The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-20
NEWGAIE TO FALL
London's Famous Jail Being Torn
Down
THE SCENE OF MANY SORROWS
Building That Figured In "Barnaby
Rudge" to Be Replaced
by Shops.

London, Aug. 2O.-The work Of demol-
ishing Newgate Jail, the historic prison
so long feature Of the city of Lon
don, was begun this week.
The prison will not be rebuilt, and the
site will be leased for commercial build
ings.
Generations to come will wonder where
it used to stand when they read about
Jack Sheppards escape from it, when they
are conducted by Fielding through the
career of Jonathan Wild, when they go
with Lord Tom Noddy in "Ingoldsby" to
witness the execution scenes at it, and
when they read of the savage deeds which
centered around it at the time Of the
Gordon riots, as related in "Barnaby
Rudge,'' to say nothing Of English his
tory.
Made Famous by Dickens.
The famous mo popery" riots of 1880
form the most striking incident In the
history Of Newgate Jail, thanks to Dick
ems perpetuation of the story in "Rarnaoy
Rudge.'
The greater part Of the building being
razed is 13O years old, but there was a
Newgate jail on the site as early as 1918.
There is not in London more striking
building than this old prison house. The
high stone walls, rugged and blackened,
and presenting but the merest slits for
WluQO"S, suggest Lue mduy IL d6eu1oS Llld \
have been enacted within them.
The history of the stronghold dates from
the reign Of King John, and as early as
1923 the masonry was taken down and re-
built. The author Of this work was the
then lord mayor Of London, the famous
Sir Richard Whittington-"Dick' Whit
tington of the story books.
The name Newgate was taken from a
gate that once spanned the street ad-
jacent.
The old building was comparatively
small and it was destroyed by the great
fire of 1866. but even before that date
it's cells had held many men whose names
still live in their country's history.
Shakspere was wont to visit Newgate
for purposes of research, and other poets
knew it's lanes and squares. Many men OF
literary and religious fame were confined
in it's dungeons. One of it's occupants was
John Bradford of Manchester, friend OF
Ridley. This reformer was sent to New
gate by Bonner, who also incarcerated
John Rough.
Famous Men Occupied Cells.
In the time of Queen Elizabeth objectors
to her projected Catholic alliance suffered
vengeance In Newgate, among the victims
being John Stubbs. Throughout the Stuart
dynasty Newgate and the Fleet were sutil-
lied as the home Of funcompromising Puri-
tans. Out Of it's walls came the beginning
of puritanism, the comm monwea1th, and the
ultimate downfall Of the Stuarts. n
Among the poets who were detained
there were George Sackville, earl Of Dor
set, quoted as rake and poet" and with
in cell at, Newgate Wither, the author
of the "Vox Vulgi.' was confined. Preach
ing in the public streets led in 1872 tt
the Incarceration of Penn, the founder o.
Philadelphia, and Titus Oates and Danger.
| field were occupants of cells some few
| years later. The latter died in Newgate
The state of the prison in those early
| fourished, and not till the founding IL
1898 Of the Christian knowledge societ,
was any attempt, made to improve the con
| dition of affairs.
Religious and political crimes continued
for many years to- be the chief causes O.
detention, and Newgate was also famous
as a debtors JAIL Daniel Defoe suffered
arrest fine. pillory, and Imprisonment II
| Newgate for a treatise entitled, 9TH
Shortest Way With the Dissenters,' an,
another historical prisoner was Major Ber
| nardi, who was suspected of complic1t.
| with Rookwood in the plot against KIM
| William.
| In 1774 the prison inspector made hi
| first calls at the various London jails
| and from the days when Howard found hi
way into Newgates dirt and disorder be
gan to disappear. Later the Jail came t
exist chiefly for the criminal classes. On
of the last persons of note confined Il
| Newgate for an offense purely literary wa
Sir John, then Mr., Hobhouse. He was sen
to prison in 1920 because of his pamphle
| called "The Trifing Mistake"