Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-07-12
ALONE WITH A BIBLE.
How Oscar Wilde Spends his Time
iu PentOnvilIe Prison.

iu PentOnvilie Prison.
How is Oscar Wilde bearing the
strain of his new life as a convict ir
dreary Pentonville prison? is the ques
ton often asked nowadsysby thousand.
over here who were edited or scan.
dalized by his epigrams, said or writ.
ten. So far there has been no au.
thentic answer. 1t has come in the
way OF the present writer to find out
something about it that can be relied
upon, as it comes from the best posi-
BILE source, says London letter to the
New York World. An interesting
and, in one way terrible, story it
makes. The cell into which they
put him is very small, perfectly bare,
made even more hideous by rough
coating of whitewash. There is a
wretched hard bed and table, with
no cloth to cover its plain board top.
On the table is the only literature per-
mitted him-a copy of the Bible. He
must read this or he may not read at
all.
He rises at 6 A. NJ, and before break
fast he must clean his cell, sweep it,
make the bed, and in every get it into
condition for the sharp eyes OF the in
spector. Then, at 7 80, he has break
fast. At 8:45 he goes to prayers,
standing in the files with several
hundred other convicts, and COM
PEELED to an attitude of reverence. At
noon he has two-course dinner, which
varies regularly with the day OF the
week. At 6 A.M. he has supper, .
daily repetition of the frugal break.
fast. Between supper and bed he
may mediate as he sists in his cell or
he may read the Bible. At s 80 p. NJ.
lights must be out and every convict,
including Convict Wilde, must be
stretched out in bed.
There have been many stories that
he has lost his mind. But the truth
is he is still sane, but in q dazed,
trance like condition. from which he
is seldom reused.
The first time he showed any signs
of realization of the depth to which
he has sunk was the second day OF
his imprisonment, when he was put
upon the treadwteel. The second
day, Wilde, dazed and automatic, was
led out and put upon the wheel. Me-
chanically he trod the steps for fifteen
minutes, took the five minutes rest,
and began again. In the second ff-
teen minutes he stopped, threw up his
arms, gave vent to horrible scream
of anguish, and fell in Q swoon. The
prison surgeon examined him and said
his heart was In such q condition it
would be dangerous to put him on
the wheel again. So Wilde is allowed
to sit in his cell. They throw in o
quantity of oakum every morning, but
he need not pick unless he wishes to
do so. OF late he has begun to pick
the oakum. Any occupation 10 better
than sitting idle and thinking.
The second arousing came through
the gentle, earnest old chaplain, the
Rev. w. Frederick Stockton. Wilde
had not been in Pentonville many
days before the old clergyman pushed
timidly into his cell.
Wilde, seated at the table with his
face buried in his hands, glanced ct
the old man, saw his occupation in
the cut of his cloth, and flushed
angrily.
"What do you mean by intruding
yourself upon mel" he demanded.
IL hope you are not unrepentant,
the old clergyman ventured.
Wilde jumped to his feet in rage.
Unrepentant?" he said angrily ;
"what do you meanf How dare you
insult me in this fashion? l am inno-
cent of the crimes of which am &C.
cused. You will kindly leave me
alone"
MIR. Stockton insisted no further.
He i. waiting now for Wilde to get
to work at the Bible. He feels
that sooner or later he must read
it, and, reading, soften to more re-
ceptive frame of mind. Wilde still
has friends who believe in his inno-
cence, among them several women
we'll known as writer's. Oscar Wilde's
wife is not one of these believers in
him. She has taken another name,
and with the children has gone away
to q quiet place on the continent.
Wilde will not hear from the out
side world for three mouths. Many
people believe he will 60 mad long
before that time. But others think
and with reason, he is so fscile and
adaptable he will gradually and easily
slip into the prison routine and gel
his mind balanced by the entertain
ment his we'll stored memory and Wig
orous Imagination can give him.
| ROBERT Wingate, receiver of the
Merchants National bank, has brought
suit against the Washington Worlds
Fair Commission on note for 81 ,273.
so, made March 27, 1898, and payable
January 25, 1895. The members o
} the commission, whose names are in
serted in the complaint as defendants
we're: N. G. Blalock, L. r. Grimes
, Percy w. Rochester. S. B. Conover, G
lV. Calhoun, w. L. I.aFollette and P
C. Kaufman, The defendants il