The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-02-28
AUSTIN BlDWELL'S STORY.
REMARKABLE EXPERIkyCE OF THE IA.
NOUS BANK OF ENGLAND sORGER


Land on Ticket or Leave Aeeo.aplsshsa ~
u,s Devoted ssister-He Tells 10 = saa
Reporter the story or Ilis J.ife h Priss~
-suaering- That Drove Sumo to Attempt
snicide and That Recruited II Death to
Many Vie Crisae for which Austin, His
Rrothcr George, and Another American
Received life Ssnteace..
Hartford. Feb 27.-Last week Austin Bid
VOL, on" of tho famous Bank OF England for
gers OF 1872. landed in New York. utter an
absence Of twenty years. He had Just been
released from Chatham prison. near London.
wlicr. he was incnrcerated IN the fall OF
1873 to serve life term or the four
clever Americans who were engaged in this
bold aud partially successful raid upon the
Bank .! England no was regarded as the ring
leader. "a he had done the personal business
WIZ the bank. Upon him. therefore. WAS WIS.,
itcd tho scvcrost punishment, that OF fmpris-
on,Grnt in Chatham. whore servitude IL made
doulsly bittor by rigorous treatment. overwork.
and physical hardship
Tho story of his life there is one not to be
matched in tho prison history OF this country.
Last Septombor he was released on ticket OF
leuve. This was accomplished through the
unremk!ing efforts Of his sister. NrA Mott.
aided by thor brother. George Bidwell. who
has never ceased to labor toward this end
since he was released from Dartmoor prison
In tho iall u 1887.
George Bidwcl lives with his family in n
pleasant house in this city. and II was here
that Austin Bi,lweli hnstened the moment he
landed in New York. To-day he told Sun
reporter NJ his experiences in Chatham prison.
and Of tho manner in which he obtained his
release.
Chatham prison." he said. illustrates
IN Infamous phase in tho English prison
theory. 1t is there they send the worst
= criminals OF every sort. Chatham is,
not n corrective institution. There is no at
tempt to better tho moral condition OF the
prisoners. 1t takes the place OF the infamous
chain gang Of years ago The object In send
ing u man there Is to kill him.
THO cxactions arc such that no physical
constitution can stand tho strain. The
ptiaoner is cmbruted by the fri9htful exac-
tons demanded of linn by insufficient clothes
and food. 1t isn't the object to have him die
in tho prison. lns;de he is worked just this
sido "e tho breaking limit .Ho Ia discharged
hope or chance. and with SO little Constitution
leIt that his first snreo is very apt to garry him
prison. but the mortality among those lust
discharged i something frig6tlnl; I don,t
Cha t When wen. thorS in The fall q
ha dl.S %e ssp; sfhs s0 eonys.s s f FL
cell wis exceedingly narrow. with walls u
S1sSsed s "%a IN SsPSx 1t ssa
ni rs sS n AK ' ssss g. ::ss
previous occupant and smeared inside and out
s!do with grueI There being no water in my
on. Of the officers for some water to wash the
dish. He looked ut me with great contempt
will you have it hot or coldr'
-. Gh. cold please;
,nl ne vent away but soon came back again
- You are a precious nat. Lick it off, man.
your tin ',ish Y%a Won't Ge hers re many days.
and want t., use water 10 clean your pint
we atTr wss tie he a%
ishrd wnlIish Innk--thn quaint, and almost
ds Z, out Of lhumsn blanes BY their
f"St i5S"t WIT Tho oiiissr t had SAID ysstrus;
st ina ySa ."se udSe md pr SssE syiI
each man. With .hat ' Breakfast We we wero
h"rirst k"i Of ""tda"r Iabor .' At ILL., ocoas
". had dinner This was one pound Of
OF noiIed meat Every other day a pint Of thin
tex t. t's ra"e Of n ths meat Then
ccooiph each, That had to suffice. A heurty |
t ss"s IN day Teore hs IS ss
isiSl.' Many atime suffered frdm hunger.
sand %" a eaten Sqfs srs aSi snatehsa
II was made y barrow-and- spade man in the !
brick pits. | wheeled barrow loads Of brick all |
Sas there was wash no letting un. The arst day "i
was at it some Of the men gave out and threw
to Z" on o' they We're inStantly handoafTad. It
nom! nom. when W. turned u. tha-e who g, gave up
%ats, q" and no Led. HING .ysrwoTk ana insah:
suicide or = mHtilation which would make
sscv.rs bodily toll .Imrossible: During ny
them pndor the loaded wngonsas they passed
p pS the Ss the name 9, A md sqS SreM hm
self in front Of an advancing train Of
WS IN s dde sow and had d nshs him
strength nor, courage 70 do the work demanded
naS ss to t os ss as nsa oen
WINS termed so, and had grown SO weak from
% on pun nr ph dGt that it
or He WAS taken into the infirninry and died
soo E,l nft ,oEy ,. o,u ,u,o,. . ~.
WAS plenty Of "ut-door work nevertheless:
;Eits siostsss rh tse s1s ssP
:tripss The Jacket % red s aSSs about 9 tSs
snS po Ssfs s. syHss Ss
shoulders. The stockings are blue. encirclod
with two rod stripes. Under this suit is worn
the suit is not too warm, hut In N..6ter no
thicker clothing Is provided. On going out
of doors on n brisk morning, with little In
ones stomach. tho cold air ponetrates TO the
marrow; TT, Tp work ont Of doors AL dry II to got
returning at night. chilled to the very. bone
and nat warmed by our few ounces Of brend
cold prison house. In my division. With con:
tanned ~, cells. there was only, one small
sn hn IN spaSr o.
shivcred all night long and awoke only to
drink thor pint of Cruel and go out again into
ana mortality Is very great. When men were
worked: starved. and frozen to near the break
tng point they were Transcend to lighter
work or to smother prison. SO that they could
~, discharged alive at the close Of their terms
But fow wrro little more than alive"
Austen Bidwell IL IL man OF powerful build
II" stood he strain well but attribute 1t to his
constitution. He won the regard Of his keep