Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-07-16
The Prison Life Of Fenian Prisoners In
Toronto, C. w.


Toronto, C.. w.
I, A correspondent OF the New York
Herald gives the following account Of a
visit to the Fenian prisoners now in con
confinement in Toronto: .a4i
The ninety-six4 prisoners at present
imprisoned in the old Toronto Jail, have
been handed over to the civil authorities.
Visitors are not allowed to see the pris-
oners without special pass from the
sheriff, and tbisis not granted excepting
to those persons who can convince that
officer that they visit the prison melted
by other motives than impertinent curl
osiiy. On making known my desire 10
the sheriff the other day, and stating to
him that believed many of the friends
of the imprisoned in the United States
would like to know how they are treated,
and the way in which they bear them
selves while in durance vile, he cheer
fully granted me and u friend The nee
essary pass.
The old Jail is situated in the eastern
end of the city, on Front street. near the
side of the bay. II is a gloomy looking
pile of stone, and for some time had
been unoccupied, another and better ap-
pointed prison, more recently erected IN
another portion of the city, having been
insufficient TO accommodate all the
criminals. The building consists OF
central tower, from which branch of
two wings, one west and the other south.
The central portion is four stories high
the wings are three stories. The Jail
yard is an irregular parallelogram, two
Of its sides formed by the wings, and the
west by a stone wall fifteen feet high |;
the southern boundary is board fence
of about the same hight. The entrance
to the building is from Front street The
jail sets back about thirty yards from the
road. The visitor is obliged before he
reaches the massive oak portal, studded
with iron, TO pass two soldiers on guard.
In obedience to our summons, the key
of the warder grated in the old lock, and
the massive door slowly grating on its
hinges stood partially open, and we
caught view of the interior
A very mild, benevolent looking old
person is the turnkey He quickly sent
a boy to the Governor with our pass, and
in the meantime we had au opportunity
of looking at the lobby and its occu-
pants. A clumsy wooden grating with
uprights separates the lobby from the
main hall. A fierce looking soldier,
dressed in red, and armed to the teeth,
was walking up and down his confined
beat, while many other red coats EN-
ployed in various ways could be seen on
the other side of the grating. Twenty
four men of the 47th regulars keep guard
here day and night, and the officer in
command sleeps in the building On
being admitted through the grating door
we turned to the right and descending
two or three steps a few PAGES brought US
to the door of the room in which one
body of the Fenians is confined. They
are about fifty in number. What strikes
a person as most remarkable on first
seeing these prisoners is the extreme
youth of nearly all of them. Many of
them are certainly too young TO IN
dergo the fatigues Of heightened
campaign. They are, however, taken
all in all. pretty hard looking crowd,
and l should judge compose the very
best fighting material. They are ordered
to fall in to the right when anybody
comes in either to identity them or Tor
mere curiosity; the latter, however, are
few. as strict orders have been given TO
exclude them. The majority of this
batch were dressed in shirt and pants;
very few sported a coat ltis noteworthy
that so far as hands and faces are CON
cerned there is every appearance that
they are not at all restricted in the sup
ply of soap and water, and their heads
also exhibited traces of the comb and
brush
On leaving this room, in the hall, inn
mediately on the left going toward the
yard, are the cooking utensils, principal
ly consisting of large coppers for the
manufacture of soups In the yard and
in room of the south wing we found the
other main body of the Fenians. They
present much the same appearances as
the others, with whom they share alter
nately the pleasure Of the open air. 4