The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-09-27
Portland Prison as Described by a Man
Who Spent Eleven Years There.
GALLAGHER AND WHITEHEAD MAD.
Men IIogged with Thorns Outside the
Ceils-Tlc-h of "a Corpse Brought from
Portland was Reddish Brown, as
Though Roasted by the sun.


mcthods. they are placed In solitary con-
nncmcut for period OF nine moAths~
They are allowed half an hour cAeI-
else daiiy. walking around the jail yIH
ia single file. ten feet apart. No CONVEX
SdtiOu is ALLOW cd nor indeed IS any con-
Nersafon permitted from the time a pms
Ouor begins 90 undergo ms sentence uHuI
he ls released The penalty Tor speaking
In ten GAYS or bread and water-a scrap
of bread al night ana morning ana
swallow OF water. Talking back 10
wtroer leads 10 logging, the number or
lssncs being determined by the directors,
VINO visit the prison once month, ana
oftcner Wl ga hosging Is demanded.
EDW ARD - MEtGHbk CONDON.
Capt Condor superintendent CT Con-
strucuOu OF tho Fire Department OF New
York City, was c0nnnci for eleven years
iu Portland Prison When released ne
was on the verge OF insanity. but a rug
geo constitution enabled him &c rally. lie
was sentenced la Manchester. England.
GA 1860 90 death. but thiS. at the repeated
demands OF the United states Govern
mtnt was commuteu 20 imprisonment Tor
lie. After eleven years Capt COnoou re-
cciFoI his parlon and returned 10 the
country of which ho was citizen.
Ir. Gallagher, who reached here two
weeks ago, is now almost hopoeSsly ln-
stno in "a private sNuitarlum on Long ISL
and. and Albert Whitehead. released from
Portland at the same time. arrived here
last week i'm the same shattered mental
condition. The hOrrC rs which the men
nai To- endure during those years at Port
land left them alive. but robbed them
of mind and any semblance to health.
Rugged lrishmen as they were. with the
blood OF Lrlns Isle running fresh in their
veins. they became poor crawling. broken
down creatures little better than the
lowest cf beasts. from the lnhun.anitieS
of their Imprisonment
THE ISLE or PORTLAND.
Portland Prison is situated upon an
island The Isle OF Portland is "A prom
cntory, one vast, rocky clln without vege-
iaiitu, ana sheltered in no way from the
heat n summer or tho cold Of winter.
10th extremes arc felt keenly. The IS
land i7. properly speaking. a peninsula,
Tor DO i9 connected with the mainland
hr long. pcphly strip called Chesil
Beach. This is twelve miles long, forty
ieet high ami one hundred yards wide.
Tho island is about four miles lCug and
tnrce-qu1Itcrs Of a mile wide II sepa-
rates The English Channel from Portland
haroor. Three sides are Inaccessible
from the sea. rising 4Oo feet in mil-air.
pom one Of these cliffs the prison IS
built It's plan is such that escape is
Impossible. Not ono escape has been
made within DIS history.
The journey from London 10 Portland
~ ono hundred and sixty miles. The
prisoners travel In revolving garb pack
Cd together in cars marked Reserved. d"
Al tho Portland railway station they
are met by van marked "N. r." and
INTO this Windowiess vehicle they pro
hustled anil JCunccd along tlss rocky
ROAD TO- tho prison. From the time Of set
ting out ou their journey. often. with It's
delays. fifteen hours before, they have
hil nothing 20 eat, and in this hungry
condition they arrive az their future home
only 10 oe stuffed into the dirtiest Of
cells 90 await the further pleasure OF the
keepers Often no attention is paid 10
tnrm unul next Gay. Iney are ltft with
out food or drink or necessary attention,
and thus the rllIy-faced Irlshman gets
his first taste OF Justice.
