The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-11-27

OF Prison Life That Really Took Place
In an Old English Jail.
What reader Of Charles Reade's ever 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 vividly
told' No one, we would assert. The story
reads like highly colored fiction, yet ev.
cry word of 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 1853. Indeed, the orig.
inal of the character of Evans, the human.
itarian, still lives, and in fact is even now
In the service of the prison authorities. He
Is Mr.. William Brown, the chief warden ol
Winson Green Jail, Birmingham. and
many times he has been offered large re.
muneration to appear on the stage to play
the part Of himself in an adaptation OF
Reade's brilliant novel.
His story is indeed sensational one and
forms "A wonderful chapter of prison life in
the flfties, and also contrasts in striking
manner the treatment of prisoners now
adopted.
In 1859 Lieutenant Austin was appointed
governor of Wlnson Green prison. He had
formerly been in the navy, and in that serv-
ice had forced himself to the conclusion
that discipline was everything He took a
delight in severe punishment and consid-
cred that breach Of prison discipline was
a crime almost greater than that for which
a prisoner entered n Jail. He pinned his
faith to constant threats of punishment
and an almost perpetual use of those bar
barous tortures, the collar, straitjacket
dark cells and crank labor
1t was in 1858 that the public first had
their suspicious aroused that crueties of a
gross character were being practiced in the
Birmingham Jail In that year l5-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 a prisoner to fulfill the amount
of crank labor set him, OF for talking to
another prisoner, or for using bad language.
These jackets were provided with per
fectly rigid collars 10 inches long, 81 inches
deep and one-quarter inch thick. The pris-
oner was first muflled in the Jacket, with
his arms tied together on his breast and
then strapped so tightly at the back that
it was impossible to insert "a finger between
the strap and the flesh. The leather collar
was then fastened on in such manner that
it 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
ed for hours. and ON occasions bovs IF TX
were kent in such nositions from, q o,clooL
in the morning until M Mt piybtI
Very often they tainted and ,v.ra tho,
brouUbt. round Lv n liberal anrl;oatior -,
water. which was thrown on them fron,
buckets
The prisoners in this position were fed Inv
a warden. who broke IN the bread and
placed it in the prisoners mouth, Some.
times. however. the collar was so tipht that
a prisoner could not swallow bread or water
Among the labor bows had TO nerform
was the turning of a crank handle with a
10 pound pressure upon Il for 1000 revo-
lutions between sunrise and night So
many revolutions had To he made before
breakfast, SO many before dinner so many
before supper. Ifthe required number was
not completed before breakfast M hreak
fast; if not completed before dinner. nc
dinner; if not before supper, no supper. 40
that a weakly man or boy would 90 "A
whole day without food. and wonld think
himself lucky IL at 10 O'Clock at night he
got eight ounces of brown bread and a mint
of water.
During the whole Of the time these abon-
Unable cruelties were being practiced. the
chaplain and Mr.. Brown were doing their
utmost to relax the terrible prison disci.
pline adopted by the harsh governor. They
worked together with a will, and many.
many times have prisoners fallen on their
knees in thankfulness for timely succor
which had been rendered them.
At length, at the demand of the inhabi-
tants of Birmingham, a royal commission
of inquiry was held to inquire into the truth
of the Allegations. The whole Of them were
found to be true.
One particularly pitiable case was that
of boy named Edward Andrews, about
whom, in the name Of Josephus, Reade
gives true and heartrending account Mr..
Brown has vived recollection of this Door
boy. He was sent to Jail for three months
for stealing four pounds of beef. He was
80 "'' ""' Notwithstanding pun
ono dav tho ohan,o,n NJ cho.,,, ..
ottrac,aJ ,o tba hnp,s o,,i ~, -; v, Ma
dsrp He Found ,ba hnu or,;n', go ,';,.o',aI,,
ond ha said ha ,,,as h,,no s,a,a ~ '.I.'
In ,h, s,rai, iaoLat at a. ,; "a -
cbanjain tried m insert one y, h;s an,ars
het ,yeon Tho coII,r ara ~, - - 49,
failed Mr. Rroxyn hannsnaj 20 So 80 oa'
;n,, a., ,ba ,,n,a and ba eiaaIaS :. ~ p'aoS
on bis own rssnonsih;i;,v ma araa,In "ps y.
Havad ,be iittIe snffarer s' ~
Several ,ines aS,ar this IN. ho,, ,a. ,,,,,
isbsd Inv order of Aus,in and on r,anr - ~,
casjons hucL a,s ot ,ya,ar ,rars ,hrnaSn 80, ve
him Once Rroyyn found tho hoy s,ran,od
90 tho ,.an ond ID hain,, ..l.as,a ~ ~
to the ground lnsensible On April n he
put an enc 70 ms sunerihgs by committing
suicide III MS CELL
AUSTIN was siterward urea at warwick
assiZes ior ms diaooi,caii III treatment ana
was SEM 10 Jaii ior three months
ne Is now lAe the majority OF the actors