The Alaska daily empire., 1915-10-16


 At lhat period there were over ono hundred and loriy-iiYo olienses for which Che decrccd penalty Wn8 death. ! but tho hangmen were kept DO busy. l that for tho less heInous crimes tnp sentence Of death was commuted Go one of transportation for life. or for l4 years, or where the crime was eH- ceptonaily triviai, that is trivial in the light oi lho present day Go sen- tence of seven years which was tne minimum for transported convict. It has De,n truly said that tho penal laws of Hiigiant at that time were black disixace to civilization.
 The huraan cargoes on these con- viot ships died ofi like rotten sheep. In Che brief space available hero not even an idoa can he given of tho ghastly hcrrors of ono oi those voy- ages but. In the official "History oi the Convict Ship 'Succoss'' compiled In the British Museum and State De- partmonts in London from actual gov ernmental records tho story is told in luli-a terrible story of O terrible period. appalling in intensity of horror. ! Yet every line and every statement is but dispasaionato relation of ac- tual fact Here Is an extract from an official record of the maiden trip of the Success" as convict ship. pr. White. the Colonial surgeon reported:
 P of 9S9 males" he
 says. in 1902 "sent out by the
 iast ships. Success Scarborough
 and'Neptuno,' 252 died on board,
 and DO have died since landing,
 the number of sick this day is
 450 and many who arc reckoned
 as not sick have barely strength
 to attend to themselves" |"
 Engaged in this hideous trade the Success" continued to serve until 1851 in which year she was perma- nently stationed as Q receiving prison in Hobsons Bay. Australia
 Cells. strong and gloomy, were con- structed on the tween and lower decks, and in these the most desper- ate criminals that England and Aus tralia could produce were "accommo- dated" A large force Of warders was employed to guard the prisoners, and in order to isolate tho ship cordon of buoys was moored around the hulk at a distance Of seventy-five yards. and any person entering the circle without authority, or not being possessed with counter sign, rem dered himself liable to the severest penalties. even to being shot on sight. The lower deck was devoted to Che worst type of convicts, any only the prisoners of the better class were confined in the tween deck cells. "Re- fractory" prisoners were immured an throughout the long days and nights in the noisome dungeons in the dark depths of the lower hold and were never allowed ashore on any pretext Their only exercise and opportunity of enjoying @ breath of fresh air was restricted to one hour in every twen- ty.four when they were marched from stem to stern on deck The excep- tionally high bulwarlls prevented them seeing aught but the strip of blue Aus tralian sky directly overhead; the while-winged gulls as they glided ov- erhead seeming Go mock tho prison CTS in their heavy chains. From long confinement in the dark cells the eye sight of the convicts was generally ruined. The sudden transition from their black dens to the dazzling sun shine, in their hours respite. was more bewilderlng than tho sensation experienced by the miner emerging into daylight after some hours soiuorn In the bowels of the earth.
 The sight of the prisoners at exer- else was saddening in the extreme. each man half stooping beneath the weight of the links with which he was encumbered. The marked desperad- oes were closely watched by special warders and marched straight up and down whilst the others made the round tour of the ship by crossing over to the opposite side on reaching the fence at either end. The course they followed can still be perceived by tracing the grooved pathway worn In to the oririnal blanks of the deck
 As they paced the deck during this hour of comparative relaxation, it was no uncommon event for one of the prisoners to make bold dash for freedom or death They scarcely ex- Uected to get beyond the cordon of buoys, but they were reduced to such state Of desperation that they pre- terred @ watery grave to the treat ment they received on this @ocean hell" When one of these "rrshers" was overtaken in such an attempt. he was invariably punished by having heavy ball of iron. weighing about 70 pounds. attached to his belt by a chain. This punishment ball" is still preserved on board the Success"
 As an additional punishment the eyes of tho refractories on parade were sometimes tightly bandaged, and gagging is shown to have been resort ! ed to by the authorities. who appear to have exercised O dendish ingenuity in the invention of means to break the convicts' spirits The 'biaek gag' consisted of O wooden bit in a leather bridle, the straps buckling around the conyicts' head and neck and @ perfor ation was made iu the moulhpiece to I enable him to breathe. The prison dress was always plainly branded with board-arrows and distinctive numbers. The hair of each prisoner was clipped l at frequent interval1, and they were always kept in irons The black cmith's forge was under the fo'c'sle head where Q convict son of vulcan