The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-01-09
The Tichborne Claimant in Prison.

The "Claimant' had left Dartmoor for
Portsmouth before my arrival at the former
place. heard a good deal about him, of
course. He seems TO have given an ibfinity
of trouble. His application to address the
Home Secretary, and to have interviews
with directors governor, doctor, and priest,
were ncessant. He got admitted to the
church choir for reasons-he obtained a
more comfortable seat, and he was excused
labor on Saturday mornings that he might
attend practice The organist assured me
that he had no notion of singing, and that
the noise he made was something between
the chirp of a crow and the croak of raven.
1t was generally admitted by the more in.
teligent prisoners who came in contact
with hm that his habits and manners were
vulgar. He was doing his best, by the aid
of French school books furnished him by
the priest, to master the French language
and he made all sorts of promises TO pris-
oner who was in the next cell to him, and
could speak French, if he would aid him,
but this man told me that he was very stu
pid at it, and that his progress was very
| slow. When the Claimant first went to Dart
moor,Le seems to have had good friend
in the gentleman who was at that time gov
ernor of the prison. He was extremely
troublesome, constantly breaking prison
rules, and constantly being reported for do
ing so but so long as the Major remained
in command he was never punished, and
Iuuh ha x,ic frot, fri Ilr
Kenealy and others, the visit took place
contrary to regulations, in the Governors
office, and extra time was allowed him. The
advent of Captain Harris as Governor, was
misfortune for Castro, or Orton, or who.
ever he may be | may here take the oppor-
tunity of doing an act of simple justice to
Captain Harris. am quite sure that if the
son or brother of the Secretary ofState were
prisoner under his control, he would be
treated with precisely the same indulgence
| as every other prisoner and no more. The
Claimant when next he ereceived visit did so
behind the bars, aud within the time speci-
| fed by the rules.
When reported for insolence he was senten-
ced to two days bread and water, and he got
second punishment for the same offence and
some others. BY the doctors orders he had
eight ounces of potatoes, and on meat and
soup days he had increased rations. pre-
sume his friend Mr.. Whalley worried the
| Home Secretary into having him transferred
to Portsmouth, where i am told, he is fetch
ing toerably easy "bagging." Perhaps
the air there is not bracing, but at Dartmoor
| his appetite was enormous. | know men
employed in the tailor's shop who did
not eat all their food, and who did
not need all their food, and who gave
him some constantly; and orderlies who
carried round the bread were in the habit of
yielding to entreaties to shy him loaf, if
good screw" happened to be on duty. By
the way, good screw" amongst the pris-
oners, means a man who does not do his
duty. | know little Irishman who told
me that one day he was able to give the
Claimax Coz loaves, and that he came very
near getting three days as a reward for his
good nature. The big man who was very
unpopular with some of his neighbors, who
say that he was a bad sleeper, and used to
puff and blow and grunt and groan all
through the small hours. He was unpop-
ular with the warders, because it was with
the greatest difficulty he could be got to
scrub his cell, or keep his furniture clean.
But | won't say any more about the fellow
| should think the world has had emo ugh
of him, in all conscience