The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-06

ohiaoAo VI uNuoE uuNlS, IT NJ III tnoukub
some animal like a bull or o COW was being UNI
skilfully slaughtered outside the prison walls.
i soon realized, however, that the howls pro-
ceeded from the basement Of tho prison, and I
knew that some wretched man was being
fogEed. 1 need not say how hideous and terri
bio 1t was for me, and i began to wonder who 1t
was who was being punished In this revolving
manner. Suddenly 1t dawnod upon me that
they might be fiogging this unfortunate lunatic.
My feelings on the subject need not be chron-
icled; they have nothing to do with the question.
The next day, Sunday, 10th, I saw the poor
fellow at exercise, his weak, ugly, wretched face
bloatod by tears and hysterla almost beyond
recognition. He walked In the centre ring along
with the old men, the beRgars, and the lame
people, so that l was able TO observe him tho
whole time. 1t was my last Sunday in prison, a
perfectly lovely day, the finest day we had had
the whole year. and there. in the beautiful sun
light, walked this poor crcaturc-made once in
the image Of God-grlnning like an ape, and
making with his hands the most fantastic
gestures, as though he was playing in the
air on somo invisible stringcd instrument,
or arranging and dealing counters in
some curious game. All the while these
hysterical tears, without which mono OF us ever
saw him, were making soiled runnels on his
white swollen face. The hidcous and deliberate
a. VI hb BVbiuIcb u hlhl llkG al hnIlC.
He was n living grotesquo. The other prisoners
all watched him, and not ono OF them smiled.
Everybody knew what had happened to him,
and that he was being driven insane-was In.
sane already. After half an hour no WAS or.
dored in by the warder, and. l suppose, punished.
At least he was not ut exercise on Monday.
though I think I caught sight Of him at the
corner of tho stoney ard. walking In charge Of a
warder.
"On the Tuesday-my last day in prison-I
saw him at exercise. He was worse than before,
and again was sent In. Since then / know moth
ing OF him, but l found out from one OF the pris-
oners who walked with me at exercise that he
had had twenty.four lashes in the cookhouse on
Saturday afternoon, by order of the visiting JUS
tees on the report Of the doctor: The bowls
that had Mortified us all were his.
This man is undoubtedly becoming insane.
Prison doctors have no knowledge Of mental
disease of any kind. They are as a class igno-
rant men. The pathology of tho mind is un.
known to them. When a man grows insane they
treat him as s~hamming. They have him pun
ished again and again. Naturally the man be-
comes worse. When ordinary punishmcnts are
exhausted the doctor reports the case to tho
Justices. The result is ~fiogging. OF course the
fiogging is not done with a alto -nine-tails. 1t
is what is called birching. The instrument is a
rod; but the result on tho wretched half. witted
man may be imagined.
II number Is, or was, A. 2. IL. I also man
aged to find out his name. 1t is Prince. Some
thing should be done at once for him. He is a
soldier. and his sentence In one OF court-martial.
The term is six months. Three have yet to run
"No report by the Medical Commissioner is
OF any avail. 1t is not to be trusted. The
medical inspectors do not seem to understand
the difference between idiocy and lunacy-
hAN n. -ts-.
organ and the diseases OF q function or organ.
This man A. IL will, I have no doubt. DO
able to tell his name. the nature of his offence,
the day of the month, the date Of the beginning
and expiration of his sentence. and answer any
ordinary simple question; but that his mind is
diseased admits Of no doubt. At present It 10 q
horrible duel between himself and the doctor.
The doctor is fighting for q theory. The man is
fighting for his life. I am anxious that the man
should win. But let the whole case be exam.
ined into by experts who understand brain dis.
case, and by people Of humane feelings who
have still some common sense and some pity.
There is no reason that the sentimentalist
should be asked to interfere He always does
harm.
THE case Is a special instance OF the cruelty
inseparable from a stupid system. for the pres
ent Governor Of Reading is q man OF gentle and
humane character, greatly liked and respected
by all the prisoners. He was appointed in July
last, and though he cannot alter the rules of the
prison system. he has altered the spirit in which
they used to be carried out under his predeces
sor. He Is very popular with the prisoners ant
with the warders. Indeed, he has quite altered
the whole tone Of the prison life. Upon tn,
other hand, the system is, Of course. beyond hi
reach as far as altering its rules is concerned.
have no doubt that he sees daily much OF wha'
he knows to be unjust, stupid. and cruel. Blu
his hands are tied. OF course. I have no knowl
edge of his real views of the case of A. Q III, nor
indeed, Of his views on our present system.
merely judge him by the complete change h,
brought about in Reading Prison. Under hi
predecessor the system was carried out with tn,
greatest harshness and stupidity"
Jubilee, tonjours Jubilee! The subject n,
longer has novelty to commend 1t. But to DO II
London and even pretend to ignore it Is impos
sible. In one way or another 1t confronts you a
every turn. The town is gradually filling up
Not only are her provincial subjects focking L
London to see the Queen. but every day wit
nesses the arrival Of fresh crowds of foreign Wis
itors. In addition to the ordinary ~civilize,
guest-pa yinR guest, by the way. very paying
from America, the Continent, and the colonies
come the more picturesque representatives o
all kinds Of out-of-the-way places and peoples
Native troops and police Of ali sorts. sizes, an
colors are h~ere-Turkish Zaptiehs from Cyprui
with their gorgeously decked ponies; Houssa
from the gold coast, black as ebony; Dyaks froI
Borneo. with murderous knives deckcd with lock
Of hair, the origin OF which 1t Is perhaps wise nc
to inquire into too closely-all these and man
others will mako the procession of Jun
% picturesque In the extreme. Besides
there are the resplendent representatives {
Oriental potentates. The Chinese visitor
who arrived yesterday, twenty OF them. Q,
elusive of servants, brilliant In silks of var
GUS hue, would by themselves be enough I
decorate a whole procession. And indeed a
/ occasional glimpse of something picturesque 1
! the main streets of London Ia very welcome. FL
the city Is taking on a very unlovely aspec
Armies OF carpenters seem to have been calle
In for the purpose Of dressing her In planks. s
Paul's. the National Gallery. every building @
the long route OF the procession is clothed
4 pine planking, and the effect Ia very strange.