The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1893-02-09
Years In British Jails.

The Lowell (MaSS.) Star prints the
following story of Thomas Callan's ex-
periences in England at the time he was
being shadowed by detectives and final
ly arrested, obtained by reporter who
met him at quarantine, New York, on
his arrival on the Fuerst Bismarck:
81 was in London, where l had gone
during lull in the Lowell hosiery,
where had been employed, when my
money gave out, and wrote home to
Pat Brady, then living at the corner of
Broadway and Willie streets. He sent
me ticket to America, and a friend in
Philadelphia sent me some money. AS
| was with COWan, the supposed dyna
miter, when he died in London of con-
sumption. wrote to man who was
friend of COwan in America the partic
ularS of his death. 1t seems that my
letters were opened by the British Off
cials, and when COwan'S friend sent
some money the number of the drafts,
were seen by some English spy, and he
sent word to England. When the notes
got over to me | was in bad way. AIS
most barefoot, with hardly shirt to
my back. and without any immediate
hope of getting back home to close my
vacation. was my standing when the
money reached me.
Il went to bank and passed over
the. notes, and asked the man to cash
them. He looked at the notes and then
went out to back office. He told me
to sit down and wait did so. as I was
not expecting any trouble except that
they might want to know how | came
by the drafts. Soon the chap returned
and asked me if | would have the money
in gold or silver. took gold and left
the bank. well pleased at my prospects
of decent fare and quick trip back to
America, the land | often bitterly re-
gretted leaving at my time of life |
walked down Queen street, went into
shoe shop and bought pair of shoes.
There was detective at my heels
when | went into the shop. but | didn't
know of it. After getting the shoes |
passed down the street to tobacco shop,
and was looking at the pipes to see
which would fit the mouth and match
the complexion of friend in America.
While | was looking in the window
there came two detectives, one on each
side of me, and one slapped me on the
shoulder and said in low voice: Il
want you; 60 quietly and don't make
us use force All right, says l, and
away we marched as smart as you
please.
From that mOment-tive years it
will be next mOnth-until week ago
last Sunday l was a prisoner. They
took me to station house in Old Jury
lane and stripped me naked. My cloth
ing was searched and l was locked up
1t was about nine weeks before was
brought to trial. They arrested Harkins
a month before they did me. After my
arrest wrote to Minister Phelps, claim
ing his protection as an American citi-
zen. He sent me word right away that
there was no appropriation to protect
such prisoners as / was. What could /
do? The jail men said that the money
that had been collected by me at the
bank had been returned to the man that
sent it. All l could do was to settle
down and take the most comfort l
could out of pretty tough scrape.
When the sentence of Is years was CIV
en- to me it hurt pretty hard. knew
how much mercy was shown to dyna-
miterS that were placed in the tender
mercies of British jailers. Better men
than me had gone to their deaths when
they went to prison under the cOndi-
tiOns that were hanging over me.
II was kept in WOrmwOOd Scrubs