Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-10-30

that fearful gap Of time filed to the
brim with the peltings of a pitiless
storm. Twelve months in solitude, then
for 10 years toiling in the mud in q
swamp, hunger driven under the sum-
mer's burning sun, or, thinly clad, ex-
posed to all the blizzards and whirling
storms of winter. And never again for
single moment after that first Sunday
did I know what it was to fear or de-
spair.
was in Pentonville prison in the
suburbs of London. All men convicted
in England are sent to this prison to un-
dergo one year solitary confinement. At
the completion Of the year they are
drafted away to the public works pris-
ons, where, working in gangs, they aem-
plete their sentences.
Of my experience in Pentonville dur
ing my year of solitude it suilices to say
that, passing through u great deal Of
mental conflict, I found I had grown
stronger, and was eager for transfer to
the other prison, where could for a
few hours each day at least look Oh the
sky and the faces Of my fellow men.
At last the day of transfer came, and
escorted by two uniformed and armed
warders 1 was taken to the famous
Chatham prison. 27 miles from London
on the river Medway.
"You were sent here to work, and
you will have to do it, or I will make
you suffer for it," was the friendly
greeting that fell OH my ears as stood
before q pompous little fellow, an ex-
major of the army, at Chatham prison
one lovely morning i'll 1874.
7 had arrived there under escort but
an hour before, strong in the resolve to
obey the regulations if could and nev-
er to give III if I had fair chance; also
with desperate resolve never to submit
to persecution, come what might, and
these resolutions saved me, but only by
steady and dogged adherence to them
on the many occasions, through many
years and amid surroundings that might
we'll make me, as it did and does mary
good men, desperate and utterly reck-
less.
After few more remarks of very
personal and pungent nature the little
fellow marched off with delicious
swagger and heroic air that had a
powerful effect upon-the warder who
had me up for inspection. at once
turned to tho warder and asked, "Who
is that little fellow" "The governor, p"
he gasped out. eff he had only heard
you !'' and then followed a pantomime
that implied something very dreadful.
Then marched off to the doctor and
i.ext to the chaplain, who, knowing who
I WIS, asked me if I could read and
write, to which I meekly replied, eyes,
SIR" but apparently being doubtful
upon the point he gave me book. Ask
ing me to read all account Of the battle
Of Agincourt, in a solemn tone of voice
I said, "WEen time and place adhere,
write me down as an ass" He took the
book from me, looked at the open page,
gazed solemnly in my face with funny
wagging of his head, as much as to say,
"You will come to no good" and fol-
lowed the little major.
Then my cicerone took me into tie
main building, filed up to the brim
with what seemed to be little brick and
stone boxes, and halting in front of one
said: "This is your cell. You must keep
your tinware clean and bright and keep
your bed and bedding and yolr cell il
perfect order at all times. "
Looking around to see if it was safe
to talk, he began to question me rapidly
about my case, aud getting no satiSfac-
tion he wound up the questioning with
the remark, "Well, you tried to take all
our money over to America" then, be-
coming confidential, he told me what
wicked fellows the other prisoners were,
chiefly because they went to the gov
ernor and reported the officers, charging
them with maltreatment and bullying
particularly and knocking them about
generally. Of course the warders never
did such things, but were really Of tt
very lamblike and gentle nature. IN
order to back up their lies the prisOnc:s
would knock their own heads agaiiSt
the walls, and then swear by every
thing good that some one Of the wardrr>
bad done it. 1 said perhaps he had
Well, he said, perhaps All officer might
give a man "a little clip" but never so
as to hurt him, and "only i'll fun, YOU
know" I felt at the time that would
never learn to appreciate Chatham
"fun," but on the very next day [ was
convinced Of it when man named
Farrier pulled out from his waistbard
piece of rag, and, unro.ling it, pro-
duced two Of his front teeth, with the
information that certain warder, So-
den, had struck him with his fist in tie
mouth and knocked them out. Aft"-
many "wise saws and modern i'll
stances" he locked me up in the little
brick and stone box and departed, hav-
ing first informed me that "would 50
out to labor in the morning"
I looked about my little box with
mixture of curiosity and CONSERVATION,
for the thorght smote me with blind
ing force that for ten years at least that
little box-o feet inches in length, :
feet in height and feet in width, with
its floor and roof of stone-would be my
only home-would be, must be, and No.
power could avert my fate.
On the small iron shelf found tin
-