The Telegram. — 1893-07-25 (Weymouth, Dorset, England)

THE SECRETS OF THE PRISON HOUSE." "MURDER AND lAMORALITY.—Mise Ellen Golding, described as "the rescued nun,' gave aeceunts ef life inside French and English convents, and her escape from one of them, at the Town Hall on Monday. In the afternoon there Was a lecture to ladies enly, when "Iniquities of the %infusions,'" and'Cruelties is Uotivests " were dealt  tgith• In the peening the Mayor (Mr. G. W. ! Gaoler) presided, and was supported by the Rev. G. R. MeCienaghan. Dr. Hunt, and Mr. Edgar Allen.—Miss Golding having impressed on her hearers the truth of what she was about to tell them, briefly led up to her entrance into her first convent in Highgate Road, near Holloway, touching on the influences which induced her to become a nun. The truth, she said, as to life in a convent Wit% carefully concealed from young girls until they had taken the veil, and then, when it WAS too late, they found out what the system really was. The clothes worn were in a filthy condition, the hardest work had to he done, and the nuns, who were mere skin and bone, went about like corpses, despair being written on their faces. They all suffered from a nasty consumptive-like cough, from which many died. She had often seen nuns drop down dead from the coughing, and a priest once told them that "All die young in thin order." She had proof that the nuns died from ! poison which was put into their food. The same stuff was also used as a punishment for refrac' tory nuns and to put nuns conveniently out of the way if they wanted their money. She once heard a foundator say that if he had the truth put up over the doors of the convent it would be "Jealousy, hatred, and hell." Referring to the confessional, Miss Golding said that many nuns were driven mad by means of it, and she believed that the things which priests told them in the confessional were things which they would never have known or heard of in the world. Having briefly alluded to the superstition in the Roman Catholic Church, and to the immorality on the part of the priests in the convents, she related the thrilling incident of her rescue from one of the French convents near Belgium, and Was loudly applauded at the close of her lecture.—The Mayor said that if any one wished to ask Miss Golding any questions and would put them in writing she would answer there in the same way.—The Rev. G. R. McClenaglian proposed "That thin meeting is of opinion that provision should be made for the due inspection of convents in the United Kingdom—(cheers)—and with that view this meeting would regard with favour the introduction into Parliament of a bill for the purpose of providing for such inspection—(cheers)—and this meeting is further of opinion that whereas the inmates of cloister convents are unable to communicate freely to the outer world their desire, where they have such, of ceasing to remain therein, it is desirable that they should, by means of such inspection, be placed in a position of indicating their wishea to the public authorities, and that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Prime Minister and this Marquis of Salisbury." (Cheers.) Mr. A. R. Aldridge seconded, and it was carried unanimously.—Mr. E. Allen, in proposing a vote of thanks to Mite Golding, said that Humanism aimed at destroying the religions liberties of the people.—Mr. Edward Littleton (hon. secretary to the North Sussex Protestant Parliamentary Council) seconded, and said he would be glad if this result of the meeting was the formation of a district Protestant society for the town and neighbourhood. The motion was carried with acclamation, and Miss Golding returned thanks. A vote of thanks to the Mayor for presiding, on the motion of Dr. Hunt, seconded by the Rey. H. H. T. Cleife, closed the meeting.