The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-12-12
AUSTRALIA CONVICT SHIP.
Some Attractions Even In Such FiontS
Ing He11s.


ing Hciis.
All is grist that comes TO the mill Of
the Snowman, and even q convict shin
is serviceable IL 1t can only be made
attractive. There has lately arrived
In the East India dock, at Blackwall.
the Australian convict ship Success.
which is to be put on exhibition forth
with. The vessel belongs to the old
bad system Of treating criminals with
barbarous cruelty, bordering on inhu.
manity. Built In 1870 I'm British India.
of solid teak, the Success was first On
East India trader and then an emI.
grant ship. 1t was In the year 1852,
just at the time OF the gold discoveries
In Australia, that she was turned into
q convict hulk, and moored at Williams.
town, Victoria. The new gold fields at.
tracted many bad characters from all
parts, even convlcts breaking loose
from the penal establishments, and in
order to afford safe quarters for the
worst OF the evildoers five ships were
turned into hulks. The Success form.
ed one OF the group, and was known as
the dark cell drilr' ship, being fitted
up with solitary cells that admit no
light. One can well understand the
horrors of the rigorous system of prison
treatment practiced on board these
hulks by an inspection of this ship.
Lying In the East India dock, she ly
weather-bcaten old wooden vessel
dingy and free from any suspicion OF
new paint. The first wonder, indeed
Is that she ever accomplished the voy-
age from Australia to London, which
took no less than five months and a
half, but her stout tmbers of teak OF
great thickness make her almost I'm.
pregnable rs a fortress. The quarters
once occupied by the warders are
shown on the quarter deck. where there
are exhibited various rusty muSkets
pistols, leg irons and manacles, as well
us an original copy of n "ticket OF
leave" signed by the governor Of the
colony. The tween deck is fitted with
cells on each side, every cell having
been for the accommodation OF three
men, and on the lower deck, where no
light and but little air could penetrate.
are the dark. solitary cells, which must
almost have been living tombs to the
occupants. At the end of each cell Is
space shut Off by iron rails called the
''tlgers' den," which was used for those
regarded as irreclaimable Here the
most outrageous offenders were hcrdel
together in semi-darkncss, and often
murder was committed among them.
selves as the result of an old grudge or
dispute.
The barbarity OF the hulk system e
further Illustrated by iron necklets By
which unfortunate malefactors were
fastened by a line as If by halters. and
in some torture chambers prisoners
were so chained that they could Meth
er lie, sit or kneel. Hardened rufiians
though the convicts were, yet such
treatment could only have the mos,
fendish results, and the prisoners Or
the Success In 1857 found an oppOru1
nifty of revenging themselves by assas1
sinating the official head OF the convict
establishment, Inspector General Price
The public sentiment revolted agains
the hulk system. which was suppressed
in 1859. The old hulks were broken up
with the exception of the Success
which after being maliciously scutile
| In Sydney harbor, was raised and el
| hiblted as a show vessel at variOu
ports in Australia. This old hulk reek
| ing with the memories of many cruel
ties committed in the name OF the law
IS not allowed to tell her own tale bl
somewhat questionably it is sought
heighten the effect by the aid of wa
figures in cells, and tabeauX Of scene
with notorious bushrangers, all
which appeal rather to morbid tastes
London Chronicle.