The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-09-02
MRS. MAVERICK HEARD.
Woman Made Famous by Imprison-
n1ent for Murder Speaks on
"Prison Life"

Mrs. Florence Maybrick, the prison
err of international fame whose pres
ence at the chautauqua Sunday after
noon did more perhaps than anything
else to draw the large crowd. made a
favorable impression on all who heard
her but her voice was too weak to car
ry entirely over the vast audience.
Having spent fifteen years in an Eng
lish prison on the charge of having
murdered her husband and having Wis
tied twenty-eight of the largest pris-
ons in America, Mrs. Maybrick was
we'll qualified to speak on Prison
Life"
There-1fas been much tragedy in
Mrs. Maybrick's life, the loss of her
|tWOs[IB s6n being her greatest blow.
a~eet face and is doing a great
work.
=. Is in Prison Work.
ii In beginning her address the speak
er thanked the people for their sym
pathy and interest that so much COM
forted her in the prison cell. You
made it possible that the spirit of an
American woman can never be crush
ed. She came to tell not only of her
own experiences but Of the conditions
in our prisons. Scattered over this
land of ours are still relics of barbar-
ism. The treatment of our prisoners
is not what it should be, although it is
far beyond that of the old world. I
had hardly been in America two
months, when / received letters ask
ing me to come to the prisons and
give them some strength, hope and
try to ameliorate the conditions. I go
into prisons and speak to the men
and by the way in which they receive
me feel that | have no right, no mat
ter what I may personally suffer. to
give up this work. The great ques-
ton today is how shall the punish
ment of prisoners be enforced"
Tells Her Story.
The speaker told at length and in
detail of the story of her marriage
to a man much older than herself. a
man of the world. how he had been
addicted to the drug habit, of his
death, etc. The story has often been
told and is familiar to the public. She
told of her being clapped into the
dungeon which is below the court
where the trial is held. Prisoners
are placed on a dock and hoisted up
to the court room above.
"The day for the tflal finally came
and heralds dressed in bright red an
nounced the coming of the judge with
the blowing of trumpets. Everything
is done with ceremony and pomp n
the English courts. During the trial.
which lasted five days, / was Compel
ed TO stand in the dock. as no prisoner
on trial in England can sit down in
the presence of the court. 1t took
just twenty minutes to get the jury.
No man was challenged. although Two
of the jurymen were invalids and two
were deaf
The next day / went with the chain
gang, ten other women, to the depot,
where We took the train for what was
to become my living tomb for fifteen
years. Arriving at the prison our gar
ments were taken off and convict garb
given to US. My head was then shaw
ed and this was the first act which
really told me OF the degradation into
which | had fallen / was taken across
a court through heavy iron doors and
finally the matron opened the door of
what became my abode for fifteen
years | hesitated before entering.
and well l might My hesitation did
not last long. as the matron gave me
a push, closed the door and I was
alone 1t was the last time / was to
feel the touch OF human being for