The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1888-06-16
A FAMOUS OLD PRISON,
cRAWFoRD's PEN PICTURES OF THE
INTERIOR OF NEWGATE.
Engiand's Once Noted Prison Now Merely
House OF Detention Ventilation.
Light and Dryness-CeEs, Chapel, Exc.
cution Shed and Whipping Post.


House of Detention - Ventilation,
Light and Dryness-Cel!s, Chapel, Exe-
cution Shed and Whipping Post.
Newgate is the most notorious prison in
England Its history is connected with the
story OF the crimes of this kingdom for the
last SUI years. The present prison. was built
toward the close of the last century, but it is
upon the site of the original prison where a
Newgate has stood since 1910. Newratc has
held in its long history every kind OF victim
OF the law. 1t is at the end of the Old Bailey.
very near Srnithtield where the MARTYRS to
fanaticisin were publicly burned.
The exterior of Newgate resembles an old
fashioned fortress. Its 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 a
locked and barred square of wood sur,noun,cd
by sharp iron spikes. just above this is a
network OF IRON Over the door hung chains
and balls, symbols of the old Newcatc,
There is backened board ut the right of
this door upon which is how placed the ofii-
ciai record of an execution when it takes
place within this prison.
NewSate has been the scene of every form
OF execution, The breaking Oh 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 blackcned walls. Today Ncwgate is
used as Il prison of detention lor criminals
who are to be tried at the Old Bailey If
they are sentenced 10 death they are kept at
Newgate and executed there If they are
sentenced to penal servitu,le thev are trans
ferred elsewhere.
The other day, through permission from
the home secretary, visited Newgate il was
turned over to one Of the chief war,lers. a
man who has been in Newgate for thirty
years, and who has assisted at thirty-tiv,. ex-
ccutlonS. He was tail. broad >huuldered.
with regular features and Il full, long brown
beard and flowing mu>tache. He looked rs
digniiied AS u colonel in the Horse Guards.
he spoke good English, without the slightest
Cockney accent. and did not drop one of his
h's, which is more than can he said for the
attendants at Windsor castle,
Common report describes Ncwgatc MS
damp. unwholesomc and badly lighted This
is incorrect. 1t is u model prison So far as
The cells are large and high They are
heated by hot water pipes, and are rs COM
Portable as prison should be Prisoners in
Newgate who conduct themselves we'll are
entitled to an hours daily exercise in rh.
court yard Refractory prisoners who refls.,
To submit to ordinary punishments arc given
twenty-four hours i'll the dark cell with a
diet of bread and water, The wardcY showed
me one of these dark cells, and kindly closed
me In 1t for moment To give me an idea Of
this kind of punislment. 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 10 prisoner, however bad. had
ever placed himself in a position to receive
this punishment second time. Twenty four
hours alone in 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
the dark cells. 1t is large ROOM double the
ordinary size. 1t contains II plank bed upon
which light mattress is laid There are
two or three religious inscriptions upon tho
wall. y table, stool for the prisoner, and
two for the warders. who are always with
him day and night 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-
yond n month, and often execution takes
place within ten days after sentence There
is no appeal to any one except the home Sec
,,,l. Roo
execution or TO commute a sentence 1t is
very rare that he interferes. The odds are
ninety to one that man sentenced to
death in England will be executed
From lhe . u walked with the warder to
the chapel Of the prison upon the first floor
This is a handsome, old fashioned chamber,
high. we'll lighted, and finished in dark
woods. In the center is u 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 convicts 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 If 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 tho
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 unpainted pine,
which is built in Il corner OF the court against
the prison walls. This shed has cement
floor with a wooden trap in the centre Over
that is a simple beam across from which
hangs rope. The only furniture in the
place is connected with the trap. which is
worked 10y black iron lever. There is n
commission now experimenting in Newgate
as to the best methods of hanging. 50 a, TO
secure a breaking OF the neck when the trap
drops. In ane Of the large rooms looking on
to the court where the execution shed is there
is kept the whipping post. Under the Eng
lish law any attempt to rob n person accom-
panied by personal violence constitutes the
technical offence of ''garrotng This is
punished by from twenty-five to fifty lashes
The men under sentence for garroting are
seated upon the black box with tLeir 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 are completely cut 10 pieces. The
warter said that there was no object in Civ
ing more than twenty-five lashes. After
twenty-five lashes the men We're numb and
felt no more pain. He said that it was a
most etfectual form Of punishment, and
reached a class Of street rtlfiians who cared
nothing Tor imprisonment London swarms
with this class OF criminals. who are now
pretty thoroughly restrained by the whipping
post. There is no form Of punishment so
much dreaded by these men as the LASH
This room where the whipping post now IS
was formerly used for prisoners when they
we're kept together in numbers instead Of
being given separate cells. People i'm
prisoned for debt used 10 be KEEP, here.-T. C.
Crawford in New York World.