The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1838-06-01 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD  JACK TARS IN A FRENCH GAOL.  When the depot was first established, distinction of rank or character was unknown ; all were confined together in the grand souter ain. Then, indeed, it deserved the name of the "Place of Tears," for, by wbat,l heard of it was a pandemonium. If the sailors, and those confined with them, had been tameable animals, and would have studied their own welfare, they might have been comfortable; but they were indomitable, being a terror to their guards, who dreaded coming in contact with them. If their liberty had depended upon overpowering the seventeen gendarmes and one hundred veterans, (which composed the garrison,) they would soon have liberated themselves. I shall here relate one of their feati, as it was generally reported, in order to elucidate their character. Among the prisoners, there was an Englishman detained, suspected of being a spy, bearing a colonel's commission in the Russian service. He was agreat favourite with the sailors; and, having committed some offence was being conducted to the cachet when they liberated him. The whole garrison was turned out; which the men observing, tan below, arming themselves, some with'billets of wood, and others with pieces of the guard-bed, which they tore up for the purpose, came up again and bade defiance to their guard, He that assumed the leadership said to the others, "Let us not be the attacking party; let us Wait till we see blood drawn from any of us; and then we will fall upon them, and murder the whole." The commandant and the general, seeing their attitude so imposing and their determination so visible, gave up the point; and the men returned to their usual obedience, which at the best was little more than a state of mutiny. The standing order was, that all light should be put out at eight o'clock ; but when there was any new arrival, any rejoicing-night, or any snipe (a cheap spirit distilled from potatoes) stirring, the order -became a dead letter. When it was first issued, the gendarmes would venture down to put them out; but often as they entered the seater ain, away flew hats and shoes at their lantern, and, when that was demolished, anything that could be laid hold of flew after them, which cased a hasty retreat. They met with no ()the? reception if ever they went down to suppress their rows. They were horrified at a regular stand-up fight ; and were anxious to separate the combatants, fearing they might kill each other. At length the gendarmes had such a dread of going among them, that they had to be accompanied by the veterans; anal Ifie.commandant, finding the inutility of interfering, told his men to leave them to themselves; and, if they chose to kill each other, they were at liberty to do so: for his pat t, he would listen to no more complaints, nor give the injured redress; and that, henceforward, they must govern themselves. They took him at his word; and, when thefts were committed, or anycrinie that was thought worthy of publicinquiry, a court-martial was held, and the accused brought before the accuser; when, if found guilty, he was sentenced to so many stripes, which were immediately inflicted, with such severity as would have surprised those who set their faces against corporeal punishment 'under any circumstance. Here were seamen flogging their fellow seamen; and for what reason ? Because they could devise no other punishment equally effective to keep each other's vices in somesort of check. After the punishment had been administered, the cat was given into the custody of the brigadier of the fort.— Ellison's Prison Scenes.