The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-05-23
PARALYzED sCOUNDRELIsM.
How an English Criminal Feigned Paralysis TO
Escape Punishment.

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Escape Punishment.
ut is a dreadful thing to pass sentence upon q
man in such a state !" said the Judge at the Wilt
shire Assizes on Friday last His LOrdshiD seemed
moved almost to distress at the pitiable object
brought into court lying helplessly on stretcher
and who could only feebly plead guilty" TO the
charge alleged against him. THE iuhicIiOn you
are suffering under" said the Judge, 'Surpasses
any punishment l can give your Had Neale
been in ordinary health he would undoubtedly
haYe had penal servitude for 1t was not his first
act of felony but who could hnd the heart to
carry out the extreme rigor of the lawin the case
of poor soul who would, to all appearance neV.
er 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 10 eighteen months,
his conscience seemed to have smitten him, and
he reduced it tu twelve. 1t appears that in 0cto.
Der last Neale was apprehended for stealing a
mare, the property OF Mr.. John Smith, of Lock
ington, and was lodged in Malmesbury Lookup,
previous to his transmission to Devices, On the
following morning. when the police visited his
cell, they found him lying on the floor unable 10
move. His statement was that he had got up to
look out of the window, when he fell backward
across the corner of the bedsteai, and injured his
spine. Medical advice was obtained, aud his sad
condition at once appreciated. In fact, he ap-
peared to be almost rreuievaqly injured, a d 10
be suffering the greatest sgony-and TO remove a
man distance of twenty miles under such cir
Gun stances would have been the height of cruel
~. He accordingly renamed at Mamesbury for
niue weeks, during which time everything which
IN mi a
was resorted to- person WAS kept in constant
attendance upoI him; all kinds of nutritious
things were ordered tor him. such as roast fowl,
grog, &C., and his comfort was studied with the
u, most solicitude. At the end of nine weeks it
was thought that he might bear the journey to
Devices, and in January last 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 10 the mfr
mary. Two men were specially detailed to al
tend to his necessities and minister to his com
fort; for the medical officer and another doctor
he brought with him to see "t the case, were Qike
the medical gentleman at Malesbury) both of the
opinion that the poor fellows spine was seriously
il not permanently injured. In this melancholy
state he was brought before the Judge on Friday
last, and general murmur of pity, amounting
almost TO a shudder, ran through the court as
those present beheld the pallet with the injured
man lyiIg pleSsly upon it. A breathlebssilence
prevailed as the poor fellow was sentenced to II
months Imprisonment, and the pallet, with its
occupant, was carried back to prison. And now
comes the sequel. To prove former conviction
the Deputy Governor of Gloucester jail had been
summoned to Devices, and, on going over TO the
all close inspection enabled him TO recognize
in Neale an old invalid" with whom he former
ly had to deal. "Holloa," said the Deputy Gov
ernor, as he scanned counLenance Of the cripple,
"Holloa what, at your old gamer THAT fel
low" said he" Is an tmpOster. There is no more
the matter with bis spine than there IS with
mine" Impossible, 1t was thought. The Deputy
Governor must be deceived However, DR.. Clap
ham,, the medical officer, thought II worth while
to communicate with the surgeon of Gloucester
JAIL and the reply he received so entirely con-
filmed the Deputy Governors statement that ne
determined TO test the point in such way
ss should put II beyond doubt that Neale was re.
ally the great sufferer he appeared TO be or an ar
rant knave Taking with him DR.. Carless and
Mr.. Waylen, he went to the prison on Sunday
last, and, having put the man through severe
examination, the previously formed opinion of
the doctors began to Waver. Still the man pro
tested that his sufferings and his injuries were
real, and he seemed totally unable to move. To
put the matt To further test galysnic battery
was introduced and the shocks were turned
on pretty strong. All, however, failed to produce
the expected result. The man was no more able
to move during and after the shocks" Than he
was before. so the doctors left. The morrow
came, and as 1t came, so it found Neale lying in
the same position as he had lain for the six pre-
vious months-if possible, in greater pain than
ever. Regardless however, Of all demonstrations
Of suffering the electric machine was again set TO
work, and SO sharp was the effect that the
leg which appeared most affected by the spinal
injury began to move, until at last unable
to stand the shocks any longer, the fellow
jumped out of bed, and in a few minutes
afterwards walked across the courtyard TO obtain
his prison Clothes as 1.-the and agile on his pins
az any man in the prison walls. A clever sc0un.
dfel Electricity has produced many wonderful
results, but none more wonderful than It's effect
upon Charles Neale. It is TOO late TO give him the
desert (of penal servitude) which would inevita-
bly, have awaited him but for his "pitiable con-
ditiOn."