Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-06-25
Inside a British Convict Prison.

ing at Milbank, SO Twas already awake
when the great bell Changed a quarter
past five; and l found the morning
routine pretty much the same; the
same rattling of innumerable locks
and banging of iron doors; the same
sharp orders in sharp tones, and the
same dreary, sombre look OF all tho
surroundings; the same half-cold feed
II cannot call it breakfast; the same
stereotyped. cold, chapel service.
Then the parade, and then (new to
me) the marching out to work. The
morning was raw and cold, and the
placed we worked on exposed to the
cold sea-breeze. Twas placed with a
gang who were dwelling a piece OF
ground; and my part OF the work was
to wheel the barrows full OF clay from
one spot to another.
At first did not mind this much;
but soon the unaccustomed strain
began to tell on my arms and back,
and before night fell / was ready to
drop with fatigue. This barrow-work
l found was detested almost more
than any sort OF labor, and various
expedients are made use of by the
prisoners to get out of it, sickness,
feigned and induced being the COM
monest. Indeed, almost every day,
some one or another Of the prisoners
desired to be brought before the med
zeal officer with faiened illness. Ii they
do not succeed in deceiving the doctor,
they are sent out and punished.
Inducing illness is also very COM
mon amongst a low class OF prisoners
especially the London pickpockets;
insuring their admission to the inhrm-
AIRY, they find to be by making sores on
their legs. TO do this they scrape
their shins with bit OF slate or brok-
EN- bottle, and to the abrasion thus
formed they apply a paste, which is
composed of lime, soap and soda, all
these articles they can easily obtain
AS the result OF such malpractices, ]
have seen sores OF the most serious
nature, entailing confinement to be1
for several months. OF course, ii
found out in these misdemeanOrS, they
are punished; but they are very cum
ming and always pretend that they
are the result ofaccident. Often, too,
they take advantage OF Il real accident,
such as BRICK or stone scraping the
leg; and on this wound, which is seen
to be accidental, they carry out their
designs.
During the first week of my work,
thought each day that I should be
really sick and I should have to giva
in. How envied some OF my fellow
prisoners, to whose hard hands and
brawny arms the work that was al
most killing ME seemed like play. |
thought then, and think now, that
it is not fair to put q gentleman to do
the same work as a laborer, their
crimes being equal; for the crimes be.
ing equal, the punishment should b.
equal-and that cannot be the case
where q man, who has perhaps never
carried q heavier weight than a gun all
his life, is put at the same la Dor as Il man
who has been accustomed to it from
boyhood. My previous healthy life,
and well-nourished and good consti-
tuition, however, stood the trial; in a
short time, as my muscles grew hard
and accustomed to the work, began
to find it not so fatiguing, and before
twelve months elapsed was as good
q workman as any navy.
During all this time I had not one
report against me for idieness; but an
officer, who, fancy, never liked me,
reported me for having q penny in my
possession. I picked up this unfortu.
nate penny whilst at work, and with.
out caring for, or thinking about it, l
put it in my pocket. For this crime !
was only admonished, but was told u
repetition of the offence would be toll
lowed by bread and water and close
confinement. This little incident
awoke to bitterness my half-resigned
feelings. I felt what a mere automa-
ton I was; never to move without
being told; speech and action no long.
err my own-it was horrible The
eternal presence OF a keeper fretted me
also, beyond anything. If had to
proceed from one part OF the prison
to the other, although surrounded by
high walls, could not stir astep with
out a warder close to me.-London