The herald., 1896-11-23
Now Serving Sentences in Eng
glish Prisons
MRS. MAVERICK IS A WRECK
As the Result of Confinement and Men.
tai Worry
Imprisonment Is Also Killing Oscar
Wilde, but He Has Only Four
Months More to Serve.
Pres, spec,al wire

Associated Press Special Wire
LONDON, Nov. 22.-From high off,
cial connected with her majesty's pris-
on at Wormwood Scrubs the Associat-
ed Press is furnished the following ac-
count of the prisoners, Mrs. Maybrick
and Oscar Wilde.
by anyone who knew Mrs. Maybrick
as I did, before her incarceration, she
would not now be recognized. She is
a complete mental and physical wreck.
1 wish to say right here that this con-
dition is not due to the prison treatment,
but it is the direct result of confinement
and mental worry. While she is not
insane, her condition borders closely
upon 1t. She has not been at Worm
wood Scrubbs for many months, but is
now In the smaller prison at Aylesbury,
in Buckinghamshire. 1t is found that
prisoners in her mental state require
as much change as is consistent with
prison regulations, and for this reason
she has been an inmate Of so many pris-
ons While at Wormwood Scrubbs she
was in the hospital for nine months in
the year, and her health has demanded
like treatment at Aylesbury. She has
grown thin and her cheek bones pro-
trude In a manner most unpleasant to
see. Her complexion is CHASTITY and
her eyes have a haunted look. She has
all the cunning Of an insane person.
This is shown by the fact that she has
twice endeavored to commit suicide,
once nearly successfully, despite the
strict watch to which she is constantly
subjected One of these attempts was
evidently made in an endeavor to con-
vince the doctors that she was suffering
from internal hemorrhages, and went
too far. She subsequently made the
came attempt and very nearly succeed
ed. The other attempt was by means
of strangulation. Since these attempts
the watch to which she has been sub
jected precludes another such a repe-
lition.
I'm talking with her she once said
to me. I deserve all 1 got This was
significant. but her mental condition at
the time was such that did not attach
much Importance to her remarks. How
ever that may be, she was not, IN my
opinion, ever proven guilty. | am firm
ly of the belief that she will lot sur
yiye another year of prison lire. She
has now been in confinement since July.
1889. Ordinarily Imprisonment for life
means twenty years, there being but
few instances where prisoners have
been confined on a life sentence after
that period, unless some new and point
ed facts in relation to their guilt have
come to light in the interim. also
think the efforts to secure her release
which have come from America and
elsewhere. and which have been in the
nature of coercing the foreign office,
have operated against her, and I also
believe that she will be set at liberty
within a year"
The official was also asked regarding
Oscar Wilde, saying:
wilde was also removed from the
Scrubs a short time ago. He is now
at Reading. His health is also wretch
ed. and he seems aged and broken. He
has spent much time in the hosptS and
like Mrs. Maybricl1 has been frequent
" transferred and for the same reason.
While at Scrubs he was model pris-
oner. so far as complying wi.h The regu-
lations were concerned but his work
was done in a perfunctory manner. l
must decline to say at what labor he
was employed. Like Mrs. Maybrick,
I do not think he would survive another
year of prison life, but fortunately for
him his sentence expires the last of
March. Personally. I do not believe
any petitions for his release Will be
granted