The Redwood gazette., 1896-03-26

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< III
I aavoke to find myself shCUe'e and shorn.
Of my experience in Pentonville dur
ing my year of solitude it suffices to say
that, passing through Il great deal of
mental conflict, found I had grown
stronger, and was eager for transfer to
the other prison, where I could for a
few hours each day at least look on tbs
sky and the faces of my fellow men.
At last the day of transfer came, and
escorted by two uniformed and armed
warders I was taken to the famous
Chatham prison, 81 miles from London
on the river Medway.
"You were sent here to work, and
you will have to do it, or will make
you suffer for it," was the friendly
greeting that fell on my ears as stood
before pompous little fellow, all ex-
major Of the army, at Chatham prison
one lovely morning in 1874.
had arrived there under escort but
an hour before, strong in the resolve to
obey the regulations if could and new
er to give in if 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 many
good men, desperate and utterly reck-
less.
After few more remarks of very
personal and pungent nature the little
fellow marched off with a delicious
swagger and a heroic air that had a
powerful effect upon-the warder who
had me up for inspection. at once
turned to the warder and asked, "Who
is that little fellow?'' "The governor,
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
next to the chaplain, who, knowing who
I was, 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 a book. Ask
ing me to read an account Of the battle
Of Agincourt, in solemn tone Of voice
I said, "When 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 the
main building, filled 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 your cell in
perfect order at all times''
Looking around to see if it was safe
to talk, he began to question me rapidly
about my case, and 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
very lamblike and gentle nature. In
order to back up their lies the prisoners
would knock their own heads against
the walls, and then swear by every
thing good that some one Of the warders
had done it. I said perhaps he had.
Well, he said, perhaps an officer might
give man "a little clip" but never go
as to hurt him, and "only in fun, you
know" felt at the time that would
never learn to appreciate Chatham
"fun," but on the very next day I was
convinced Of it when a man named
Farrier pulled out from his waistband
q piece of rag, and, unrolling it, pro-
duced two Of his front. teeth, with the
information that certain warder, So
den, had struck him with his fist in the
mouth and knocked them out. After
many "wise saws and modern in
stances" he locked me up in the little
brick and stone box and departed, hav-
ing first informed me that "would 20
out to labor in the morning."
I looked about my little box with a
mixture Of curiosity and CONSERVATION,
for the thought smote me with blind
ing force that for ten years at least that
little box-8 feet 6 inches in length, s
feet in height and 5 feet in width, with
its floor and roof Of stone-would be my
only home-would be, must be, and nc
power could avert my fate.
On the small iron shelf I found tin
dish used by some previous occupan,
and smeared inside and out with cruel.
There being no water in my jug, when
the men came in for dinner I, in my in
nocence, asked one Of the officers fo1
some water to wash the dish. He looked
at me with great contempt and said
"Will You have it hot or cold?" "Oh