The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-02-04
Prison Life i'm England.

A correspondent of the London Daily
Neaos gives the following sketch Of a con-
vict's daily life in the female prison at
Milibank
by 7:36 the cell must be in apple-pie
order, and all the clothes taken off the bed,
neatly folded up inside the quilt, and
placed at the foot of the bedstead. Then
comes breakfast, which consists of piece
of bread and tin of cocoa. From Mon
day to Saturday pound of bread is daily
allowed to each prisoner. On Sunday
twenty-five ounces is the allowance, but,
per contra, on this day the prisoners dine
luxuriously off cheese. of which three
ounces is served out to each on returning
from divine service. Half an hour is al
lowed for breakfast, and from 8 o clock to
Q is devoted to labor. AT the prisoners
file down the corridors into the chapel,
where they sir on the bare benches, with
the assistant matrons planted here
and there on high stools, keeping watch
full eve over the silent congregation.
PRAYERS are over in time for all to be back
in their cells at $3.50, when there comes
another hours work at knitting or the
making of articles of clothing. At 1870
the straw bonnets, guiltless of ribbon, are
dOnned. the ugly yellow clOaks are put on,
and all, being first marshaled and counted
in the corridors. march into the yard for
exercise Exercise means marching
round and round the yard in single file,
while the warders look on. Nobody
speaks a word or looks to the right or the
left, but for sixty minutes all piOd round
and round, silent, sad, and sullen COM
pany. This performance over, the prison.
ers return to their cells and get to work
again, sewing or knitting till l O'Clock.
:. 2 nfa hn
ing carried up to the wards by relays of
the prisoners themselves. The allowance
is served out to each in her cell by the
assistant matrens. On Mondays and
Wednesdays the prisoners dine off mutton,
of which each gets three ounces. with
few spOOnfuls of gravy, the character
of which may be inferred from the fact
that it is favored with one-half ounce of
onions, and thickenCd with One-eightI
ounce of flour, and with bread left frOrr.
the previous day. In addition, each pris-
oner has three-quarters OF a pound Of pO-
tatOes. On Tuesday the fare Is bread and
pint of soup, containing eight ounces of
shins of beef, one ounce of pearl barley,
three ounces of fresh vegetables, and three
quarters of a pound of potatoes. On
Thursday the dinner consists of pound
of potatoes. and an equal quantity Of suet
OAlC OuhOC diih A"O
pennyweights of suet, six ounces of flour,
and four ounces and fourteen penny
weights of water. On Friday and Satur-
day the fare is beef and potatoes, three
ounces of the former and three-quarters Of
a pound of the latter, which is rendered
further appetizing by the addition of gravy
made in the same generous fashion as that
of Monday. On Sunday comes divine serv-
ice, and bread and cheese again, and then
the mutton. the soup, the suet pudding,
and the beef in due and unalterable order.
At 2 O'Clock on the afternoon of week
days work recommences, and is continued
until $50, when supper is INDUCED in.
Supper consists of the remains of the days
allowance of bread washed down with
pint of Cruel, the component parts of
which are two ounces Of oatmeal, one
half ounce of molasses, and two ounces Of
milk. At 6 more work, which is carried
on till s o'clock, when three-quarters OF an
hours leisure time is allowed for reading.
At S:45 bed-making begins, and by 8 all
lights are out and darkness reigns through
out the always silent cells. These hours
are the same in winter, with the exception
that the prisoners rise half an hour later
and go to bed half an hour earlier"