Wichita eagle., 1888-07-19
A FAMOUS OLD PRISON.
CRAWFCRD'S PEN PICTURES OF THE
INTERIOR OF NEWGATE.
highlands Once Noted Prison Now Merely
House of Detention - Ventilation,
Light and Dryness-Cells, Chapel, Exc
cution Shed and Whipping Post.

House of Detention - Ventilation
Light and Dryness-Ceils, Chapel, Exc
cution Shed and whipping Post.
Newgate is the most notorious prison il
England Its history is connected with tn,
story of the crimes Of this kingdom for th,
| last 500 years. The present prison, was bull
toward the close OF the last century, but it i
upon the site Of the original prison where ,
Newgate has stood since 1910. Newgate ha!
held in its long history every kind of victim
Of the law. 1t is at the end Of the Old Bailey
very near Smithfleld where the martyrs tx
| fanaticism were publicly burned.
The exterior of Newgate resembles an Ole
| fashioned fortress. It's walls are of a rough
gray stone They have become nearly black
| by exposure to the sooty atmosphere of Lon
don. There are but few windows in the out
side walls. The main buildings of the prison
are in an interior court not visible to the
public. The principal entrance is most for.
| bidding. The lower half Of the door is q
locked and barred square of wood surmounted
| by sharp iron spikes Just above this is a
network of iron. Over the door hung chains
| and balls, symbols of the old Newgate.
! There is blackened board at the right OF
I
| cial record of an execution when it takes
place within this prison
Newgate has been the scene of every form
of execution. The breaking on the wheel,
the drawing and quartering, and every kind
of old fashioned torture has been tested to
| the full extremity of barbarous law within
these blackened walls. Today Newgate is
used as prison of detention for criminals
who are to be tried at the Old Bailey. If
they are sentenced to death they are kept at
| Newgate and executed there If they are
| sentenced to penal servitude they are trans
| ferred elsewhere
| The other day, through permission from
| the home secretary, visited Newgate. Il was
turned over to one of the chief warders, a
| man who has been in Newgate for thirty
| years, and who has assisted at thirty-fve ex-
ecutions. He was tall, broad shouldered,
with regular features and full, long brown
| beard and flowing mustache. He looked as
dignified as a colonel in the Horse Guards
He spoke good English, without the slightest
Cockney accent, and did not drop one of his
his, which is more than can be said for the
| attendants at Windsor castle.
Common report describes Newgate as
damp, unwholesome and badly lighted This
is incorrect. 1t is a model prison SO far as
ventilation, light and dryness are concerned.
The cells are large and high. They are
heated by hot water pipes, and are Us COM
Portable as prison should be. Prisoners in
Newgate who conduct themselves well are
entitled to an hours daily exercise in the
court yard Refractory prisoners who refuse
to submit to ordinary punishments are given
twenty-four hours in the dark cell, with a
diet of bread and water The warder showed
me one of these dark cells, and kindly closed
me In 1t for moment to give me an idea of
this kind OF punishment. The cell was SO
closed out from the light that could not see
my hand directly in front of my eyes. The
warder said that this form OF punishment
was not at all appreciated by prisoners who
had never undergone it. He never saw a
prisoner who dreaded this punishment for the
first time, and in the history of Newgate
punishment no prisoner, however bad, had
ever placed himself in a position to receive
this punishment second time. Twenty-four
hours alone III absolute silence and darkness
breaks and COWS the most stubborn spirit,
and if continued much beyond this limit
would inevitably lead TO madness.
The cell of the condemned prisoner is near
ordinary size. 1t contains plank bed, upon
which light mattress is laid. There are
two or three religious Inscriptions upon the
wall. A table, a stool for the prisoner, and
two for the warders. who are always with
him day and ght from the time he is con-
demned, compose the furniture. Execution
follows sentence very swiftly in England.
The utmost period of delay does not go be-
@f%
place within ten days after sentence. Thers
is no appeal TO any one except the home sec
rotary. He alone has the power to stay the
execution OF To commute sentence 1t is
very rare that he interferes. The odds are
ninety nine to one that man sentenced to
death in England will be executed.
From the C II | walked with the warder to
the chapel OF the prison upon the first floor.
This is handsome. old fashioned chamber,
high, well lighted and finished in dark
woods. In the center is lofty pulpit. Upon
the left of this IS gallery box for visiting
justices Around the room upon the right
and left are cages or subdivisions behind
strong iron bars, where coDvicts used TO sit..
Those who are on trial sit in front OF these
bars. There is an upper gallery arranged
with Stats for female prisoners These great
wooden stats are so turned that the women
can see only the preacher, and not one of the
prisoners. At the right OF the pulpit is lit
tie black chair, the seat OF honor in the
chapel. This is reserved exclusively for
prisoners under sentence of death Formerly
there was pew for this class.
After leaving the chapel walked with the
warder around to the place OF execution.
The prisoner marches from his cell through
the prison wing into narrow court and
around this court, not one moments walk,
TO a wooden shed made OF implanted pine,
which is built in corner OF the court ayains.
the prison walls. This shed has cement
floor with q wooden trap IN the centre. Over
that IS a simple beam across, from which
hangs a rope. The only furniture IN the
place is connected with tie trap, which is
worked By black iron lever. There Is a
commission now experimenting In Newgate
as to the best methods OF hanging, so as TO
secure a breaking of the neck when the trap
drops In one OF the large rooms looking on
to the court where the execution shed is there
is kept the whipping post Under the Eng
hsh law any attempt % rob person accom-
panied by personal violence constitutes the
technical offence of 'garroting. This IS
punished by from twenty-five to fifty iashes.
The men under sentences for garroting ara
seated upon the black box with their legs
fastened upon what was an old pillory post
Their arms are fastened above their heads
Then the lashing is we'll laid On until their
backs ars completely cut to pieces The
wsrder said that there was 10 object IN Civ
ing Dore than twenty-five lashes After
twenty-five lashes tbs men were numb and
felt no more pain BE said that il was q
most etfectual form Of punishment and
reached class O. street rut.ians who cared