The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-06-29
GREATEST OF PRISONS.
Years Ago It Held Thousands of Con-
Victs.


Near the southwest corner of the
continent of Australia nestles the little
coast town of Fremantle, and half
mile back of it, surrounded by sand
tunes and malice scrub, is a famous
Did convict prison-the largest penal
Institution in the world. And yet com
paratively few people, even in Aus
ralia, know Of its existence. Western
Australia, the division in which Ere
mantle lies, was the last crown colony
Of the Australasian group, and it was
not until twenty-five years ago thar
the steady stream of convict ships
ceased to touch its shores.
Old Botany Bay, near sydney on the
east coast, had been Britain's princi-
pal convict settlement for nearly half
4 century but the rapid growth Of
New South Wales ana the force of
public opinion turned the place wKh
Is grim history from : living hell TO
one Of the most beautiful little sub
urban cities on the continent. 1t was
hen that the town of Ircmautle be-
gan TO fill up rapidly, necessitatng the
erection of stone Jail capable Of hold
ing within It's walls 2SUUO conyicts-
he majority of them being probably
The most hardened criminals of the
century, The building of this prison
was what is known as a crown job.
and. like most Bli, III public works Of
that kind. was completed on honor.
Probably centuries viii pass before its
solid seyou-foot granite walls viii
rumble or its batt.emeujs show 81 gus
Of decay.
Western Australia continued to
grow, and, after bearing for many
years the stigma of convict settle
ment," was at last freed from the
stain, as her sister colony had been
years before. the home government an
bouncing that it would send no more Of
IS convict classes to the continent Of
Australia The day that this proclama-
lion reached Western Australia the
people began week of joyful demon
STATIONS and fetes in celebration of
he decision. And from that day, too,
hey began to let the very existence Of
he place back back in the Frcmantle
Hills die ont of their memory.
The jailers in the prison, one to every
twenty-five cOnvictS. were drawn ex-
,lusively from the ranks of war vet
Grams. Old heroes of the Crimea and
he Indian mutiny, many Of them with
heir breasts covered with clasps and
medals, went down the road to the
grave side by side with the men they
guarded. With the passing Of the
gears the hand Of time began to lay
leavy on all alike. In 1885 there were
only about seventy veterans and four
hundred convicts left, and of these
nearly all We're white headed and tot.
.ering. Most Of them hobbed slowly
'ound the enormous quadrangles, pot
erred about the gardens that latterly
hey had been permit ed to keep. and
'raternized and mcditated together,
prisoners and Keepers alike Every
Saturday afternoon the veterans
ionned their threadhare and faded mil.
tary uniforms, pinned ON their med.
ais, and. with their old flags carried
ahead, would march proudly but slow.
down through the principal street
If the little town to the beach and
hen back again home" Cut off by
many years of absence from the old
les and held close to their prison life
the new colony, they had become
oblivious to everything but their old
war memories, the village paper, and
he prison.
The convicts Were past all thought of
escape. Time and age had dried up
heir criminal propensities. and they
were rs harmless as little children, in.
Iced not unlike little children in many
ways. There Were very few of them
hat had not some black history of
shame and degradation as a prelude TO
heir convict life, but on the peaceful.
strange immensely of that almost
Empty prison they wire doing out their
ew remaining years in pure and sim
Die living. Doll houses made from
shell, cunningly woven baskets. and
aryed malice roots for sale to visitors
these things with their flower beds
oolS up all their time. Once, when
he Duke Of Edinburgh visited Western
australia, the guards went out in a
body TO the Fremantle wharf to greet
lim, leaving the prison gates open.
Half dozen of the convicts followed
he gay old fellows down to the water
md back again. All could have gone
f they had liked, but they preferred
o stay "home." Fremantle Jail is
probably the only penal institution in
he world where prisoners may wan.
Ter in and out bask in the sun in front
Of the big frowning entrance and sit
md sleep with their backs propped up
against the outside of the walls. 1t
S an old mans home-without the
wrangling and dscord that usually ex.
st In those institutions.