The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-07-27
CRUEL PUNISHM ENT.
SCENES IN CHARLES READE's NOVEL
WERE STRICTLY TRUE.

OF Prison iiic lhht teaiiy Iv"h race !
In an Old English Jali.
What reader Of Charles Reades 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 Il and
ielt deep sympathy with the poor sufferers
whose terrible experiences are 50 wildly
toldf No one, we would assert The story
reads like highly colored fiction, yet ey.
cry word of II 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 1873 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 Of
Winson Green Jail, Birmingham, and
many times he has been offered a large re-
Enumeration to appear on the stage to play
the part Of himself in an adaptation Of
Reade's brilliant novel
Ills story is indeed sensational one and
forms a wonderful chapter Of prison life Ia
the 1fties, aud also contrasts In a s'iiking
manner the treatment of prisoners now
adopted.
IN loo1 isltuttnhht <tuhlln WIS hppDluitu
governor Of Winson Green prison. He had
formerly been in the navy, and in that serv-
ice had forced himself to the conclusion
that discipline was everything. lie took
delight in severe punishment and consid.
cred that breach Of prison discipline was
a crime almost greater than that for which
prisoner entered jail. lie pinned his
faith to constant threats of punishment
and an almost perpetual use of those bar
barous tortures, the collar, strait jacket,
dark cells and crank labor.
1t Was In 1853 that the public first had
their suspicious aroused that cruelties of "a
gross character We're 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 rs the
inability of prisoner to fulfill the amount
| of crank labor set him, or 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 finger between
the strap and the flesh. The leather collar
was then fastened ON in such a manner that
1t 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 II
standing position. This punishment was
terribly painful, and yet it frequently last
ed for hours, and TN occasions boys of Is
were kept In such positions from O'Clock
In the morning until 10 ut night
Very often they tainted and were then
brought round by II liberal application of
water, which was thrown on them from
buckets.
The prisoners in this position were fed by
| warden, who broke up the bread and
| placed 1t in the prisoners mouth. Some
| times, however, the collar was so tight that
| prisoner could not swallow bread or water.
Among the labor boys had to perform
was the turning of IL crank handle with "a
| 10 pound pressure upon it for 1900 leyo
lutions between sunrise AMI night. 81
many revolutions had to be made before
breakfast, so many before dinner, SO many
before supper, lithe required number was
not completed before breakfast, no break
fast; II not con pleted before dinner, nc
dinner; ii not before supper, no supper, 30
thnt weakly man or boy would go u
whole day without food, and would think
himself lucky il ut 10 o'clock at night he
| got eight ounces OF brown bread and a pint
| of water.
During the whole of tho time these abom.
| Unable cruolties 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 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, IA 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 a boy named Edward Andrews, about
whom, in the name of Josephus, Reade
| gives true and heartrending account. Mr..
Brown has u vived recollection of this poor
boy. He was sent to Jail for three months
for stealing four pounds of beef. He was
very weak, but was Notwithstanding put
to the crank.
One day the chaplain, Mr.. Sherwin, was
attracted To the boys cell by cries of Muir
derl" He found the boy crying piteously,
and he said he was being starved. He was
In the straitjacket at the time. and the
chaplain tried to insert one of his fingers
between the collar and the boys neck, but
failed. Mr.. Brown happened to be pass.
ing at the time, and he slackeped the straps
on his own responsibility and greatly re
lieved the little sufferer.
Several times after this the boy was pun
ished by order Of Austin, and OH many &C.
casions 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 by committing
suicide In his cell.
Austin was afterward tried at Warwick
assizes for his diabolicall i'll treatment and
was sent to Jail for three months.
He is now, like the majority of the actors
In this dreadful drama, dead, but Mir
Brown still oiiiciates as the chief wardei
In the prison and takes a most kindly in
terest in any prisoners who are DESTROYS OF
reforming themselves. Iit-Bits.