The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-09-16
IN PRISON FOR DEBT.


1t is commonly supposed that in
these days there is no Imprisonment
for debt in England, but the supposi-
tion 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 some, 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 confnement" solely be-
cause of his inability to pay the month
ly sum ordered by the judge or mag
istrate.
''Nor, as already said, does the in
generation pay what is owing. For
if the creditor chooses to do so he can
have the debtor committed again i'm
mediately 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 the second commitment Oh 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 as feion would be, but deci-
dedly not as non-lawbreaker should
be received and treated.
The time Of arrival was P. NJ.
He had no dinner, SO after his pock-
cts had been emptied and the articles
tabulated he was given six ounces of
brown bread and four ounces of "Har-
riet Lane''-i. e., timed Australian
mutton.
He was then put into a receiving
CELL" eight feetby 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, pint of weak oat-
meal Cruel and eight ounces OF the
ubiquitous brown bread-the staple
articles of diet and the best.
His bed was two-inch thick mat
tress of cocoanut fiber laid on three
boards supported on cross pieces about
three inches from the floor.
The bedclotbes were ample, but
the pillow and bed boards were of
decidedly hard nature.
At quarter to loud bell rang
to 60 to bed, and at 8 O'Clock the gas
| (in 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 7.3o
there came breakfast 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, a clergy
man from outside, rather old, much
grabbed and certainly unfit for his
post. He snapped like a terrier with
toothache, yet there was growl in
his snap.
"Ump! What are you here for :"
Debt"
"Debt Umph /! Why don't you be
honest and pay your debts" And
! the door banged louder than before.
Finally came the governor on his daily
round of inspection.
A 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
corridor swept and busted and cell
utensils cleaned at 7.3o breakfast,
each prisoner being then lockedi In his
cell till $50, at which time all were
mustered and marched to chapel.
Then from chapel to cell again, to
be locked in until the governor made
his smart pace round of inspection,
saying as he sped pass each cell door,
"Any complaints?" 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 a room to pick cocoa
nut fiber. Then came an hours ex-
ercise in large yard at dinner and
another locking in till 80 P. M, fol-
lowed by another hours exercise and
more fiber picking up to $50. AT
s.3s there was tea, when each man
was again locked in till 6 o'clock next
morning.
The debtors were allowed to speak
to each other while at work and at
exercise; 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
ence between them and the lawbreak-
ers in the other part of the prison
Pea, sons monthly.
WOMAN EXPERT ON BANK NOTES.