We had all come with experience of prison life, and were not easily
perturbed. We had become accustomed to taking things as we found them,
and making them the basis of improvement, not in the mood of those who
sought privileges, but as those who demanded rights. Our first act was
to elect a Ceann-Phort, through whom to formulate our demands, and by
whom to lay out the lines of our life together. Our next act was to put
together the tables that stood in the passage in order that we might
have our meals together. From the very first during the time we were
permitted together we at once took the control of our affairs into our
own hands, and it became a recognised principle that any dealings of
officials with us were with us as a whole and not with individuals.
For instance, the prison had to be scrubbed through twice a week, and
in addition there was orderly work to be appointed, such as daily
sweeping, polishing of rails, cleaning of dishes, and, as we had
elected to take our meals together, the preparation and clearance of
tables. For this work it was proposed, as in the usual way, to select
the required men, and to pay them at the prison rate of ten pence a
day. Instead of that we desired that the payment should be made to the
Ceann-Phort, saying that the work would be done under his arrangements.
We were then drawn out into eight teams who took it in turns for
orderly work. The fatigues on Wednesday and Saturday were taken by each
half-company of four teams. All questions concerning our life were
arranged between our Ceann-Phort and the prison Governor.
The moneys that were paid over to us were expended by us, together with
contributions made from time to time from among us, on the canteen
that was open three days in the week. For the food that we received
was the same as we had received in other prisons, except that at first
its quality was improved. While our exchequers lasted we were able to
enrich our dietary to some extent by extra doles of bread, margarine
and sugar. This canteen was in the hands of one of the grocers in the
town for the use of all the prisoners in the jail.
The first night we were locked up at eight o’clock, with lights
out at nine. This was one of the first matters to which we turned
our attention. We were not successful in approximating this to the
conditions that had prevailed elsewhere with us, such as at Stafford,
but we were finally able to have the time altered to ten. The gravest
hardships, however, in the conditions as at first announced to us
were that we were only suffered one visit every three months and one
letter each month. These were the ordinary conditions imposed on penal
servitude convicts,
* * * * *
Finally we were permitted one visit a month and two letters each week,
the letters to be written on little slips of paper provided for us. At
first also we were refused the right to receive parcels of food sent
in by friends. This was clearly contrary to the code prevailing for
Prisoners ...; and this also we had annulled.
Therefore our life, as finally adjusted, was on this wise. We were
aroused at seven o’clock, and the orderlies for the day at once laid
the breakfast, which was taken at a quarter to eight. At half-past ten
we were taken out by the warders to the work yard for exercise. There
we disported ourselves as we pleased until we were brought in for
dinner at twelve. In the afternoon we went out, not to the work yard,
but to the small exercise yard at the back of our prison. This was
separated by a wall from the Debtors’ Yard, of which Wilde had sung:
In Debtors’ Yard the stones are hard,
And the dripping wall is high.