The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-10-20
READE'S FAMOUS JAIL.
From the london Express.

I
Rear Admiral Arthur Tinklar, r. N,
has announced his intention of retiring
! from the governorship of her majesty's
! prison at Winson Green, Birmingham,
after holding the position for more than
a quarter of a century This Jail was
the scene of the awful prison atrocities
/ related by Charles Reade in 1T Is Never
Too Late to Mend,' and most of the in
| cidents in that terrible story are taken
from the report of the royal commission
sent down to inquire into the matter.
"Josephs" was a 15-year-old boy
named Andrews, who had been sent to
I Jail for three months for stealing a piece
Of beef, and was so mercilessly treated
and starved by Lieut.. Austin (Hawes),
the governor, that at length he hanged
himself in despair. The Rev. Ambrose
Sherwin was the prototype of Mr.. Eden,
the kind-hearted chaplain, who rebuked
! the governor for his severity; and War
der Evans was based on Warder Brown
who recently retired, and is still living to
tell the story of the atrocities.
The sentence of three months impris-
onment passed on Lieut.. Austin, and the
popular indignation aroused by his cru
elites, produced a much more humane
regime within the walls of Winson Green
so that when Captain Tinklar took
Office some twenty-five years ago he
found the post much more agreeable than
if he had entered upon his duties i'm
mediately after the exposure.
I AS midshipman he had fought in the
was rewarded with the Turkish and Cri-
mean medals, with Sebastopol clasp.
Subsequently he was engaged in many
operations in the Chinese war of 1853
'61, receiving the China medal and
Canton clasps.
His methods were in singular con-
trast to those of the notorious Lieut.
Austin Although the new system at
Winson Green was based on humanita-
rian principles, Admiral Tinklar found
many ways by which he could alleviate
the lot of his charges. One of these was
the abolition of the dark cell. to which
a prisoner might be consigned for four
teen days at a time. 1t occurred to one
of the Birmingham magistrates to try
the effect OF such confinement on him
self.
Admiral Tinklar placed him in the
cell shut the door and left him in Chm
merriam darkness. A few minutes suf6-
ced to convince the magistrate of the
awful horror of the place, and, acting
on his representations, the governor of
the Jail was only too ready to abolish
the black hole, and to substitute for it
one to which a little light is allowed to
enter
He would have been more than hui
man, however, if. during his long period
of prison rule, he had never fallen into
the Snares set by the old jailbird. Some
time ago a man who had spent the
greater part of his life within prison
walls sought an interview with Admiral
desire to reform that the governor ac-
tuaIly persuaded the home secretary to
remit the term of imprisonment which
he had to serve under broken ticket of
leave. Further than that, he obtained
a situation for the fellow and gave him
a sovereign TO set him on his feet, but
all in vain-within six months he was
again in the admira1's charge, serving
a sentence for robbery.
One more curious instance may be
given of how Admiral Tinlxlar was i'm