Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1861-04-12

THE CRIME OF POVERTY "A most extra
ordinary letter, signed "A Debtor in the
CITY Jail. appeared in the Manchester eng
land) Guardian, which shows that the sys-
tenn of prison discipline in that enlightened
country is scarcely less barbarotls than that
practiced in the dungeons of Naples. In re-
ferring to the letter, the Guardian says:
The writer AYERS that the prisoners for
debt are treated like ''the yilest and most
deprayed felops." They are not allowed
to ''sing, whistle OR laugh and are liable
to solitary confinement for several days, with
bread and water diet, for the slightest Of
fence against the regulations. When
debtor arrives at the Jail. che is asked his
religion, and told to sign. book, which he
does, under the supposition that he is mere
ly registering his religious belief; but if af-
terward he declines to attend chapel, he is
told that signing the book was an uudertak-
Ing to attend, and that be mist be punished
for refusing to do 80 No matter that he al
leges he is Nonconformist, and objects as
matter of conscience" At this time of the
year the chapel (Which is the same attended
BY the felons in the jail is intensely cold,
but no excuse for non attendance is permit
ted An old gentleman, duriug the pres
ent intense frost, begged, in most beseech-
ing manner, to be allowed to stay away
from chapel, stating that he was seventy
four years of age, and that the cold current
that he was exposed to was too much for
man of his years and infrmity. He was ia
ken before the Governor, who told him to
mold his hands by his sides while in his pres
ence The Governor told him that, although
he stated upon entering the prison that he
was Presbyterian, still, as he had signed
the book, be- should sentence him to twenty
four hours solitary confinement for refusing
to attend chapel. On being taken to his
intensely cold cell, he found that he was on
ly allowed small piece eff bread three times
a day with cold water"
The solitary cell is quite dark, and debtors
are sometimes confined there for three days
On Sunday week several of the debtors were
confined there for twenty-four hours, for not
getting out of bed till quarter of an hour
after the regular time (seyen o'clock )tbough
1t was quite dark, and mo clock is allowed.
One poor gentleman, who suffered terribly
from rheumatism, and was frequently com
PEELED to use crutches, begged that he might
Dc permitted. while thus imprisoned, to pur-
chase, with his own money, such food and
warm drinks as his health required. This
was refused, and nothing but bread and cold
water allowed. One prisoner passed three
days in this fearful cell for giving his wife
a small piece ofbread. in order that. his chill
dren at home might see the quality Of his
prison food. Another, on county allowance,
took and eat an onion beyond his share, for
which he had solitary confinement ard broad
end water Cor three days. =.
Such are the allegations made by the uri-
ter of this startling letter, beside other COM
plants of most arbitrary regulations as to
visitors, by which net only relatives, bat
even solicltors5are to great extent,debarred
from necessary communication with poor
debtors We quote these statements as we
find then, in print. Let US think for a mo-
ment OF the terrible cold of the past few
weeks. and then ask whether, surprising the
assertions are uncontradicted, it can be per-
mitted that any man should have the power
OF committing persons to unwarmed, un-
lighted cells, without proper food, whatever
their age or state of health, for trifing breach
es Of arbitrary prison rules This is Eng
land, not Naples. 1t seems from this that
the pleasure of incarceration for debt 10
England is about equal to that enjoyed in
Italy.