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SIX YEARS
IN THE
PRISONS OF ENGLAND.
BY
A MERCHANT.
EDITED BY FRANK HENDERSON.
REPRINTED FROM "THE TEMPLE BAR MAGAZINE."
LONDON:
RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET.
Publisher in Ordinary to Her Majesty.
1869.
TO A
KIND AND DEVOTED BROTHER,
WHO CHEERED ME WITH WORDS OF
CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY AND BROTHERLY LOVE
DURING THE
DARKEST AND MOST DESOLATE HOURS
OF MY
PAST UNHAPPY CAREER,
THE FOLLOWING PAGES ARE AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED BY
THE AUTHOR.
Transcriber's Note: In this text the use of an underline (_) indicates
italics, an equal sign (=) indicates a word in bold type, and a caret
(^) indicates that the following letters are superscripted. Also,
British pounds are shown as _l._ rather than the fancy £.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE
1.--My Commercial Antecedents--How I got into Prison 1
2.--My Feelings on First Entering a Prison--Treatment and
Employment before Trial--My Trial and Sentence 10
3.--Three Months in a Scottish Prison--Begin my Study of the
Convict and his Surroundings--An Old Jail Bird--A Soldier--An
Innocent Convict--My First Cracksman Acquaintance--Conspiracy
to Murder an Officer, and Escape--My Removal to England 21
4.--My Arrival at the Yorkshire Prison--In Simpliciter
Naturalibus--Get Animal Food--Medical Treatment--Statuesque
Christianity--Removed to the Hospital--Death of a Prisoner--My
Leg gets Much Worse--Removal to Surrey Prison 34
5.--Surrey Prison--Daily Routine of Hospital Life--Set a Thief
to Catch a Thief--My Leg gets Worse--Amputation--Life Despaired
of--Prison Doctors--Want of Periodical Hospital Inspection 44
6.--I Petition the Home Secretary--Doctor pronounces me
"Quite Well"--"Schemers," their Treatment and Fate--Death-Bed
Scenes 55
7.--Thiefology--What the uninitiated Convict may Learn in Prison 65
8.--Another Companion--A Career of Crime--His Opinions about
Religion and Church Rates--An Incurable: His Opinion about
Flogging 79
9.--Another Prisoner--Happy as a King--Cure of a Doctor--The
Tobacco and Food Exchange--Another Jail Bird--Civil and
Lazy--Undeserved Remission--Prison Directors, and How they
Discharge their Duties--I Petition to Go Abroad on "Insufficient
Grounds" 93
10.--The Prison--Daily Routine--Readings in Prison--Quarrels among
the Prisoners--Protestants _versus_ Catholics--School--Sundays
in Prison--"Sacrament Blokes"--Turning Point in Prisoners'
Career 107
11.--Indiscriminate Association of Prisoners--Transportation, and
the Cause of its Failure--A Gunsmith 119
12.--How Rebels against Society are made--I am Removed to a
Small Room, amongst Murderers--The "Highflyer" again--How a
Young Gentleman was made a Warning to Others 131
13.--The Act of 1864--Classification of Prisoners--The Mark System:
Its Defects--The True Criminal Law of Restitution--The
only Method by which Confirmed Criminals may be
Reclaimed--Workhouses 144
14.--The New Arrangements as to Remissions--Artificial Legs--Another
Interview with the Visiting Director--Compose Verses--Hospital
once more--Fenians--Prisoners' Letters 158
15.--A very bad Case--A self-taught Artist--A Clergyman also a
Convict--The Clergyman is taught Tailoring--How we Punish
Violation of the Seventh Commandment and the Eighth 169
16.--Quackery--Food--A Chatham Prisoner eats Snails and
Frogs--Sir Joshua Jebb's System and its Defects 181
17.--A new Governor--Bread-and-Water Jack--Severe
Punishments--Directors again--A Herb Doctor--Extraordinary
Story 193
18.--In Prison again--I see the Prison Director for the last
time--Gentleman Prisoners--A Will Forger--A "Warning to
Others"--Fenians--Treatment of Political Prisoners--Another
Jail Bird 207
19.--Prisoners' Conversations--Larry and Tim get into Chokey--Big
Croppy--What Pat gets "in for"--Malicious Gambling--Pat's
Patent for getting a New Coat--Dick's Exploits--Ned's
Adventures and Escapes--A New Screw arrives--A Prisoner
empties the Wine Cup at the Altar--Ned, Dick, and Pat's
Opinions about Badges, Classification, Head Blokes,
Prisoners' Aid Society and the Irish System 220
20.--Capital Punishments--I receive my License--Strange
Bed-fellows--My Liberation 236
* * * *
APPENDIX.
Letters received by the Author--
From the French Consul Général in London iii
From M. Rouher, Ministre de l'Agriculture, du Commerce
et des Travaux Public iv
From the Committee of Privy Council for Trade v
Orders of License to a Convict vi
SIX YEARS IN THE PRISONS OF ENGLAND.
CHAPTER I.
MY COMMERCIAL ANTECEDENTS--HOW I GOT INTO PRISON.
