, 1872-06-26
borne in mind, as Mr.. Anthem said, that q
high official had given it his sanction.

of in another column, from the Avis of 9th
March 1872.
In your paper of the goth inst, you mention
that two notorious thieves, John Richard Darling
and Assam, had again escaped from prison. We
received the information of this fact as early as
Sunday last, and we were further informed that
the two prisoners had threatened to set fire to
Judge Sarauw's house. Naturally some anxiety
was felt by our town folk at this threat, as from the
situation of Judge Sarauw's house, a fire set there,
with any thing like a good breeze blowing at the
same time, would expose the greater part of the
town to destruction. Our Police Master has been
keeping a ~vi9ilant look out, and l am happy to
say that to the present moment, no FIRE has taken
place. On Thursday morning, at 4 O'Clock Judge
Sarauw was called up, and three men from the es-
tate Mt. Pelier, brought the prisoner John Rich
ard Darling to him, who had been caught on said
estate, where he had been in company with Assam,
the latter having escaped. The Judge sent for q
Policeman to take charge of the prisoner, and
while awaiting his coming, entered into converse
ton with him. On the prisoner being asked why
he ran away so often from prison (this being the
Bird or 4th time), he answered, that he could not
stand the treatment he received at the Jail, that
when at work he was chained with a heavy iron
chain to Assam, which was so heavy, that although
he was willing to work, he really could not do the
work that was required of him., that he was often
compelled to work on Sundays, and that he gener-
ally had to work on an empty stomach, as the food
he received was not sufficient further, that during
inc ul9QC ne cOulQ NOT l10 uOWQ on bQ6 place winch
was given him to sleep, said place consisting of a
bare board, and a block to put his head on, and,
that although his chain was taken off at night, he
had to keep on the heavy collar around his neck,
which prevented him from lying down, as he could
not with the collar on put his head On the block.
For months, the only sleep he got, was in a sitting
posture, resting his head against the Prison wall.
Last Sunday morning at an early hour, chained to
Assam, he was turned out to clean the Prison In
s%pector's (Mr. Weis's) stable, and as an opportu-
nifty offered they absconded. When asked why
they had threatened to set fire to the Judges
house, he replied, that it was on account of the
Judges having, besides sentencing them to public
work for many years, he had also ordered them to
be treated worse than any cattle in the Islands
that he (Darling) on reflection, had given up the
idea of setting fire, as he thought they could not
gain any thing by it, bpt that he had found it very
difficult TO dIssuade Assam from carrying the
threat into execution.
Now Mr.. Editor, if the story that this man tells
be true, what a shameful state of things for a civil
lied Island, and what a reflection on our Prison
Authorities It calls loudly for immediate altera-
ton, for if men are even criminals, they are yet hu-
man beings, and it can hardly be in accordance
with our laws that they are subjected to such bar
barous treatment. In this town we sometimes see
Prisoners working with chains on, always those
who have attempted to run away, and then they
seldom wear their chains longer than a couple of
weeks, and orders have always been given by our
Police Master to relieve the prisoners at night.
not only of their chains, but of their collars also.
You conclude, Mr.. Editor, by saying that our
whole prison system is defective, and that a remedy
might best be found in appointing a c commission
for investigation. Certainly, as long as the Colo
NAL Council is deprived of the power of p~artaking
in the administration of purely Communal matters,
la power which was vested in the old Burgher
'CounciD your proposal is a very good one. But
now comes the rub who are to be appointed Mem
bers Of this Commission =? Are we to go through
one of our old farces again that of composing
Commissions for Investigations, of members who
are directly concerned in the matter to be inyesti-
gated; or will Governor Billie go out of the old
track, by appointing independent men? Men who
are totally free from any bias on the subject.
am Dear Mr.. Editor
Yours A.
West End 23rd March 1872.
= Darling was evidently under the impression
that Judge Sarauw was responsible for the bad
treatment he received, he was not aware of the
fact that after the Judge has passed sentence in q
criminal case, he delivers the prisoner over to the
Police, who are responsible for his treatment.