The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1912-07-05
PRISON CELLS OF
ANCIENT LONDON
Recently Discovered in Com
mon Lodging House.
Prisoners Carved Their Names on
Walls--.Massive Bolts Still
Hold the Doors.

Museum at Kensington Palace have
socured possession of some historic
pn,aon cells. wherein will be housed
the criminal relics of London.
The cells were discovered by a Y.
&. 9. official in a common lodging
house in wellclosc Square, saint
Geonge's-in-t the East, the Chronicle says
and are believed to date back TO The
time of Charles IL. and TO have been
the whitechapel Police Court. In tile
wallis, which are built of oak. thickly
studded with strong ron bolts. were the
original letters used for the condemned
prisoners, together with plank bed.
upon which no doubt many criminal
spent his last night.
The complete cells have been dis
mantled by experts. acting under in
strUctions from Guy Laking. custodian
of ahe new museum and will be re-
ereutad in their entirety in the annex
AT The museum. at Kensington. where
visitors will be able TO pass in and ont
of tIhem and inspect the many quaint
Inscriptions on the walls. An old oak
staircase still stands in the house m
Walsa,se Square. but this will not De
removed.
No. SO, where lived Thornas Day. the
author of the immortal SANFORD aad
MelTtOn,' is now "a mission to the Jews
and where the High Court of the Liber-
ties Of the Tower stood a furniture
dealer displays his wares.
Round the corner. in Neptune Street.
is public house. the Kings Arms, the
proprietor of which has "a prison on his
Promises. Hidden away from the pass
ing Wrong, unknown. Imagine, to
the majority of Lontloners, there are
the oells and the plank beds, aye. even
of rthe days when the poor prisoner was
poor indeed. the cells On which some
of the Peninsular prisoners pinned. and
whore many famous felon languished.
He takes his keys. and We pass
Through side door into a hall. From
the haM fine old staircase elads to
the courthouse. But the cells are below
We pass down a narrow, dark stairway,
through a brick kitchen and across y
paved yard, and presently we are IN
the cells.
Here they are. as they were 2OJ
years ago. The door has 40 be unlocked
with heavy keys. the massive bolts
have 20 be unshUt, and thick, black.
forhidling doors have to he forced
back upon their hinges before we can
enter the dungeons.
The old prison was known as the
SLY House, because people who were
seen 10 enter it were rarely seen CON-
ing odt again. There WAS a subtec.
ranean passage that led from til.
prison TO the tower. and to the docks;
and 1T was along this subtermnean way
that 1aIsoners passed on their way TO
the Success, the famous convict ship
Stan ding in one of the cells with its
plank BED. the heavy letters staplai
to the wall, the grating of the little
window closed. and the candle lighted
we people the dismal dungeon with
forms that have long since passel
away.
q 1ts of thA r.pic .l.I atp
names DOWN to posterity by carving
them on the woodwork. There the
foreign names and Irish names AMI
English names. One inscription is that
OF M. Stock,cy, the gentleman WHO
had the doubt ful honor of being tn
inventor OF the pitch plaster. THIS
was elapped over the mouth of the
victim 30 prevent him drawing public
attention to the fact that he Was being
assaulted and rebb,d.
Anclher poor prisoner dropped into
poetry and carved a significant verse
upon the wooden wall:
The cupboard is empty,
20 our sorrow; I
1st's hope it will
BE full tomorrow"
The faet that QUE forefathdr had u
put I'D with dungeon life for being
poor = illustrated by the Inscription.
PLEASE 10 remember the poor debtors,
l75S"
IL - strange experience To grope
your way through these gloomy ce,ls,
To come out through bar In which
"a gnoUp Of w'tterside loaiers are dis
cussine 'he free feeding of poor school
children, and pass thence into the sun
shine q The square. with dts mission
10 the Jews, its lodging houses for
allen Immigrants. It's moiern warehouses
ana "orkroonls, and group of Ia Is
absonbed In the latest cricket scores |
as set OUT in the $3.50 edition Of a half |