Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-11-14
ssAsss u MEAN. l,re.



Oo.oaveeeA - Jasl.
VERY rev people may be awsrs
that the celebrated novel. ..lt,u
| Never too Late to- Mend VA
founded on the cruelsies practiced Il
the Birmingham, England. Jail in the
years 1862 and 1853 Indeed, The
original Of the character Of Evans,
che humanitarian, still lives, and, n
fact. f. now In the service Of the
prison authorities. He Is Mr.. VIII
ian Brown. the chief warder Ct the
Wilson Green jail, Birmingham, and
many times he has been offered Z
iarge remuneration to appear on the
stage to play the part Of himself in
adaptation or Reade's brilliant novel.
His story Indeed 10 . sensational
one. and forms . wonderful chapter Of
prison life In the ..fifties." and also
contrasts In = striking manner the
treatment Of prisoners now adopted.
In 1852 Lieutenant Austin vas an
pointed governor OF Wilson Green
prison He had formerly been in the
navy. and in that service had forced
htmself to the conclusion that disci-
pline was everything. He took . de.
light In severe punishment. and con.
sldercd that = breach Of prison dis
ctpltn was . crime almost greater
than that for which the prisoner
entered the Jail He pinned his
faith to constant threats Of punish
ment. and an almost perpetual use Of
those barbarous tortures, the cellar.
labor.
Among the labor boys had to per-
form was turning Of . crank handle
With q ten-pound pressure upon Il
for 10. 600 revolutions between sum
rise and night So many revolutions
had to be before breakfast. SO many
before dinner, SO many before supper.
II the required number was not COM
pleted before breakfast, NO breakfast:
If not completed before dinner NO
dinner; il not completed before sup
per no supper. so that . weakly man
or boy would go q whole day without
food. and would think himself lucky
1t at 10 o'clock he got eight ounces
Of brown bread and a pint of water.
During the whole of the time these
abnormal cruelties were being prac-
ticed the chaplain and Mr.. Brown
were doing their utmost to relax the
terrible prison discipline adopted by
the harsh governor. They worked
together with q will, and m.nv.
many times have prisoners fallen ON
their knees in thankfulness for time
~ succor which had been rendered
them.
At length, 1T the demand of the
inhabitants Of Birmingham. a royal
commission Of inquiry was held to
inquire into the truth of these
allegations The whole of them
were found to be true Several
shocking cases were made public.
and altogether the commission sat
thirteen days and sixty-iour Wit
nesses were examined.
One particularly pitiable case vss
that Of . boy named Edward An
drews. about whom. in the name of
Joeephus. Reade gives . true and
hearsrending account Mr. Brown
has vivid recollection Of this poor
boy. He was sent to Jail for threo
months for stealing four pounds Of
beef He was very weak indeed. but
was. notwithstanding, put to the
crank Very often he was unable 60
perform his task in consequence a
shear inability. and he vas ordered
oy the governoy TO be fed on bread
and water only.
One day the chaplain, Mr.. Shervin.
was attracted to the boys coll by
cries Of Murder" He found the
boy crying piteously. and he said he
Wa being starved. He vas in the
strait-jacket - the time, and the
chaplain tried to inert one Of his
fingers between the collar and the
boys neck. but failed Mr.. Brown
happened to Be passing Il the time,
and he slackened the straps on lii
own responsibility. and greatly re-
lieved the little sufferer.
Several times after this the bov
was punished By order of Austin, ana
on many occasions buckets Of water
were thrown over him. Once Brown
found the boy strapped to the wall.
and on being released he fell to the
ground insensible. On April "a he
put an end to his sufferings bv conn
hitting suicide in his cell