The Midland Examiner and Wolverhampton Times. — 1877-10-27 (Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England)

YOUTHFUL PRISON POET.  _ Among the juvenile prisoners now confined in Gloucester Gaol is a lad of nineteen, who, although brought up in the (sundry to pursuits chiefly conneated with agriculture, shows a remarkable aptitude for learning. Since he has been inearcended he has mastered not only the elements of arithmetic, (jut has even progressed so far as vulgtr and decimal fractions, and the abstraction of the square and cube root. In addition tb his arithmetical studies he has turned his attention to rhyme, and, among other productions, has composed some verses which he styles "Random Jottings." Tho first verse is as follows,— "My time in prison has been long: I've yet got long to stay; But had I not, when out, done wrong, I should be out to-day." He wants to blow why ho should fret the flesh oft his bonus bemuse he is not at liberty, and after avowing his intention to do the best he can under '-c circumstances, he concludes:— , t‘ That which is good I'll try to know, And what I know to keep; For by doing so I shall sow What I shall one day reap. And it shall always be my aim, Whether I'm bond or free, To show my gratitude to those Who show regard for me."  sed s. Mr. Macdonald, M.P., in the c mrse of the Thurs. gof miners. Mr. permission, addres Macd ti crowded mid onald day afternoon visited the scene of the disaster. and being informed of the desire of the men to dese No. 2 pit. and the decision of the Co m'ent ionp s e pi „elcati ro rs.teoetrienfuse that he deeply sympathised with the object of the meeting, namely, to recover the bodies in the pit; but he had visited for the last tay.iity years all the great mining disasters, and he was, therefore, strongly of opinion that the miners should wait patiently, and not risk lives in order to recover the dead. He mentioned that at the Oaks Colliery twenty Men descended to recover dead bodies, bait they all perished. He counselled the meeting to exercise patience, and rest assured that a muching enquiry would be made into this new disaster. There had been cursed neglect. and that neglect would be proclaimed throughat the entire kingdom. He said advisedly that the grossest neglect had been manifeaed in the inspection of mines in that district. He implored them to leave the matter in the hands of the proper authorities, and not attempt, as some hid threatened to do, to take forcible possession of the mine. He hoped, however, that the country would not rest content until every such disaster was declared to be murder, and that the authors of the crime should be tried for murder. He had been told that men had been working with naked lights in this mine. Anyone who had evidence to give on the sub. ject should communicate with him, and he would sake means that it should be adduced at the investigation. He concluded by an appeal for subscriptions on behalf of the bereaved families.—The meeting agreed to adopt his advice—The opendions are therefore new confined to clearing No. I shaft. Her Majesty has sent a subscription of NU guineas for the relief of the sufferers, and numerous. other subscriptions are coming in.