News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-10-12

labors,
Reposlng in peace in TIE bosom of God!
AN ENGLISH PRISON STORY.
CHARLES READE AND his PRACTICAL
PHILANTHROPY.
From the Gentleman's Magazinel
As Mr.. Reade has made a great stir
about what he calls the dark places OF
tie land. it may interest his admirers to
learn that no appeal, either on behalf
OF, or direct from, q prisoner whose
treatment in prison has been contrary
TO what the law demands, has ever been
made to him in vain. Space will not
allow me to attempt the details of the
many cases he has Investigated, nor the
large number of persons he has relieved;
but will give brief description of the
last case of official tyranny that came
under his notice, aud what he did for
the poor victim. A man, whose name
I am not at liberty to'pubIish, for rea-
EDEs s8dL VIII we'll uAOCAStOSN, "ee'
di. charged short time ago from one Of
her Maiesty's prisons. He had been
incarcerated for nine months. His
offense was embezzlement of small
sum of money. He had held a first-rate
position, and one day lie was tempted
to pay pressing creditor with some OF
lis employers money. As is frequently
the case, he intended to refund the cash
a. the earliest opportunity; but, Ike
many more who have stifed the voice
of conscience with the same delusive
hope, he never succeeded in putting
back the amount distracted.
For two years he managed to keep
the deficiency from the notice of his
employers. at length, when conceal
ment was no longer possible, he alb
seconded, and began life afresh in an
other name. He was steady man, and
attended to his business therefore he
rapidly advanced in his new vocation.
One day, when the mistake he had
made six years previously was far from
his thoughts, he wGs wanted" A de-
taciive had heard Of bis whereabouts,
and ferreted him out. He was taken to
the town where the cffense was COM
miAted, and, although the prosecutors
pleaded for him, he was sentenced to
-nine montfs. -irnprisoumeut- with hard
labor.
The punishment itself was, no doubt,
horrible enough to man who had led
an active life, and it is hard to conceive
how any person with a cultivated mind
can exist in vile servitude but it is,
nevertheless, fact that many do sur
vive their degradation. This man had
some one to live for, and he made up
his mind TO DO his best, even in
prison. He succeeded in gaining the
esteem OF the governor and the warders.
There were, however, in the prison
where he was confined two tyrants who
we're iLtrusted with the greatest share
of power-the doctor and the chaplain.
The former was a brutal bully the lat
ter, wretch who practiced tyranny as
a fine art under the cloak of religion.
The chaplain preached abusive sermons
told his unhappy hearers they were
"the scum of the eartb,' and il they
wanted spiritual consolation he invari-
ably advised them not to humbug"
him, or they would be marked men
For bread ne gave them a stone.
The doctor, whose power was abso-
Lutte, neglected sick prisoners until they
reached the threshold of death. When
il was too late he sent them TO the in
Urinary, prescribed for them, and told
them they could have whatever they
fancied. Men who applied for medi-
cine were told that they we're shammipg.
II was not until the wretched invalids
fell off the treadmill or were found lying
unconscious on the stone flags of their
cells by the warders, that this brute
would admit they were i'll and even
then he used to say, "There's not
much the matter with you" or You're
trying it on sgain." The man whose
case came under Mr.. Reade's notice
stuck to his work, and made no COM
plants for eight months. Just four
weeks before the expiration of his SEN
tence he fell sick. The doctor was sent
for, and the bully made The usual re-
mark, "You're shamming." A second
time the surgeon was called, with the
same result. TIE chief Rarder was rot
so hard as the man of science; he gave
the poor fellow an extra blanket, and
tried to cheer him up a bit. A day or
two later the man could hardly crawl
out of his cell, and the warder told the
surgeon that he must do something for
him; he couldn't eat his food, and no
one except the doctor had the power to
alter the diet.
At last an order for the infrm airy was
obtained, and the change from a damp
stone-paved cell to warm room with a
wooden floor soon improved his con-
dition. But before he had properly re-
covered, the doctor told him that there
was nothing at all the matter with him,
and ordered him to be taken back to his
cell. The next day the man had to be
led from the exercise yard to his
wretched habitation by wsrder. He
was seriously ill, and the chief officer
sent for the surgeon, although the sick |
man begged him not to trouble the
bully. When the cruel doctor arrived, I
he abused his victim for about ten
minutes, and threatened to send him to /
the treadmill if he dared TO complain
again. The prisoner made a desperate
effort to bear up for the rest of his time.
He succeeded; bnt when q WIS dis
charged, he was only shadow OF bis
former self. The clothes sent for him
hung about bis body like bags. The
strain at the last was too much for him.
He managed TO reach home, perfect
wreck. A dangerous illuess ensued,
and for long time his life hung by
thread. When he was able to read,
friend lent him a copy OF "Never too