Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1842-09-06


Mr.. Editor: Tho Superintendent O
the convict station on which | was EN-
pIoyed last year, appointed me an over
seer, a sort of spy upon my fellOwSprs
Oners, and insisted on my acceptance oI
that unpleasant office. 70 decline was
to incense him, yet fatty refused it, and
was therefore Immediately seut to the
treadmill a month-very falguing for
The legs it surely is, and the vile wretch.
Ss whose company one is compelled to
keep, double the punishment; ] was next
placed in the BridgewIter chain gang for
two months. and kept standing in the wa.
ter handling stones and building piers.
Linus w. Miller, the young law student
from Chautauque county, made a bold
defence at Niagara, when put on triIllor
his life, though but l5 years of age.
presume that this boldness did him much
injury with Sir John Franklin, for he was
an object Of special persecution on the
Island.
At length hs ioiued Joseph Stewart,
merchant tailor, Wm. Reynolds, Of Or.
leans, Jacob Paddock Of SaIna, farmer,
Murray of Deuoit, and Horace Cooley of
u. c., in a vain attempt to escape -
They Jumped into an open boat, and with
out rudder OF compass, went out to sea,
hoping that some vessel might be near
that would aid their views. A storm
overlook them-they were driven on the
rocks on desert island-their boat was
smashed to pieces-and Two weeks after
1hat, they were found nearly famlshed,
and carried back to Hobart Town.
When they were missed, the whole is
land was in an uproar. 1t was feared that
they had got arms and Joined the Bush
Raagers, Baird, Fisher, Hogan and BritN
tain; who, we'll armed and very resolute,
keep the woods, and set the colonial au-
thori ties al defiance.
Miller and his comrades had no Jury
trial-two justices condemned them tor
two years to the coal mines at Port Ar
thur, a sentence the next in severity to
the gaIlows-and there they were when
escaped.
II was to this place of torment, that
MIR. Frost, late mayor Of Newport, with
Williams and Jones, his comrades con.
Csmed in the Welsh outbreak. we're sent,
though some of the ablest lawyers and
Judges in England had declared their con
victIon and sentence TO be at variance
with law. They were at first treated
better than the other wretChed balngs
there but bad is the best usage at Port
Arthur; so they also put to sea in
whale boat, we're pursued, taken, and
Williams was put in irOns--ln the day
time he was made fast 10 a long and
heavy chain fastened to an iron ring in
the wall, and kept at hard labor stones
breaking, and Frost and Jones found their
condition much changed for the worse.
The editors were frIeDdly TO these
WeIshmen, but they could learn lttls
and effect nothing, | am satisfied that in
England they have no correct idea OF
Frosl's su(ferings; his letters dare not
tell the truth. A convict or person IN
nv situation would have been severely
punished had we been seen talking TO
free emigrant, or TO any one not vi our
class and station. | have seen captive
Americans logged and sent to contina-
ment on bread and water, for receiving a
little tobacco or a alice of bread lrom a
atranger. Our rules we're printed and'
as enforced, no man could live up to
them.
y
After our arrival in England we were
for some months on board the YORK
Hulk, off Portsmouth. We were lhen
iaken into a square. crib called wash
aub, and we'll scrubbed by two convlcis,
our h,ir sheared quite close, and we at,
tiIed in the convict garb. Grant and
Miller came down with gang OF horrId
looking wreIches from Newgato, we're
sent to work, planned how TO escape, but
were informed on by Jacob Beemer' the
Judas Of the party, now a constable II
Van Disman's Land.
Elijah Woodman, Of Maine, drew uF