Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-01-29
08io Statesnran.
FeninDisFEs.
[From Do Con- lteporter. Jon. 4.l

The following description OF PentOnville
prison, the destined quarters of the Fenan
prisoners, cannot fail to be interesting now
to every class of readers. 1t is taken from
the work of Mr.. Maybew:
The parate system OF confinement is
one that has been advocated by both Sir
William Blackstone and the philanthropic
Howard, and "Pentonville" was created for
the main purpose of receiving convicts and
subjecting them to a very strict course of
treatment before their transmission to Glib
raltar, Portland, Dartmoor and the other
large Governments depOts. The prison con-
tains an area OF nearly seven acres. Every
cell Is thirteen and half feet long by seven
and half feet wide, and nine feet high,
furnished with copper wash basin, three
legged stool, a table and shaded gas burner
and hammock, which is slung at night. In
the door of every cell is an eyelet hole
through which the officer on duty can see
every thing going on inside. The cells are
about the size of a large and roOmy Omni-
bus, but some feet higher; and hanging up
against the walls is posted "notce to con-
victs," and the "rules and regulations"
with a card with the prisoners registered
number (tOr all names cease to be used),
with his previous occupation, term Of
sentence and date of conviction. Chris
tian and surname being no longer heard or
used, the prisoners merely distinguished by
his number, as, for example, number >. cor
ridOr d, gallery 3, cell t. The utmost vigil
ance is observed to prevent any possibility
OF escape; tell-taIe clocks are in various
quarters; four warders are on duty every
night, and cOnvicts who have escaped. or
attempted to do so from other ilils, are re-
quircd, when their cells are beng closed at
night, to put their clothes outside so that,
If by any possibility they effected an exit
into the corridor, they would have no dress
in which 10 attire themselves. At six
o'clock III the morning the cell doors are un-
locked. ana the prisoners come to the door
and take in the tub to wash their apart-
ment. They are then drawn up in two files
across the center corridor, aud the "clean-
erS, cooks" and "bakrrS" proceed to the
discharge of the respective duties assigned
to them. the former Fastening to wash the
entrance passages aud offices. which must
be done withiHa limited time, and at half
past six the work in the cells commences.
aud trade instructors teach them some en-
ployment. As to the food supplied, the fol-
lowing used to be the ratiOns, and we be-
lteve there is no substantial modification
in the scale: For breakfast ten ounces OF
bread, threC-quarters of pint of cocoa,
WV OutIN'o VI llllh anu ON VI dNiNlilS VI iiiO-
lassCS. For dinner, halt a pint of good
soup. four ounces of meat, beef and mutton
alternately, without bone, five ounces of
bread and one pound of potatoes. Forsup-
per, pint of Cruel and some milk" For
men under punishment, sixteen ounces of
bread, and nothing else bat water; and some
men Oh this latter scale OF diet come out in
three days four or five pounds lighter,
but this very much depends on the
temper, of the persons thus punish
ed. One of the warders, when Mr. May
hew was visiting the prison, observed that
there was man in 4 who declared that
no mortal thing should pass his lips. and
that he would starve himself to death: but,
adds the warder, " that was the day before
yesterday, but he has been forced to give in
and take his cruel. just dock a prisoners
food and it hurts him more than any cat
that could be laid on his back" The hour
for breakfast is half-past seven, that for din
ner one O'Clock, and Tor supper half-past
five, and at nine all the cells are locked for
the night. The refractory cells are or were
dark; as impenetrable to vision as black
marble, and with not particle of furmi-
ture bnt small raised bench, with a rug
omit. There are hours assigned for exercise.
but the prisoners must not converse with
each other, and they are allowed at intervals
to read books taken from the prison library
and subject to the perusal of every docu-
ment by the chaplain and governor, to write
occasionally to their friends. At night
there is most rigid examination of every
portion of the prison and its approaches.
and nothing omitted to secure the safe Gus
tody of the prisoners. The rigid unvarying
diScipline-the isolation, aud the dread
monotOny, have such an influence that even
a change to Portland or the other large
working prison depots is welcomed as re-
lief and cOnvicts who are disorderly at these
places are, as a punishment, sent back to
Pentonville to undergo further ordeal of