The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1905-06-13
IN PRISON FOR DEBT
THE WAY THE LAW is MADE TO
FIT THE CASE IN ENGLAND.
How a Person Who Either Cannot or
VIII Not Pay What He Owes May
Be Thrust Into Jail Over and Over
Again For "Contempt of Court"

VIII Not Pay What He Owes May
Be Thrust Into jail Over and Over
Again For contempt of Court"
1t Is commonly supposed that In
these days there is no Imprisonment
for debt in England, but the suppose
ton is wrong, both in substance and
In fact.
True, the term Imprisonment for
debt is done away with, perhaps be-
cause the debtor does not pay his debt
by going to prison, yet to prison he
goes for it all the same, although in
the eyes and in the phraseology of the
law he goes there for contempt of
court" whereas in 90 per cent Of such
cases the poor defaulter suffers his
seven, fourteen or twenty eight days
''close confinement" solely because of
his inability to pay the monthly sum
ordered by the judge or the magis-
trate.
Nor, as already said, does the incar-
ceration pay what is owing For if the
creditor chooses to do so he can have
the debtor committed again immedi-
ately after one term has been served
and so on as long as the debtor lives,
because the judgment goes on forever
unless the amount of 1t be paid.
But a second commitment on the
same judgment is very rare.
At the Jail in certain eastern coun-
ty, where the writer Of this article
spent fourteen days, he was not re-
ceived quite as felon would be, but
decidedly not as a nonlawbreaker
should be received and treated.
The time of arrival was D. m.
He had no dinner, so after his peck
cts had been emptied and the articles
tabulated he was given six ounces of
brown bread and four ounces of ''Har-
riet Lane"-i. g., timed Australian
mutton.
He was then put into receiving
CELL" eight feet by four feet six inches,
with a concrete floor six feet below the
level of the earth and decidedly damp,
as was proved by the wet salt kept
there for the prisoners use.
Two hours later he was removed to
another receiving cell, this time with a
wooden floor, twelve feet long and six
feet wide At o'clock there came his
supper, a pint of weak oatmeal Cruel
and eight ounces of the ubiquitous
brown bread-the staple article Of diet
and the best.
His bed was a two inch thick mat
tress of cocOanut fiber laid on three
boards supported on crosspieces about
three inches from the floor.
The bedclothes were ample, but the
pillow and bed boards were of a decid-
eddy hard nature.
At a quarter to 8 loud bell rang
to go to bed, and at o'clock the gas
Qn small hole in the wall and shut
out Of the cell by piece Of thick cor
rugated glass; was turned out. All
debtors get this treatment.
On the following morning at 7:30
there came breakfast-a pint of weak
tea and eight ounces of the brown
bread. Then the doctor called.
"Are you all right?"
Eyes, thank you" And the door
banged like clap of thunder.
Then came the chaplain, clergy
man from outside, rather old, much
grabbed and certainly unfit for his post.
He snapped like a terrier with tooth
ache, yet there was growl in his snap.
''Umph! What are you here for?'
'fDebt."
'Debtl Umph! Why don't you be
honest and pay your debtsT" And. the
door banged louder than before. Final
" came the governor on his daily
round Of inspection
A days routine was simply this: Up
at the ring of bell at 5:45, dress in
the dark; then came lights, beds and
bedding were put away, cells and cor
ridor swept and busted and cell utensils
cleaned; at 1870 breakfast, each pris-
oner being then locked in his cell till
$50, at which time all were mustered
and marched to chapel.
Then from chapel to cells again, to be
locked in until the governor made his
smart pace round of inspection, say
ing as he sped past each cell door,
ANY complaintsP" but one had to be
there week before the two words be-
came clear enough to be understood.
When he had gone all the debtors
were put into room to pick cocoanut
fiber. Then came an hours exercise
in large yard, after that dinner and
another locking In till 100 p. M, fol
lowed by another hours exercise and
more fiber picking up to $50. At 5:35
there was tea, when each man was
again locked in till 6 o'clock next morn
ing.
The debtors were allowed to speak
to each other while at work and at ex-
ercise; they wore their own clothes If
they wished to; there was no stipu-
lated amount Of work to be done, and
here ended the only practical differ
ences between them and the lawbreak-
ers in the other part Of the prison.
Parsons Weekly.