Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-07-28
MISCELLANEOUS.
From The Prisoners Friend.
Notes by The Way.
INTERVIEW WITH A PRISONER.

lars in the history of one of the inmates
The Warden and a Quaker accompanied me.
On entering, | was introduced as one interest
ed in criminals. The prisoner soon made US
feel at home, remarking 'that his cell had
not any very great Accommodations, but he
believed, he was as well supplied as the pro-
phet, who had a bed, a stool, and a CANDLE
STICK He gave me his stool, while he sat
on the floor. He was exceedingly commu-
NEGATIVE. The Warden allowed me 10 ask
him any questions. He remarked that he
had thought Of asking to stay a while long
er, as his sentence expired in one month";
But said he, : they won't let me stay after
my sentences, nor they won't let me go before
il EXPIRES
How long have you been in ~prisonr |
asked.
Il have been in different prisons ever since
1880, excepting one year.
Then said |, you have been II years
in confinement. This is a long time to be
shut out from society,"
Yes he exclaimed, land | begin to feel
old now and worn out. But ] am treated
kindly, and the Warden has not even spoken
cross TO me-
looked round his cell, and seeing my wish
to know more about his situation, he pointed
to his little garden.
See there he exclaimed, what a fine
garden | have. have raised several things.
And now, said he TO the Warden, : | want to
sell the proceeds. ! ought TO have $40, but |
| will sell it to you for $lO.* always want
justice done. | am a great hand for having
Justice done to me-
Let me know said |, something of your
history
WELL said he, | have been in here II
months, and ! say this Cunning to the War
den,) that ] have not received an unkind word
from you.' Il was,' he continued, : in Sing
Sing two years and a half, and such a prison
| never was in before. ] would not believe
men could be so cruel why, it was worse
than the IDquisition. When | first entered
my cell, | received notice of the rules, but |
forgot some of them. | omitted to put my
hand through the gratings of the door when
it is first closed, a custom which gives the
keeper a chance to know that the prisoner is
in without The trouble of looking within the
door. For this neglect said he, Il received
one hundred and thirty-nine lashes! At an
other time,' continued he, Il had on forty
pounds of iron. During one week | re-
ceived one hundred and fifty lashes; fifty at
time!'
Il remember he said, that one man was
to receive the cat, (the name of the whip
has, l believe, six tails,) and on in
why he was to be punished, the an
swer was that it was for being ugly Men
were treated in the most brutal manner. If
they refused to take off their shirt, the Ian
guage was, Oh you, take off that shirt"
Continuing his narrative, he said, Il was
punished about fifty times in Sing Sing, till
finally | hardly dared to wink
But did thee not deserve punishment
sometimes? said the Warden.
20 yes, | sometimes transgressed the laws,
and | felt revengeful, and thought if | got
out, | would not forgive those Keepers
sAh, but said 1, you ought not TO harbor
~revengeful feeling
.Oh, | don't know about that said he,
looking at me with great earnestness, as
though this was rather a hard doctrine for
him. | saw his state of mind, and endeavor-
ed TO calm him, and point him out the better
way.
But, continue your narrative | said, 'for
| am deeply interested in the incidents con-
nected with one who has spent seventeen
years within the walls of a prison. What
were your temptations! What could have
iuuuCCu JOu W a hitf WIN JOu
confess has been SO unpleasantP
WELL said he, Il will tell you ) his coun'
tenance Frightening to find me interested il
the history of one who had become SO depra
ved. l listened with intense interest.
Il am now forty.fve years of age. l hat
no education when l was young; ] was pu
in prison al fifteen years of age. And from
there | escaped. again commenced steal
ing, and carried the goods to a house of AS
signalion. l went two voyages to S. Ameri
ca. In company with another, l afterwardl
commenced stealing. We stole some Jew
elry. A pardon was afterwards granted.
again went 10 sea. | was afterwards takel
up Tor Burglary. went afterwards on boar,
a Man Of War. escaped from her by swim
ming away. ] was again taken up Tor Bur
glary, and was sentenced for three years.
But said l, interrupting his narrative
: what could have induced you TO go on i
crime2 Have you no principle! What ar
your religious viewsF
'Oh,' said he, Il believe in future reward
and punishments.'
But said the Warden, thee ought nc
to live SO; thee may die in this crimina
state.'
'Oh, said he, very earnestly, Il do not ca
culate TO die In this State.'
l remarked, you ought not to live so nov
Ii is not the idea that we have got TO die, thi
should induce us to live we'll; we shout
love and fear God even if we were never
die. Religion is a matter for life, and whe
we are fit to live, we are fit to de-
And replied the Warden, who took ratl
er a different view of the great end of rel
gion, thee may die now. Think of III
shortness and uncertainty of life. For il
stance; here was a case a few days ago, of
young man named Wood, who was on h
journey. He was gay and cheerful. H
was on the outside Of the car; an accider
occurred, and he was so injured that he 500
died. Thee may die soon; thee had bette
be prepared for thy last hour The Prisont
looked earnestly upon the face of his keepe
as though his words had made a deep in
preston; and as though he resolved fror