Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-09-25
PRIVATE PRISONS.
One In Vienna Where Wealthy Wrong.
doAra Mara aoardad


With the death of Herr Muller ~
Gently at Vienna private prison
which In the course of the last thirt,
years had received many occupants
has closed its doors. Possessing the
reputation of being a thorough marti.
net, Herr Muller was much sought ar
ter by parents of recalcitrant sons,
who, needing punishment or disci.
pine, were conf1ded to his keeping.
For faults Of which the law would
have taken cognizance not few de
linquents received their due in the
house of Herr Muller, preferring tt
undergo this unofficial Imprisonment
to being hailed before the authorities
Scandal was thus avoided at mod
crate cost. while at the same timl
the fault that had been committed re-
ceived It's Just corrective.
A somewhat similar establishment
was some years since kept at Birming.
ham by a man who had great repu.
tation among the poorer classes as a
disciplinarian. Many a boy reputed
to be incorrigible was confided to
his care, with the happiest result, for
there were but few instances in which
a week or two's enforced sojourn UNI
der his roof did not work the desired
change.
e. P. Whipple, the American critic
and lecturer, used to tell of an &c.
centric New York citizen who, hav.
ing devoted his leisure to the study
of the religious orders of the Middle
Ages. was SO struck by pamphlet on
the punishment by immurement that
he resolved to copy the procedure, for
which purpose he had a narrow cell
constructed within the walls of his
house.
For this dungeon he procured an
occupant in the person of pauper,
who. in consideration of handsome
annuity allowed to his wife, consent.
ed to be confined for four years as a
prisoner whose sole means Of com.
munication with the outer world was
an aperture in the wall barely large
enough to permit of the passage of
food.
For while after his removal from
Fonthill to Bath, William Beckford,
the author of ''Vathek," may be said
to have been an amateur jailer, as
he paid a man. a large wage to under
go voluntary imprisenmentsof- some
months duration, during which time
he was neither to wash his body nor
cut his nails or haiy. Another condt
ton was that his only sustenance
should consist of bread and water,
barely sufficient to support his exist
ence.
An amusing case was heard some
while back in the Bavarian law courts,
when a man accused his wife of hav.
ing incarcerated him in a cellar OF, his
house. The woman pleaded guilty to
the charge, but advanced in extenua-
ton the fact that the good looks Of
her husband had had such a magnetic
effect upon the women of the neigh
borhood that unless she had taken
strong measures her husband would
have become the common possession
of all her female acquaintance and
neighbors.
But of all keepers of private jails
perhaps the most singular is rich
landowner of Foggia, in Italy, who
built one solely for his own use. Sent
enced in 1898 for the murder of his
servant to ten years imprisonment
he managed to escape from custody.
His whereabouts remained unknown
until lately, when the police raided his
house and effected the capture of the
long-lost criminal, who was discovered
locked up in a cell which he had him.
self constructed, and in which, by his
orders, one of his servants held him
confined on the usual prison diet Of
bread and water. Already has he thus
served eight years of his sentence.
but 1t is more than doubtful whether
this self-inflicted punishment will be
taken into consideration by the au.
thorities