returning, I feel it to be my duty, as an act of justice,
to leave with William Henry Barber, whose conduct
I have had an opportunity of observing for nearly
two years, a testimonial of the very favourable
opinion which I have formed of his character,
in the hope that it may be advantageous to him
at some future period. I have observed Barber's
conduct in the most trying and humiliating cir-
cumstances, of what I am convinced (without any
reference to his plea of innocence f the offence of
which he stands convicted) was unmerited suffering ;
and while I deeply pitied the man, I could but admire
his submissive demeanour, patient resignation, and
unvariable rectitude of conduct, while his health was
visibly suffering, and his frame wasting away under
the mental torture inflicted upon him by the degrad-
ing and polluting association into which he was
forced, and the unmerited and unaccountable perse-
cution of which he was the object for many months,
by which the sufferings inseparable from this unhappy
condition were deeply aggravated beyond that of
even the worst conducted convict; while his enemies
could not produce even a colourable charge against
him. My losition, as the second civil officer
on the island, enabled me, at length, to procure
an alleviation of his suffering, by getting him
removed from gang-labour to be assistant-clerk in the
agricultural office, under my own immediate control,
in which situation the undeviating rectitude of his
conduct, and a general demeanour worthy, in every
respect, of the respectable position which he for-
merly occupied in society, gained for him my con-
fidence ; and, on the removal of my principal clerk
from the island, I obtained the situation for Barber.
Considering his former occupation and business-
habits as a respectable solicitor, it is superfluous to say
that he performed his duties ably and correctly. He
worked hard from daylight in the morning until is
late hour most nights, performing the duties of two
men without any remuneration or indulgence, ex-
cept, what to his mind was a most important relief,
separation from the other convicts. And the
rules of discipline prevented me from furnishing him,
from my private resources, with even the trifling
comfort of a basin of tea or a bit of fresh meat, which
J would gladly have done. I have great pleasure in
certifying that he has kept himself entirely free from
all the contaminating influence of his unhappy situa-
tion, both in habits and sentiments, as well as prin-
ciples • and I can, with great confidence, recommend
admits him as a man whose conduct fully entitles him to the
earliest amelioration of which tphleacleawin
every
its
m in his
condition, and qualifies him to fill with credit to him-
rdes respect
him-
self and benefit to society, a
equal to that from which his conviction removed
" GILBERT ROBERTSON,
" Superintendent of Agriculture."
" Norfolk Island, Sept. 3, 1845.
" In leaving Norfolk Island, of which I have been
for some years the chaplain, I owe to public justice
the duty of recording my firm conviction of the per-
fect innocence of William Henry Barber, now suffer-
ing upon it a sentence of transportation. Since his
arrival here I have not ceased to follow a series of in-
quiries into the circumstances connected with his
case. In addition, I have heard the reluctant ac-
knowledgments of Joseph Fletcher, the guilty
author of the frauds, placing beyond the possi-
bility of a doubt the entire innocence of Barber.
My exertions shall be continued for his extrication.
I deeply lament his truly wretched condition here,
and would have seen it ameliorated. I have
never
prisoner of the Crown exposed to
know gladly
a ly
greater wretchedness. I rejoice to be able to add, I
have never seen an instance of more dignified suffer-
ing, accompanied by invariable c)nsistency of con-
duct, and nothing will give me greater pleasure than
a renewal of his acquaintance under more favourable
circumstances.
" Given under my hand this 3d day of
September, 1844,
" T. BEAGLEY NAYLOR, Chaplain."