The times., 1898-10-16
PRISON ToRTURES.
"Ouidn" Makes n Plea for an ItnI-
inn Editor.

I am asked by the family and friends
of the late editor of that admirable jour
nal the Secolo of Milan, to endeavor to
arouse the sympathies of the English
nation and the English liberal press in
his fate, and in that of his fellow prison
ers condemned by the recent improvised
military courts of Italy, of which the
tragic burlesque OF justice followed on
the institution of the state siege. When
he Carlo Romussi, and his feIiow-suffe-
ers, were first imprisoned in the Jail of
Finalbarzo they were treated with some
show of courtesy and clemency, allowed
to write, though what they wrote was
read by the director of the prison. and
allowed a tolerable amount of indif-
ferent food.
This was done whilst public interest was
fresh in their destinies; but when 1t was
considered by authority" that such pub
lie interest had subsided. and when tho
court of cessation had rejected the VIC
Tins appeal these political captives were
separated, and taken to other peniten-
tiaries, where they are treated as though
they were the vilest OF murderers OF
malefactors. The unhappy editor of the
Secolo is a clever journalist. an eloquent
orator, an accomplished scholar; he Is OF
impressionable nature and nervous tenn
permanent: he has been torn from wife
and family by whom he is tenderly
loved, and taken from a career full Of
movement interest and promise
He has now been removed alone to the
jail at Milan this own home being selected
| by a refinement of cruelty as the scene
of his sequestration): he has been clothed
| in convict's garb; his hair and beard have
been shaved. he has been smut up IN
| solitary cell: he has little bread and
broth O. or oil twice day: at highland
! the nights are already long In Lomoardy
IL. Ia,ya l.a-tg HN~a
! act of mercy he is allowed to spend
! twenty-five centimes 0hree halfpence
English money! on additional food per
diem. Now, sir this gentleman had moth
7 ing whatever proved against him; he was
= accused of conspiracy. but no conspiracy
| was proved of any kind: he would have
| been instantly released by any civil trf-
| bunal: he was known to be OF Republican
principles and of Independent opinions,
| but of any connection with the Milan in
! surrection there was not the slightest
| proof against him.
| He has already suffered five months
! Imprisonment He Is now condemned to
! four years of solitary confinement-that
most frightful method OF breaking down
the brain and nervous system that has
! ever been devised by the fiendish invent
| iveness of man. Every one of the polit-
| icaI prisoners Is thus treated; II I name
I
I know more Of his circumstances and
have been more especially entreated for
him by his friends
But the shocking methods have above
| described are employed to torture all the
political prisoners. whether writer's.
priests or deputies: and form scandal
beyond all pardon in nation where the
Houses of Hapsburg-Lorraine and OF the
Neapolitan Bourbons were once spoken
L. nf IaNvNl mt
similar brutalities.
"Their relatives are convinced that 1t
will be only necessary to acquaint the
English public with these facts to rouse
such indignation that the English con-
demnation of its cruelty and tyranny Will
compel the italian government to atee
the treatment of the political offenders l
do not share this hope, and l fear 1t IS
founded on an illusion. for the English
nation cares very little about cruelty
nowadays. and greatly enjoys exercising
tyranny itself on subject races. But l
do what I have been asked to do. and
sincerely do 1 pray that the hearts OF
!, many may be touched.
Ten columns of your journal would not
!; suffice to describe the iniquities which
have characterized the revenge of the
Italian executive for the rising of May.
But l would entreat in especial your at
| tention to the fact that solitary cellular
confinement, united to starvation, are the
lot of literary man whose only crime is
{ that of having persistenly and consist
emily urged those political opinions.
which have also been those of some OF
the ablest thinkers and best men whom
the world has seen. Solitary confine-
ment, such as the cruel code framed by
. Tarnadelli, makes the punishment of all
offenses in Italian penitentiaries, is sure
r ly torture which should be inflicted on
no living creature; any kind of death Is
a thousand times more merciful. 1t de-
, stroys the mind, whilst the hunger with
, which 1t is coupled destroys the bodily
health.
, Men may survive such treatment. but
they leave the cells mere wrecks. men,
Ntal and physical. of themselves. Dreyfus
has had the good fortune to arouse the
: pity of vast number of persons whose
, imaginations are fired by the pictures
given of the iron bars and the lie dr
Diable. But he at least has air, sea
light. However frightful his fate, it is
better than that of the Italian politica
l prisoners shut in the city prisons. These
prisons are all filled to overfiowlng; thou
death. or imbecility, or raging madness
n Many have had no more crime or faul
n than has Carlo Romussi
t One may. I think, under these circum
( stances be allowed TO ask in what possi
r BILE manner or degree is the existing Ital
{ ian government better than was the Aus
trian of the Spielberg and the Blomhi.
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