The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-07
OSCAR ON THE WHEEL.
Tho New Life OF the English Apostle
of Estheticism.

At Pentonville where Oscar Wilde 10
serving his two years sentence, the prison
suit is OF dirty drab canvas marked with
three arrows, heavy rough shoes anu an
ugly Scotch cap. Life in this prison is not
pleasant by any means. Wilde's sleeping
accommodations ara the scantiest. Cots
ara unknown TO the prisoners there. \
plank bed, composed simply OF a board
raised six inches above the floor. without
a mattress. is what he sleeps on. lie is
given each week two clean sheets OF
heavy coarse material and two rugs as
rough as ordinary horse blankets. The
rules about communication with the out
side world are exceedingly severe. He can
neither write nor receive letter from his
friends or family until three months OF
his sentence has been served, and then he
may write and receive one letter month.
and be visited for twenty minutes by
three friends
The treadmill is the great bugaboo or the
English convict. 1t is almost barbara IN
its severity and. savors somewhat or the
torture inflicted upon unforfunates 80
wears ago. 1t is shaped somewhat like the
wheel OF a stern-wheeI steamer or the
nadele-wheel OF a ferryboat. except that
the treadmiil is considerably wider than
they are. For the accommodation OF the
many Involuntary workers at a heisht
which a man of ordinary physique can
RaSflY rCdG0 is n lGiE VI NbpA. 'fA~N
ALI Is ready the prisoner jumps upon one
Of the steps of the wheel and grasps the
har with his hands. The steps are called
floats in the far land of Pentonville the
weight of the men turns the wheel anu as
they sink down on one foot they must
step I'D TO the next float when IL comes
round. IT is much like climbing particu-
larry nasty flight or steep stairs Win no
ending at the Top
What "a more. there is no lodging or
sh,rlSing the work When the float comes
round. Oscar Wilde. like all his brother
felons must step on IL, otherwise ne VIII
get an ugly knock on the Sims py tns
ever-turning wheel. which VIII peel tne
bark of from the knee 80 tho instep. III -
not pleasant work by any means. IL is the
kind that completely takes the heart out
~ the most hardened criminal. AT the end
- a long dav of cease.essly stepping from
float TO float there Is nothing 10 sho" TOT
n. Each man Is nothing more IMAM a very
insignificant section OF huge mass OF ma
chInery The work of the coifvlcts IN
America is play in comparison Win IL IN
pan+onville all that the workers or the
treasmIrl have to look forward TO Is the
short breathing spells permitted oy 'he
prison regulations.
Oscar Wilde was sentenced 10 90 HaIa
labor. and this means that ms Iihe al
INC .readu,ill will be four hours a DAY.
.he Ynost severe work provided for by the
--ssny, v,,les. Two hours OF this Is done
hnfo-a dinner and two hours after. some
,aea Of the awful physical strain OF the
work can be gained from these facts a ZIG
mem work twenty minutes ana theh 'iey
go Ave minutes rest. In those twenty
.l's.,,,a~ ,hev have made the equivalent OF
a. .scer+ of G 900 feet or n trifie more than
,,,i,e and an eighth. In four hours WORK
-. ,.,,a de,ue the same SAILOR that man
,-o,,,a do in climbing eleven mics OF
STAIRS Going mp four or hve hisnts 81
stairs makes an ordinary man Wish TOT a"
| elevator -. .-oos
81 q. tba. the criminal is always JUST
g'hera he started from hour AFTER hou.
"a day after day No talking IL ailowed
~ 49, u.heeI. and the silence is unoroken
evcert for the creaking OF the pohuerous
,.,chinnrv "a Il whirls around.
~. "a ~ pey,tonviile prison is not
-. yyylse has been accustomed 10 ny
VIZ x~o.n. on week days the prisoners
80 dish OF "skilly" for breakfast.
| Srsllv IL not very palatabe. being n spe-
c,es or tasHeles niush. but II Is sald 10
be healthy. Dinner consists OF I'm 49,
| -, broth heavily charged with grease
"a a chunk OF bread "a heavy al the tr1-
1,.t,.,,I laad Supper is a very light AZ
80 rorSistine of bread and milk. the
MIX being extremely thin and OF llght
hlns shade, Indicating an intimate &C
| ouaintance with water.
T,ne rules against any OF the prisoners
| getting food other than thar or the rega-
To- fare arc very severe. More money
| ehan oscar Wide has al the present
1vot,ld be required 20 bTfbs the warmers
"a srnuggie food TO him Besides. all tho
1.-a,.terx watch one another, and no one
81 tnarn could enjoy fat income from
wilde for any length OF time without
hainx discovered Then the feebng
against wilde Is 20 strong among tne
,,rtsoners that he MIL be made as un-
comfortable as they possibly can mako
him
Charley Mitchell the 1rizehgnter'
something over two years ago, served
brief term In Penfogsyile for assuming
an old man Mitchell did treadnill work
/ FOR a short time, and ne afterwards said
| .t,a4 II almost killed him After his fiFSt
s,aAr hour at IL he re~orted 10 every arti-
| Gee 10 be excused from further work. but
| -rs,hout avail as the physicians said thai
| he was the strongest man in the place.