The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-09-14
CRUEL PUNISHMENT.
SCENES IN CHARLES ReADE'S NOVEL
WERE STRICTLY TRUE.

What reader of Charles Reade'sever pop
ular novel. ITS Never Too Late TO Mend"
has not been touched by the intensely thrill
ing stories of prison life contained in it and
felt deep sympathy with the poor sufferers
whose terrible experiences are so wildly |
toldY No one we would assert. The story
reads like highly colored fiction, yet ev-
cry word Ct it is absolutely true.
Very few people may be aware that this !
celebrated book was founded on the cruel |
ties practiced in the Birmingham jail in |
the years 1852 and 1863. Ir ICED, the orig !
inal of the character of Evans, the human
itarian, still lives :,ud in fact is even now
in the service oil the prison authorities. He
is Mr. William Brown, the chief warden of
Winson Green Jail, Birmingham, aud
many times ne has been offered a large re
Enumeration to appear on the stage to play
the part of himself in an adaptation of
Reade's brilliant novel
His story is indeed a sensational one and
forms wonderful chapter Of prison life in
the fifties, and also contrasts in q striking
manner the treatment Of prisoners now
adopted.
In 1852 Lieutenant Austin was appointed
governor of Winson Green prison. He had
formerly been I'M the.navy, and in that serv-
ice had forced himself to the conclusion
that discipline was everything. He took
delight in severe punishment and consid-
cred that a breach of prison discipline was
crime almost greater than that for which
a prisoner entered a Jail. lie pinned his
faith to constant threats of punishment
and an almost perpetual use of those bar
barous tortures, the collar, strait jacket,
dark cells and crank labor,
1t was in 1858 that the public first had
hni, icig urp1tgal that gI1altias pf "a
gross character were being practiced in the
Birmingham Jail. In that year a 15-year-
old boy committed suicide in order to es-
cape tortuous punishment The facts that
came out at the inquest highly incensed
the inhabitants.
1t was proved beyond doubt that strait
Jackets were constantly used as punish
ment for the smallest offense, such as the
inability of prisoner to fulfill the amount
of crank labor set him, or for talking to
another prisoner, or for using bad language
These jackets were provided with per
fectly rigid collars Is inches long, 81 inches
deep and one-quarter inch thick. The pris-
oner was first muffled in the jacket, with
his arms tied together on his breast and
then strapped so tightly at the back that
it was impossible oiuscrt a finger between
the strap and the flesh The leather collar
was then fastened on in such manner that
1t cut the chin and neck and prevented any
movement of the head. Then the prisoner
was fastened up to the wall Of his cell in a
standing position. This punishment was
terribly painful, and yet it frequently last
ed for hours and on occasions boys OF II
were kept in such positions from o O'Clock
in the morning until 10 at night.
Very often they tainted and were then
brought round by liberal application OF
water, which was thrown on them from
buckets.
The prisoners in this position were fed 10y
a warden, who broke up the bread and
placed it in the prisoners mouth. Some
times, however, the collar was so tight that
a prisoner could not swallow bread or water
Among the labor boys had to perform
was the turning of crank handle with &
10 pound pressure upon it for 10000 revo
buttons between sunrise and night. s.
many revolutions had to be made before
breakfast, so many before dinner so man,
before supper. If the required number wa
not completed before breakfast, no break
fast; if not completed before dinner, NJ
dinner; if not before supper, no supper, 81
that weakly man or boy would go
whole day without food, and would thinl
himself lucky if at 10 O'Clock at night h,
got eight ounces of brown bread and pin
of water.
During the whole of the time these abom
Unable cruelties were being practiced, tn
chaplain and Mr.. Brown We're doing thei
utmost to relax the terrible prison disci
pline adopted by the harsh governor The
worked together with "A will, and many
many times have prisoners fallen on thei
knees in thankfulness for timely succo
which had been rendered them
AT length, at the demand of the inhab
tants of Birmingham, a royal commissio
of inquiry was held to inquire into the trut
of the allegations. The whole of them wer
found to be true.
One particularly pitiable case was tina
of a boy named Edward Andrews abou
whom, in the name of Josephus, Read
gives true and heartrending account. Nh
Brown has vived recollection of this poo
boy He was sent to Jail for three month
for stealing four pounds of beef. He wa
very weak, but was Notwithstanding pu
TO the crank.
One day the chaplain, Mr. Sherwin, wa
attracted to the boys cell by cries of "Mul
der!" He found the boy crying piteously
and he said he was being starved. He wa
In the straitjacket at the time, and tn
chaplain tried to insert one of his finger
between the collar and the boys neck bu
failed. Mr.. Brown happened to be pass
Ing AT tle llllle, ana ne SltNhentu tneStfal
on his own responsibility and greatly +,
lieved the little sufferer
Several times after this the boy was pun
ished by order of Austin, and on many o,
casions buckets of water We're thrown oyt
him. Once Brown found the boy strappe
to the wall, and on being released he fe
to the ground insensible. On April % b
put an end to his suiferings by committin
suicide in his cell
Austin was afterward tried az Warwic
assizes for his diabolicall i'll Treatment an
was sent to Jail for three months.
He is now, like the majority of the actol
in this dreadful drama, dead, h.J Nj
Brown still Otlciates as the chief lard,
in the prison and takes a most kindly il
terest in any prisoners who are DESTROYS
reforming themselves.-London Iit-l3its.
Speed of Homing Pigeons.
Thirty or thirty-five miles an hour is
fair average in good weather for pigeo
The greater the distance, the smaller Il
probability Of the prompt return of Il
bird. At "A distance Of, say, 100 miles, a
most all birds return safely il the wealth.
is favorable, but at distances Of 400 or 81
miles it is impossible to reckon confident
on the birds return. 1t appears curiou
but it is a well established fact that as tn
bird nears its home its speed is accelerated
Philadelphia Press
Daily Work OF a Young Mother.
Mr. Alexander Graham Bell calculate