Mountain Home bulletin. (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1888-1889, 1888-09-08
A FAMOUS OLD PRISON.
cRAWFORo'S PEN PICTURES OF THE
INTERIOR OF NEWGATe.
ngiand's Once Noted Prison Now Merely
House Of e,ention - ventilatioa.
Light and Dryness-Cells, Chapel, Exc.
cntion Shed and Whipping Post.

Light and Dryness-Cells, Chapel, Exc.
cntion 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 800 years. The present prison, was built
toward the close of the last century. but II In
upon the site of the original prison whers n
Newgate has stood since 1870 Newgate has
held in its long history every kind Of victim
OF The law. 1t is at the end Of the Old Bailey,
very near Smithtield, where the martyrs TO
tanaticism 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
oy exposure to the sooty atmosphere Of Lon
don There are but few windows in the out
side walls The main buildings of the prison
aye IN an interior court not visible to the
public. The principal entrance il most for
bidding. The lower half Of the door il q
locked and harrel square OF wood surmoupted
by sharp iron spikes Just above this is a
network Of iron. Over tho door hung chains
and balls, symbols of the old Newgate.
There is u blackened board ut the right of
this door upon which il now placed the offl-
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 barharous law within
these blackcned walls. Today Newgate l.
used as a prison Of detention for criminals
who are to be tried at the Old Bailey II
they are sentenced to death they are kept at
Newgate and executed there. II they are
sentenced to penal servitude they are trans
ferred elsewhere
The other day, through permission from
the home secretary, visited Nowgnte II was
| turned over to one Of the chief warters a
man who has been in Newgate for thirty
years, and who has assisted ut thirty five ex-
ecutions. He was tall broad shouldered.
with regular features and n full, long brown
beard and flowing mustache He looked AZ
,,ignitied as a colonel in tho Horse Guards.
lie spoke good English, without the slightest
'Dckncy accent, and did not drop one Of his
as which il more than can be said for the
attendants at Windsor castle.
Common report describes Newgate rs
damp, unwholesome and badly lighted. This
IL incorrect 1t is model prison SO far ~
ventilation, light and drynass are concerned.
Tho cells are large and high. They are
heated by hot water pipes, and are as 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
" submit to ordinary punishments are given
twenty-four hours in tue dark cell, with
diet of bread and water The warder showed
me one OF these dark cells, and kindly closed
INC in it for u moment to give me an idea of
his kind Of punishment. The cell was SO
closed out from the light that could not SEQ
my hand directly in front Of my eyes The
yar'ler said that this form Of punishment
WIS 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 Newgatc
punishment no prisoner however bad, had
ever placed himself in u 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 plank bed, upon
which a light mattress is laid There arc
two or three religious inscriptions upon the
wall. table, a stool for the prisoner, and
two for the warders, who are always with
him day and night from the time he Is COL
dcmned, compose the furniture Execution
follows u sentence very swiftly in England
The utmost period Of delay does not 20 be-
yond month, and often execution takes
place within ten days after q sentence There
ts no appeal to any one except the home sec-
retary Ho alone has the power to stay tho
execution or to commute a sentence. 1t is
very rarc that he interfares The odds are
ninety nine to ono that man sentenced to
leath in England will be executed.
From the II | walked with the wartler to
tho chapel of tho prison upon the first floor.
This Is n handsome, old fashioned chamber,
high, well lighted, and finished in dark
woods In the center is a lofty pulpit. Upon
the left of this is a gallery box for visiting
justices. Around the room upon the right
and lett 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 womon
Gun see only the preacher, and not ono Of the
prisoners. At the right Of the pulpit is lit
tie black chair, the seat OF honor In the
chapel. Tbs is reserved exclusively for
prisoners under sentence OF death. Formerly
there was pew tor this class.
After leaving the chapel l walked with the
warder around to the place Of execution.
The prisoner marches from his cell through
the prison wing into a narrow court and
around this court, not one moments walk,
to wooden shed made Of unpainted pine,
which is built in corner Of the court against
the prison walls. This shed has a cement
floor with a wooden trap in the centre Over
that is simple beam across, from which
hangs rope The only furniture in the
place is connected with the trap, which il
worked 10y a black iron lever. There is q
commission now experimenting In Newgate
az to the best methods Of hanging, SO as to
secure a breaking OF the neck when the trap
drops. In one Of the large rooEis locking on
TO the court where the execution shed Ia there
Is kept the whipping post. Under the Eng
lish law any attempt to rob q person accom-
panied by personal violence constitutes the
technical offence Of '.garroting.a This II
punished by from twenty Ave to fifty lashes.
The men under sentence for garroting are
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 are completely cut to pieces. The
warder said that there was no object In Civ
ing more than twenty-five lashes. After
twenty-five lashes the men were numb and
felt no.more pain. He said that 1t was Q
most effectual form of punishment, aid
reached class OF street riffians who card
nothing for imprisonment. London swan cu
with this class Of criminals, who are nt,w
pretty thoroughly restrained by the whipping
post. There is no form OF punishment q
much dreaded by these men a the laah