Next day when the official gets around
to looking into the cases Of Tie new ar
rivals he assigns them 10 cells. These
cells are mostly under grC md. The one
bon which Capt. CCndon WAS confined. for
six or tho eleven years le spent in Port
land. was under ground and without air
or light To the summer 10 was suffOcat-
Ing, lu the winter uuspeakQbly cold and
rocking with filth Between seasons the
daulpuf was so great thdt mould ac-
clmulated upon the floor and ceiling,
which were OF stone. The walls ana uoorS
ere o. iron. Tho furniture or TINS cell
consisted of "a tuu. ln simplicity this was
highly t0 he commended. ~ 10 could be
used ass t.ble or % seat, or again as "a
bed. Tor The prisoner could snatch sleep
Nr placing Dis tub against an angle OF
the wall no notice was taken Of h0li-
days. and thus immured in "a living dun
econ Tho prisoner lives un IS best ne cam
A DAY AT PORTLAND.
When ths convict closes DIS eyes az
night upon darkness ana oblivion ne
ing stIl lu d darkness. No prisoner ln Port
land has ever been awakened by the
morning lino.
AT o BOO the morning q rough call ~
given. a little later "a kreutr sturs IN
through fhr door CT the eel, fhe break
fast. Nh'a consists Of six ounces Of bar
I.y bread A. Iulr OF water accompanies
this unsI sing replst- AT Z TIE men
arc Jed out % the l4arii ana iheie
they stand an day breaking stone without
speaking "a word. They are clad iu tne
same garments all the year around. and
there fheF work lu Che sNclfeIne sun ln
summer ana the biting cold or winter.
Al without exception. are burned
vivid brick red. and 10 has been comment
cd lI.n that the faces OF the Corpses
that are brought from Portland sui pre-
serve fl.s awful rsilish-or0wn, as though
the sln nli a5tel tho iles1.
At u0urtime the guards relieve each
other. going back tO The prison 90 dln-
uer but the men have nothing 60 eat, ana
n hv chance amy prisoner thinking dls-
c.pine "a little relaxed darcs TO raise
Dis eyes or stand erect minute. nc secs
Cd threatening gun lcNelle4 at him from
rho peaks Of che rocks Portland Is de-
Tended as though Do had the national
guard 10 hrht instead of mere hand-
ful of poor. pury. half-starvcd creatures.
40 night the procession goes back 10
THO prison again. The men limping and
Tagging behind as their weary fcet re-
fu.e I'D carry them But the quick lash
o. the guards upon their lacerated limbs
n..f.ne their steps, into their cells they
are driven like cattle without water or
fa.1 NOf even the cheapest Of luNuics,
D. bath. is allowed them. Into the cold,
damp cells they go and wait for HE even
inc meal.
Th.s Is again tho six ounces Of barley
bread with "a pint n Cruel Ihree uiS-
"A wace there Is little meat added. hao
smflIur. haf-r1W or oNef-coohtu s.'ll'
hrt tasting delicious TO The starving men.
,rn. rrfrso from the officers tables IS
divided boz and given 90 the prisoners. ana
nu rfr miserable bits that reach them they
r.u frl when holidays arrive ana Wnen
fnc omrlaI5 are having feast me 'h
of chicken picked clean ana boiled again
for SOUP. fut with few poor RAGS mans
inc 90 ID. told one OF the political prison.
ei3 taat Clris.ma5-Day h"a como anu
CRTCIFYING THE MIND.
un+ IL Ii not of the physical horrors
tf.f those who have suffered I'm Portland
..,'r.fair. Irs the mental torture. sara
Whitehead u a lucid interval ai.ct ms
-r...t.e "It was The mental torture
,.hlIne his poor lead. 'on. give me th"t
...rer Give me thar letter Tor Coz sake
. ~. ND. seain.a said one Ct the friends
WOO had aim in charge 10 oesS al
t.s fuua Tor bis mail -.
Ift. nerulIar species OF torture mas beeh
found to Dno4c.0us an Portland mat tle
ko.re.,s now consider 70 their pet lnquisl-
zion Do rrruco. the prisoner 70 state
- subsection. and as long as hi5 reason
NuII4 NUf makes him ll ana nnano 10
eat. I.Is lDluocs The expense or hetplus
fNr prison table, always q MucH OV"--
mcNl.l branch of economy.
When letters arrive ior the prisoners,
a.aN.