Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-04-29
The Neapolita / Dungeons-Horrid
suferings of Watt, an English
Prisoner

his brother, who is now an inmate in the
English hospital at Naples; and though it
is admitted shat owing to the exertions of
the acting consul, Mr.. Barber, and the medi-
cal skill and attention of Mr. RoskeIly, an
English medical man resident in Naples, he
is much improved. yet he appears to be
sadly shattered in mind; and that in fact,
his nervous system and general health are
so much deranged that he despairs of ever
seeing him restored to his wonted state of
mind and body. He is filled with fears and
suspicious, and falls into occasional fits of
deep dependency, similar, he supposes, to
that in which he made the attempt at self
destruction; and nothing will convince him
that, even were he restored to liberty, he is
not degraded and lost man. Mr.. William
Watt says, that his brother used to be as
strong as lion, and full of courage, and in
proof oft instances his conduct on board
the screw-ship the Countess Of Strathmore,
when that vessel founderei off Whitby.
Henry Was the engineer, and portion OF
her crew were taken off her deck by a
"billy-boy," that happened to turn up at The
very nick Of time. He volunteered to be
the last man that should be removed, aud
when he I'd a seaman were waiting for de-
liverance, alter the captain and several
others had been drowned, he endeavored,
though in vain, to infuse courage into the
heart of his companion; and just before he
left the vessel, and when she was rapidly
sinking, he had the coolness, before max ing
himself fast bv the rope which was to drag
him through the raging waters, to go down
below and put his watch into his pocket.
But the prisoners OF the dcspot of Naples
have broken spirit which no form of dan
ger could abash. Mr. Watt attributes the
wreck of his brothers mind to the early
months of his imprisonment. before he was
removed to Salerno. He was kept in Naplcs
for five months immurred in dungeon so
small that ne and Park could not pass each
other without difficulty, ard into which the
light day was scarcely permitted to enter,
and fed on bread, Of which his brother has
brought home fragment, that he could
hardly masticate, and kind of fetid soup ),
az which the gorge of even the hungry rose.
1t was during this dreary period the poor
fellow told his brother, in one of his lucid
intervals, that he found his mind going
wrong, and, that as he was stout, and could
get no exercise, and thought to combat The
coming malady by rejecting even the
wretched soup, and by living entirely on
bread and water. The tardy remonstrances
of Lord Palmerston's government procured
his removal to Salerno, and here both he
and Park were much better off. 1t was here
that the Rev. Mr.. Pugh visited them. They
were restored to the light OF day, had as
signed to them larger room, and in other
minor particulars the rigors of Incarceration
were much abaied. But relief came too late
Watts mind was no longer sound. He had
been subjected to great p-iva;ions, and, let
US add, gross Indignation, not the least of
which was that he was not allowed the
slightest communication with the world OUT
side. He concluded that he was deserted
both by his friends and his country. Ia
short, he became thoroughly insane, and his
insanity took the worst possible and sppar-
entity the most hopeless direction. He had
no recollection of naving attempted to COM
mi, suicide.
Mr. William Watt also saw Park at
Salerno, and his account of him is not much
more favorable than than relating to his
brother. Park Is liable, from the most
trifii1g cause, to fall into nervous tremens,
hich are sometimes followed by fits LISTING
an hour or more; but whether these fits are
nilantir u.bat m ha their patu ha
cannit say. AT all events, one thing is
clear, that before he became an inmate in a
Neapolitan prison. though tall, slender and
somewhat feminine in features, yet he al
ways enjoyed excellent health. II. nry Watt
is Is years of age. Park is %. He is
described as being light complexioned, aud
very prepossessing in appearance.
Mr.. Watt describes the court at Silerno
as presenting strange and ghastly sPecta-
Gle. The prisoners, about 300 in number.
are nearly all young men. and would have
been in the prime of manhood it suffering
and the dungeon had not etfectual.y done
their work. They were pale and emaciated
they all had sunken eyes and prominen;
cheek bunes-.hcy resemb ed crowd of
animated corpses rather than living human
beings. There was presented by them all
a uniform expression OF countenance, as ~
i comm IN suffering had affixed on their
shrinking faces and pinchSd features com-
mon impression. Some he remarked to be
without shirts; others were effected with
repulsivelookirg skin diseases; aud all were
so loaded with pedicuii that Park had to cal
for the assistance OF Mr. Barber TO obviate
visitation from this form of annoyance. by
the interference of the consul he was pei
mitted to occupy position at short but
nccdful distance from the sad and miserable
crowd. Yet in spite Of foutward humlIailon
and the obileration OF external jtcency,
Mr.. Watt thought that he could discern here
aud there face that betokened an lntrlli-
gence above the rest, and suggested to his
mind that probably some ofthe dlshsural IONS
before him had descended TO thor present
lowly plight from the gentle and edueat
classes. Mr.. Watt declared that :he sight |
he beheld IN that court will haunt hun 10 his
diving hour. Yet, strange to say, neither
Gespondency nor despair was marked on the
counrenances OF these unfortunate men
They talked and sometimes smiled. Death
10 them had ceased to be terror. They
were sheep arrived within the precincts OF
the shambles Many of them, MIR. Watt