The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-05-21
o,RelIIY ON HIS PRISONS.
A Study of Prison Life From the stand.
point of the Cell.

Among OReilly's manuscripts is the
following fragment. written several
years ago and now printed in Roche's
Life of john Boyle OReilly.
One meets strange characters in
prison, characters which are at once
recognized as being as natural to the
place as are bats or owls to cave.
Prison characters, like all others. are
seen BY different men in different
lights. For instance. visitor passing
along corridor. and glancing through
the iron gates or observation holes of
the cells. sees only the quiet and. to
him, sullen looking convict, with all
the erime-suggesting bumps largely
developed on his shaven head. The
same man will be looked upon by the
officer who has charge of him as one of
the best. most obedient, and industri-
Gus of the prisoners. which conclusion
he comes TO by closer acquaintance
than that OF the visitor; although his OBJ
servations are still only of cxtcriors.
No man sees the true nature of the con-
vict but his fellow-convict. He looks
at him with level glance and sees
him in common atmosphere. How
ever convicts deceive their prison
officers and chaplains. which they do
in the majority of cases, they never de-
ceive their fellows.
Il was convict in an English prison
four years ago, and before the i'm
pressions then received are weakened
or rubbed out by time, it may be OF
interest to recall n few "reminiscences.
First. let me remove all fears of those
who are thinking that where they least
expect it they have fallen among
thieves. | was not in the true sense OF
the word a criminal. although classed
with them and treated precisely the
same as they were. My ofrense against
the law was political. | had been a
soldier in cavalry regiment. and had
been convicted of being republican
and trying 10 make other men the
same; and so. in the winter of 1867, it
came about that occupied cell 80, in
pentagon 5. Milbank prison. London,
on the iron-barred door of which cell
hung small white card bearing this
inscription john Boyle O'Reilly, 20
years.
''Some people would think it strange
th"e Sttii tudl
which | spent nearly year of solitary
continement-witha affection; but it is
true. Man is domestic animal, and
to prisoner with twenty years on
his door cell is home. | look back
with fond regard to a great many cells
and great many prisons in England
and Australia which are associated to
my mind in way not TO be wholly
understood by any one but myself.
And if ever should go back to En-
gland (Which is doubtful. for escaped
from prison in Australia in 1869, and so
permanently ended the twenty years.,
the first place | would visit would be
one of the old prisons. Remember.
my name and many passing thought
are scratched and written on many q
small place within those cells. which
perfectly well recollect and it would
be n great treat to 90 back some day
and read them. And then during the
time | was in prison, | got acquainted
with thousands of professional Grimm
ais. old and young. who will be the oc-
cupants of the English jails for the next
twenty years; and confess it would
be of great interest to me to 90
back and walk the corridor with all
the brimming responsibility of a visitor
and stop when | saw face | knew of
old and observe how time and villainy
had dealt with it."