The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-17
I'D NENGAIE
Is GOING DOWN
Famous Prison Disappearing
From Site of London
IT HAD MANY HORRORS
Women Pilloried, Lashed and
Branded With Hot irons.
1T HAD MANY HORRORS

Newgate Prison is gradually being dis
mantled. Soon its massive stone walls
viii cease TO frown on Wayfarers in the
| Old Bailey. and the new and handsome
| Central Criminal Court will take its
place. And so the old gaol is gradually
disgorging from its dark recesses d grue-
some collection OF objects connected with
the punishment OF criminals for genera
lions past Plaster casts OF the heads
o.. ferocious criminals have gone 10 Scot
/ land Yard. and the headsmans axe and
block, and the cat and birch. have been
removed to Pentonville or Holloway.
Some of these things have gone to the
Guildhall Museum, where they will short
| ~ be exhibited. A Daily News reporter
has been shown the collection by Mr..
Charles Welsh, the City Librarian. 1t
includes some of The seats from The old
Newgate Chapel, where a condemned
criminal on the morning before his exc
cution had to sit in front of all the pris-
oners, his coffin lying at his feet, and
have a special sermon preached at him
by the prison chaplain.
There is also a bust of Sir John Syl-
vester, Recorder OF London from 1903 to.
1922, and known to fame as Black Jack
OF the Old Bailey" The sardonic smile
of this notorious hanging judge" is re-
produced with unpleasant vividness. The
spectator feels as if he is just about 10
be consigned TO the gallows.
One of the most unpleasant objects in
the collection is the old whipping block"
This. when closed, has the appearance Of
a large chest of black painted wood, in
the top of which are two holes. in which
the legs of the victim were sunk up to
his thighs. At the back is an upright post
with cross-bar containing wrist-holes.
When the prisoner was standing with
his legs in the holes, his ankles in much
smaller holes inside the chest. and his
wrists held tightly IN the cross-bar, his
back was bent so that the lashes would
fall with fearful effect on the projecting
vertebrate. The cross-bar contains a pair
OF smaller holes, nearer together, for
women and children. Women were not
only whipped, but branded with red-hot
irons on the palm of their hand The
thick jetlike polish on the inside of the
holes shows with what fearful strength
the victims must have writhed and tug
ged while under the lash.
Then there were heavy-jointed and pad
locked iron belts, with handouts by
which the hands of prisoners were chain
ed TO their waists. so that they could
not even raise them to the face. The leg
irons are of chains like that of a ships
in diameter; a set weighing nearly
hundredweight. These had to be fastened
on the ankles by a smith with a red hot
bolt.
Most interesting and less repulsive are
the manuscript volumes OF records of Old
Newgate. The Lord Mayors minute book
shows the disposition of constables on
public and state occasions. and there
are notes for future use where the ar
rangements are seen to need improve
ment. Thus we find notes that the Lord
Mayors coach should turn at the top Of
"Labour-in- vain-Hill." and that on a
wet day certain officers should take shell
ter.
But among humdrum official details are
some exciting records A series OF gam
bling raids in March. 1874. is fully de-
scribed, and gamblers appear then. as
now. to have sat up very late indeed.
on March II the constables met in
Smithfeld at o'clock in the morning.
and went with a lottery warrant" in
two parties TO the back and front Of No.
l25 Bishopsgate Street Within. breaking
open the doors, and finding seventy per-
sons-men. women. and children-in a
room. The clerks in charge. with their
books. escaped through 4 trap-door.
on the 10Th a raid was made on Bull
cocks. No. o. In the same street. and
a woman known as Mrs. Bullock acted
as a decoy in procuring admission for
the officers Mrs Bullock WIS secured.
and her clerk captured as he got out OF a
garnet windovr. Mr.. Bullock got six
months and his clerk three. but the
wife was discharged. That same night
McQueeu's, No. rs. Minories. was at
tackled. two female decoys- Mrs. Brown
and Miss Roland rendering service in
gaining entrance. The records seem 10
show that the lottery was quite as popu-
lar among the women as among the
men.
No papers could be found. and al last
the constables and marshaIs determined
10 search the lady herself. She was seen
to PASS something to her mother an old
woman Of ninety. who was seaEched, and !
several books foun-.
After this trying scene. Mrs. Mcqueen |
asked leave 10 give her mother a drop
Of cordial She took bottle from the I
cupboard. uncorked IT, and then suddenly 4
took some papers from her dress threw /
them on the IRE and poured the spirit /
over them tia; they might be quickly /
consumed. The constahies were too quick 1
and Mrs Mcqueen went 20 Bridewell 1
for six months
= raid on Hughes eating house in /
Statiuner's Alley brought nothing 70 light 1
whereupon the coRstahles-let as hope 4
cutie unlike their modern successors-
charged Hughes with being a rogue and /
The magistrates were salts /
ned as 10 his character ard discharged |
him. That evening the lady assistants
procured the marshais and constabIes'
admission 70 HALEY : No. - aEinories. /
and there was a terrific SIGHT 81 which 1
fire-shovels and three-legEed stools vert 1
freely used against the oFscers Of the /
law. A Jewish rabbi vss discovered 1
among the gamblers The principles werc
tied ard Gsubie-i-oned. and csrted OF i
10 the Mansion house n triumph. OIher i
exciting raids are recorded. in one Of 1
which every room II : house was broken !