The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1909-09-09
FIVE DAYS IN A DUNGEON.
Suffragette Holloway's Experience in
a London Prison.

SuHraSette HOllONdS LApeflchSo LII
London Prison.
On Monday, July -. was sent to
prison for six weeks for the part [
had taken in the women's demorstra-
ton on June 20. On Monday last l
was set at liberty.
For five days and six hours l have
been without food, and for five Gays
| have been shut up in punish
ment cell in Holloway, a cell whicn
1 can only fifty describe as dun
geon, and which l do not believe any
one outside of the officials of Hollo-
way could believe to exist in civilized
England in the. twentieth century.
When we got to Holloway on the
night of Monday, July 12, we deter
mined to protest against being I'M
prisoned in the second division as
common criminals. On Tuesday. as
we were not placed in the nrsr divis-
ion, we decided to break all the pris-
on regulations. We sang aloud
The Marseillaise. When the COVER
nor came to see me on Tuesday
morning said to him. Can you not
let us have any air in these cells?'
and he said, ''It is impossible for
you to have any more than you get
now l said to him, We shall,
then, have to find means for our
selves The wardress came to me
and said l was to clear up my cell.
l refused When they had left ]
broke three panes of glass in my cell
windows, and in that way vas able
to get air to breathe.
On Wednesday afternoon our cell
door was flung open. Come at
once" I was told. took up my bag
to bring that with me, buI it was
taken from me by force. 1 was then
taken down stairs, and found in a
room a committee of some 20 nagis-
trates, and 1 was asked whether
had any reason why I should not be
punished. I explained to them that |
had taken part in a political act and
refused to be treated as a common
criminal. They sentenced me to
seven days solitary confinement. in
the punishment cell.
I shall never forget the horrible
place into which l was taken. When
I saw the damp, underground dun
geon into which they led me I could
have cried bitterly, but somehow the
spirit always comes to you when you
are fighting for principle, and I de-
termined to stand my ground. The
place was horribly dirty and SEEM
ed full of all kinds of germs. There
was scarcely any ventilation and no
light except that which came from a
thick skylight in the ceiling, so that
the place was nearly dark.
The only bed in the room was
piece of wood let into the wall. The
whole place seemed to me as though
it had not been used for very long
time and was dark and damp. l
saw that all means of protest had
been taken from me except one, and
that was to do what Miss Wallace
Dunlop had done and refuse to take
any food.
The hardest time was the first "a
hours. Milk was brought to me,
which I felt I could have taken very
willingly, but I put it from me. Then
the wardress brought me in some
food. 1 said to her, "Will you please
take IudL Oul SuS SluSCO. IASl z.
fore took the tin in which it was
and rolled it out of the cell, and
what was in it went upon the ground.
On Friday 1 took to my bed, and the
doctor told me that if I persisted l
should get fever, but I was absolu-
tely determined to do my part at
whatever sacrifice.
On Sunday night I was taken to
the hospital, and there a fresh effort
was made to get me to take food.
Medicine was brought to me, which
I absolutely refused, knowing that it
was either food in another form or
else intended to aggravate my hun
ger. On Monday afternoon my head
was exceedingly bad, and l felt that
I hardly knew what l was doing, but
I determined that 1 would not give
in. In the evening the governor
came to me and said, Il have orders
to release you.''-Florence E. Cook
in London Mail.