Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-05-11
PARALYzED SCOUNDRELIsM.


Paralysis 30 Escape PunisnmenI.
London telegraph
cit is a dreadful thing to pass
sentence upon man in such a
state !" said the judge at the Wilt
shire Assizes on Friday last. His
lordship seemed moved almost to
distress at the pitiable object, who,
with an injured spine, was brought
into court lying helplessly on a
stretcher, and who could only fee
bly, plead equity" to the charge
alleged against him. "The inflic-
tion you are suffering" said the
Judge, surpasses any punishment
| can give you % Had Neale been
in ordinary health he would un-
doubtedly have had penal seryitude,
for it was not his first act of felony;
but who could find the heart to
carry out the extreme rigor Of the
law in the case Of a poor soul who
would, to all appearance, never
again be able to rise from the pallet
on which he lay, writhing in all the
agony of an injured spine. So
much did his lordship feel this that,
having first sentenced him to eigh-
teen months, his conscience seemed
to have smitten him, and he re-
duced it to twelve. 1t appears
that in October last Neale was ap-
pretended for stealing a mare, the
property Of 44Glf,. 44Glf, John Smith, of
Luckington, and was lodged in
Malmesbury lookup, previous to
his transmission 10 Devices.
On the following morning, when
the police visited his cell, they
found him lying on the floor un-
able to move. His statement was
that he had got up to look out of
the window, when he fell backward
ACROSS the corner of the bedstead,
and injured his spine. Medical
advice was obtained, and his sad
condition at once appreciated. In
fact, he appeared to be almost ire.
trievably injured, and to be suffer-
ing the greatest agony-and to re.
move man q distance of twenty
miles under such circumstances
would have been the hight Of cru.
city. He accordingly remained at
Malmesbury for nine weeks, during
which time everything which hu-
mainly could suggest to mitigate
his 81, l,tferings was resorted to. A
person was kept in constant atten-
dance upon him, all kinds of nutri-
tious things were ordered for him,
such as roast fowl, grog, etc, and
his comfort was studied with the
utmost sollcitude. At the end Of
nine weeks it was thought that he
might bear the journey to Devices,
and in January last a conveyance
was obtained belonging to Mr..
Walter Powell, M. P), long enough
to hold bed, and, with great care
and no little anxiety, he was brought
10 the county jail, and was at once
carried to the infrmary. Two men
we've specially detailed to attend to
his necessities and minister to his
comfort, for the medical officer
and another doctor he brought with
him to see "the case" were (like
the medical gentlenan at Malmes-
bury) both Of opinieu that the poor
fellows spine was seriously If not
permanently injured.
In this melancholy state he was
brought before the Judge on Frid-
day last, and a general murmur of
pity, amounting almost to a shud-
der, ran through the court as those
present beheld the pallet with the
injured man lying helplessly upon
ii. A breathless silence prevailed as
the poor fellow was sentenced to
twelve months imprisonment, and
the pallet, with its occupant, was
carried back to the prison. And
now comes the sequel. To prove a
former conviction the deputy gov
ernor of Gloucester Jail had been
summoned to Devices, and, OIL 60
ing over to the Jail, close inspec-
ton enabled him to recognize in
Neale an old "inyalid " with whom
he had to deal. "Holloa," (" said the
deputy governor, as he scanned the
countenance of the cripple. "Hol-
loa! what, at your old game? That
fellow" said he, is an impostor
There is no more the matter with
his spine than there is with mine. "
Impossible, it was thought. The
deputy governor must be deceived.
However, DR.. Clapham, the medi-
cal officer, thought it worth while
to communicate with the surgeon
of Gloucester Jail, and the reply he
1 received so entirely confirmed the
deputy governors statement that
he determined to test the point in
such a way as should put it beyond
doubt that Neale was really the
great sufferer he appeared to be or