The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-02-08
PRISON LIFE IN ENGLAND.
The Female Prison ut sIlilbanlk-H How the
Conylcts Spend Their Time.


A correspondent Of the London Daily
Netps gives the following sketch Of o
conyicts daily life in the female prison
at Millbank
By half-past seven the cell must be in
apple-pie order, and all the clothes taken
of the bed, neatly folded up inside the
quilt, and placed at the foot Of the bed
stead. Then comes breakfast, consisting
Of piece Of bread and tin Of cocoa.
From Monday to Saturday pound Of
bread Is daily allowed 10 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 allowed for breakfast,
and from eight o'clock 10 nine is devoted
to labor. AT nine, the prisoners file out
down the corridors into the chapel,
where they sit on bare benches, with
the assistant matrons planted here and
there on high stools, keeping o watchful
eye over the silent congregation. Pray
ers are over in time for all 10 be back in
their cells at half-past nine, when there
comes another hours work at knitting
or the making Of articles Of clothing.
At half-past ten the straw bonnets,
guiltless Of ribbon, are donned, the ugly
yellow cloaks are put on, and all, being
first marshaled and counted in the corri-
dors, march into the yard for exercise"
{" Exercise means marching round and
round the yard in single file, whilst the
warders look on, Nobody speaks word
or looksto the right hand or the left,
but for sixty minutes all plod round and
round, silent, sad and sullen company.
This performance over, the prisoners re-
turn TO their cells and get to work again,
sewing or knitting, till one o'clock.
AT one o'clock they dine, the rations
being carried up TO the wards by relays
OF the prisoners themselves. The allow
ance is served out TO each in her cell by
the assistant matrons. On Mondays and
Wednesdays the prisoners dine Of NUT
ton, Of which each gets three ounces,
with few spoonfuls Of gravy, the char.
acter Of which may be inferred from the
fact that il is "fiayored with one.half
ounce Of onions, and thickened with
one-eighth ounce. Of flour, and with
bread left from the previous day. In
addition, each prisoner has three.quar-
ters Of o pound Of potatoes. On Tues
day the fare Is bread, and . pint Of soup,
containing eight ounces OF shins Object,
one ounce Of pearl barley, three ounces
of fresh vegetables, md three-quarters
Of o pound Of potatoes. On Thursday
the dinner consists Of three-quarters Of q
pound Of potatoes, and an equal guam
hty Of guet pudding, containing one
ounce and two pennyweights Of suet, SIX
ounces Of flour, and four ounces and
fourteen pennyweights Of water. On
Friday and Saturday the fare Is beef md
potatoes, three ounces Of the former to
three.quarters Of o pound Of the latter,
which is rendered further appehzing
by the addition Of gravy made in the
same generous fashion as that Of Mon.
day. On Sunday comes divine service,
and bread and cheese again, and then
the mutton, the soup, the suet pudding,
and the beef in due and unalterable
order. Attwo o'clock on the afternoon
Of week days work recommences, and Is
continued till half-past FIVE, when "sup.
per" is indulged 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 SIX more work, which Is car
ried on till eight o'clock, when three.
quarters Of On hours leisure time is al.
lowed for reading. Ata quarter 10 nine
bed.making begins, and bynine alllights
are out and darkness reigns throughout
the always silent cells. These hours are
the same in winter with the exception
TINT the prisoners rise half-an-hour later
and go to bed half;an-hour earlier.