Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1905-07-19

how Person who Either c..pos ar
VIII Not Pay what He owe. May
We Thrust Into JAIN over ana Owe,
Again For "contempt OF Court.
1t Is commonly supposed that I'm
.nese Gays there Is no Imprisonment
Tor debt In England. but the supposi.
uon Is wrong, both In substance and
IN fact. '-
True. the term imprisonment Tor
ueot Is done away with. perhaps be-
cause the debtor does not pay Ills debt
oy going 10 prison. yet 20 prison he
goes for Il all the same. although IN
the eyes and IN the phraseology OF the
law ne goes there for contempt OF
court" whereas 10 90 per cent OF such
cases the poor defaulter suffers his
seven. fourteen or twenty eight days
close confinement" solely because OF
his inability 20 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 II 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 IL he paid.
But second commitment on the
same Judgment is very rare.
AT the jail I'm certain eastern cOun-
". where the writer OF this article
spent fourteen days. he was not re-
celved quite rs felon would bo. but
decidedly not as nonlawbreaxcr
should be received and treated.
The time OF arrival was p. m.
He had no dinner. SO after his peck
cts had been cmptied and the articles
tabulated he was given six ounces Of
brown bread and four ounces OF "Har-
riet Lane"-L e. timed Australian
mutton.
He was then put into receiving
CELL" eight feet by four feet six Inches.
with concrete floor six feet below the
level OF the earth and decidedly damp.
as was proved 10y the wet salt kept
there FOR the prisoners use.
Two hours later he was removed 10
another receiving cell. this time with n
wooden floor. twelve feet long and six
feet wide. At q o'clock there came his
supper. pint OF weak oatmeal Cruel
and eight ounces OF the ubiquitous
brown brcad-the staple article OF diet
and the best.
His bed was two inch thick mat
tress or cocoanut fiber laid on three
boards supported on crosspieces about
three inches from the floor.
Tho L,.f.f,tf.,.- ..-.-.. A..
pillow ami bed boards were or n dccid-
edly hard nature.
At n quarter 20 n loud bell rang
TO - L. bed. and at s o'clock the gns
On small hole IN the wall and shut
out OF the cell 10y piece OF thick cor
rugatcd glass; was turned out. All
debtors get this treatment
ON The following morning at T3O
there came hreakfast-a pint Of weak
tea and eight ounces OF the brown
bread. Then the doctor called.
Are you all riShtf'
Eyes. thank YOU" And the door
banged like a clap Of thunder.
Then came the chaplain. clergy
man from outside. rather old. much
grabbed and certainly unfit for his post
He snapped like terrier with tooth
ache. ye; there was a yrowl IN his snap.
"Umph. What are You here forf"
Debt"
'Dcbt, Umph, Why don't you be
honest and pay your dcbtsF" Aud the
door banged louder than before. Final
~ came the governor on his daily
round OF inspection.
y days routine was simply this: Up
at the ring OF a 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 100 breakfast. each pris-
oner being then locked IN his cell TIL
$50. At which time all were mustered
and marched 10 chapel.
Then from chapel 10 cells again. 10 be
locked In until the governor made his
smart pace round OF inspection. say
ing as he sped past each cell door,
ANY cOmplaintsT but one had 10 be
there a week before the two words be-
came clear enough 10 Ice understood.
When he had gone all the debtors
were put into a room 10 pick cocoanut
fiber. Then came an hours exercise
In a large yard. after that dinner and
another locking in till $50 p. m. fol-
lowed 10y another hours exercise and
more fiber picking up 10 800 At 5:35
there was tea. when each man was
again locked in till q O'Clock next morn
ing
The debtors were allowed to speak
10 each other while at work and At ex-
ercise; they wore their own clothes II
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.
Pearson Weekly