Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-22
HIS est VIII AFFECTION.
what John Boyle o'EIeny Said Of His
Various Prison Cells.

Among O'Riely's MSS. is the following
fragment, written several years agO-a
curious study of prison life from the IN
side:
One meets strange characters in prison;
characters which are at once recognlzeu
"a being natural TO the place, a. are Oats
or owls 10 cave. Prison characters
like all others, are seen by different men
In different lights. For instance, a VISITOR
passing along a corridor and glancing
through the iron gates or observation;
holes Of the cells. sees only the quiet anu
70 him sullen-lOokiDg convict, with al the
crime-suggesting bumps largely developer
on his shaven head. The same man VIII
be looked upon by the officer who. mas
charge of him a. one Of the pest
most obedient, and industrious OF the
prisoners which conclusion he comes 70
by a closer acquaintance than that OF the
visitor. although his observations are stu
only Of exteriors. No man sees the true
nature Of the convict but his fellow-cop-
Wet. He looks at him wit level glance
and sees him in a common Atmosphere
However convicts deceive their prison ON
GERS and chaplains. which they do IN the
majority of cases, they never deceive their
fellows.
Twas a convict in an English prison four
years ago, and. before the impressions then
time. it may be of interest 70 recall q rev
"reminiscences. First. let me remove all
fears Of those who are thinking that where
they least expect il they have fallen
among thieves. l was not in the true
sense Of the word q criminal, although
classed with them and treated pre-
cisely the same as they were. My
offence against the law was political. /
had been a soldier in cavalry regiment
and had been convicted Of being a RepuD-
hcsn and trying 10 make other men the
same. and so, in the winterof 1867, il came
about that l occupied Cell -, III Pentagoh
5, Millbank prison, London, on the iron,
barred door of which cell hung o small
white card bearing this inscription, "Johh
Boyle GReIlly, twenty years"
Some people would think il strange that
] should still regard that cell, in which L
spent nearly q year Of solitary confinement,
with affection: but it is true. Man Is a DO
mestic animal, aud 70 a prisoner win
" twenty years on ms door, Ihe
cell is home. l look back with fond re-
gard to a great many cells ana a er i;a
many prisons IN England and Ausralla'
which are associated to my mind IN
way not 10 be wholly understood by, any
one but myself. And If ever / should 90
back to England (Which is doubtful, for
escaped from prison in Australia IN 1869,
aud so permanently ended the twenty
years., the first place l would visit would
be one of the old prisons. Remember, my
name and many n passing thought are
scratched and written on many q small
place within those cells, which l
perfectly well recollect, and it
would be great treat to 90 back
some dav and read them. And
then, during the time / was in prison, l
got acquainted with thousands Of protes57,
sional Grimm Is, old and young, who Will
he the occupants of the English jails for
the next twenty years and confess II
would be of great interest to me TO 60
back and walk the corridor with oil the
trimming responsibility Of visitor, and
stop when / saw a face ] knew Of old, ana
observe how time and yillainy had dealt
.-gAL