The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1898-07-30 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

LIFE IN BROADMOOR ASYLUM.  The public have very little- idea of what is really meant when a murderer is sent to Broadmoor Lunatic Asylum. A letter, written by a murderer there, gives an account of life in that criminal retreat which throws light on the subject. The writer is Jonathan Lowe, aged 52, a labourer, who on May 20th was sentenced to death at the Central Criminal Court by Mr. Justice Hawkins for the wilful murder of Margaret Byrne, at 28, Red Lionsquare, on April 17th. It was stated at the trial that in consequence of his annoying attentions to Miss Byrne, a lodging-house keeper, Lowe was discharged from his employment, and afterwards wrote her many letters from the Strand Workhouse at Edmonton, receiving no reply. On April 17th she was found murdered, and, on being arrested for the crime, the accused expressed a hope that Miss Byrne was dead, adding, "I brought the knife away with me from the workhouse. It has Strand Union' stamped upon it, and you will find it in one of the areas in the square." At the end of a two days' trial, when insanity was pleaded as a defence, the jury, after a few minutes' deliberation, found the prisoner guilty; and the judge, in passing sentence of death, said the jury had righteously convicted the prisoner of the brutal, cruel, and premeditated murder of a woman who had never done him any harm. This man was sent to Broadmoor Asylum, from which he has just written a letter to a friend, of which the following is a verbatim copy "I dernsay you thnk me very unkinde for not writeing to you before now. I wanted to get a little bit used to the place first. I heard you was allwright for gettind back again wen you came to see me at Newgate ; that Chief Wader there is a very good man. I never had the least idear of giteing a reprieve wen you saw me, but I know now who I have to thank for it. lam very comfortable here. lam very kindoly treated here; the superintend, the doctors, and all the attendents are all very kind and respectfall to the patents. We have about five hours and half out in the gardens every day. There is books to read, periodicals, and the daly paper to read; biliarcls, bagatle; cards, demonios, chess, draphs, and everything that is nessery fer our amusement. Band plays out in the grounds, and there is plenty of musick amungst the patents themselves. We have our beer and tobaco and plenty of fruit; in fact, I am very comfortable. I am very well satesfied with my lot; it is better than Edmonton. Its all over with the briefs now. I might have done worse. Please give my best wishes to all, and let we know anything when you go up to London. Remember me to—; also my best respects to all in the kitchen. We can correspond with our friend wen we lik, and receive visitors; all I have to do is to behave myself. You must not believe all wat the papers said about me being discharged for digind a cat's eye out with a fork; that was lies that I left her on my own accord for reasons better known to myself; and the paper stated that I was very morose, and that I refused the administeration of the chaplin whilst in the condembd sell. That was also lies. I kept my tongue at the court as well as I could. I did not want to scandalise her after she as gann to account.. Hopeing you are quite well as this leaves me at present very comfortable.—l remain, yours respfully, JONOTHAN Lowz."  It will be interesting to many people to know that the scoundrel Prince, who so foully murdered Mr. Terriss, is living tinder the exceedingly comfortable circumstances described above.—Globs.