Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-04-04
In Van Dieman's Land.

Recently there visited Syracuse an aged
man, who being without money, applied
to the station-house for lodgings. He
said he had travelled a long distance, was
tired and hungry, and wanted sleep. And
the old man took from his back little
bundle, withdrew a cane thrust through
the knotted handkerchief and sank down
in a chair as if utterly unable to take an
other step. He was given the best ac-
commOdation the station house afforded,
and that was q warm cell and bare
plank. But his old bonesrested sweetly,
he said, even in that bed, "for it's MORN
I've been used to for these many years. "
Although appearing to be full ninety
years old, face wrinkled and back bent
nearly double, he was but fifty-fve years
Of age. His name was Samuel Wash
burnc, and he has just returned from Van
Dieman's Land, whittier he had been sent
as convict by the British government.
He was born in Hartford, Conn, and
went to Canada when he was twenty-five
years old. This was in the year 1898.
He engaged in chopping just across the
river from Clayton, when the Canada
nbellion took place in that year. Wash
burne was near Prescott when that battle
WAS fought. A good many persons from
this vicinity were interested in that fight,
young men having gone from Selma,
Liverpool, and otherplaces. Washbume
was an American, and in the vicinity of
Prescott, as he says, walking along the
road Just after the fight, when he was
arrest I'd and thrown into chains on board
a British vessel. He was given no OPP
portunity for trial. Although he strong
ly protested his innocence, he was SEN
fenced to Punishment for life in Van Die
mans Land. He was sent to that colony
with some two hundred others. They
were crowded like sheep into the hold of
prison-ship. After a tedious and stormy
voyage they were landed at Sydney, and
here their trials began.
Repoter-Did they make you work :?
Washbune-Well, they did make us
work like slaves.
R.-What did you do A.?
WI plou9hed and drew stone.
R.-You mean you held the plough /?
W.-No, don't. mean that myself
and a companion drew the plough. They
hitehed lis up like horses. Here, see my
back.
And the old man tried to straightcn up,
but no power on earth could ever make
that back erect again. After pause, he
exclaimed:
"You see my bent back. Well, they
put straps across and around me made
a regular harness, and hitched Miller
that's my partner-and myself to the
plough, and we were obliged to drag it
like brutes. But they treated us a great
deal worse than bru.es."
R.-What did they give you to eat ?
W.-They fed lis on pound of meat
and n pound of coarse bread per day, and
we slept in hut at night. Miller, my
partner, often told me he should try to
escape if possible. He made the attempt
and succeeded, some years ago, in reach
ing an American vessel that brought him
to this country.
R.-How did you escape?
WI was rardoned. l succeeded in
getting letters to Canada, and some of my
friends there interested themselves in my
case, and nearly two years ago / received
pardon. But then could not leave the
country for lack of means to pay my pas
sage. worked year and a half-some-
times getting three cents and sometimes
five cents per day-until I had succeeded
in raising $25. With this and my prom
Using to work on the passage, succeeded
in reaching New York week or two
ago. -Sracuse Paper.