In the beginning of the year 1856 I commenced business on my own
account, as a merchant in a Northern City. Previous to that time I had
been engaged in an unsuccessful partnership, but I paid my creditors in
full with the small capital advanced to me by my friends for the
purpose of my new adventure. When I began operations, therefore, I was
literally without a shilling in the world, but I had a spotless
character, enjoyed good credit, and possessed a thorough knowledge of
my business; advantages which I easily persuaded myself would enable me
to succeed without the actual possession of capital.--My business
connections were scattered over various parts of the world, and
generally ranked among the very best class of foreign merchants. I
usually received orders by letter, sometimes I gave open credits to
houses whose orders I could not otherwise secure, but frequently I had
remittances long before the merchandise could arrive at its
destination. The trade was one of confidence, requiring both character
and position for its development, and had I been prudent enough to
confine myself strictly to this branch of the business, I would now,
without doubt, have been a wealthy and successful merchant. At the end
of my first year's operations my ledger showed a satisfactory balance
to my credit. The year 1857 opened auspiciously, and I continued to
prosper almost to the end of it, when a storm swept over the commercial
world, which involved hundreds of firms in bankruptcy and ruin.
From the nature of my business it was scarcely possible I could escape,
and although I succeeded in avoiding bad debts, I incurred indirect
losses to a very considerable amount. In May, 1858, I paid a visit to
the Continent, in order to ascertain on the spot how my connections
there had weathered the recent storm. This visit resulted in a large
increase of legitimate business, and up to this point I had taken no
false step. Shortly afterwards, however, I was induced to embark in two
different and distinct branches of trade, which led to my ruin. The
first was the manufacture of novelties, which, after a large
expenditure, I was obliged to relinquish, in consequence of my not
having sufficient capital to make it profitable. The second was a
mercantile business, managed by an agent resident on the Continent.
This agent was without means, and, as I afterwards found, without the
abilities necessary for the position. He had not long commenced
operations when a war broke out in Lombardy, which furnished his
customers with an excuse for rejecting the goods they had ordered
before prices began to recede. The consequence was that I had thousands
of pounds' worth of goods thrown upon my hands abroad, which resulted
in large direct and still larger indirect losses. It was at this
juncture that I ought to have stopped payment, but, being of a sanguine
disposition, and my regular business continuing to prosper, I hoped the
successes in the one branch would balance the losses in the other, and
I resolved to struggle on. I paid a second visit to the Continent about
this time, which resulted in the formation of a partnership with my
agent, the business to be carried on in his name. The new firm was
debited with all the stock on hand at cost prices, and in all future
business the profits were to be divided. I thought, by giving my friend
an interest in this branch of my business, that I would lessen my
losses on rejected stock and facilitate my escape from impending
bankruptcy. I arranged to draw bills on the firm at three months' date,
payable abroad, for such amounts as my partner could see his way to
meet at maturity. I also had a private arrangement with my partner for
obtaining what I called accommodation bills. These were in the form of
promissory notes, issued in my favour, and payable in London by myself;
they were not to enter into the books of the firm, and I was to be
entirely responsible for them. I may here also explain that the
partnership between me and my agent was not known, except to the
customers of the firm abroad and to my own clerks at home. Thus, under
the pressure of large obligations I was not at the moment in a position
to meet, joined to an extreme horror of the very idea of bankruptcy,
involving as it did the loss of a lucrative and steadily-increasing
branch of my regular business; I resorted to an expedient to preserve
my character and position which I afterwards found the laws of my
country declared to be a serious crime, to be expiated only by the
complete and utter ruin of both.
During all this time my private and social relations were without
reproach; neither was I without opportunity, gladly embraced, of doing
good service to the trade with which I was connected, and also to my
country. In the year 1860 I was chosen a director of the Chamber of
Commerce in the city where my business was chiefly transacted. In
connection with the international treaty between Great Britain and
France, I was selected by my co-directors to classify and place average
permanent values on the manufactures of the district, in order to
regulate their admission under that treaty with France. I performed the
task to the entire satisfaction of the Chamber, and was afterwards sent
to Paris as one of a deputation appointed for the purpose of giving Mr.
Cobden the most efficient aid towards the completion of his glorious,
and happily successful, project. Owing to the very strong protectionist
feeling on the part of the French manufacturers, great difficulties
were encountered; but, after the deputation had made two visits to
Paris, they were finally overcome. It was universally acknowledged that
if it had not been for the presence of practical men in Paris on that
occasion, the treaty would have been completely inoperative, so far as
concerned the important manufactures which I as one of the deputation
represented. For my share in these transactions I received the thanks
of the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade, also the
commemorative medal from the French Government, with accompanying
letter,[1] acknowledging my services, from M. Rouher, then Minister of
Commerce and Agriculture at Paris.
[1] See Appendix.
During my second visit to Paris, in 1860, on public duty, I formed the
resolution of breaking off my connection with the partner previously
referred to, and of starting a business in Paris. I entered into
negotiations with a gentleman highly recommended to me with a view to
partnership, and received from my father the promise of cash to assist
me in my new undertaking. Once fairly clear of the losing branch of my
business I hoped very speedily to make up my previous losses, and the
spring of 1861 was fixed upon for the opening of my Paris
establishment. But my hopes were not destined to be realised. On
looking into my affairs at the close of the year, I found,
notwithstanding the satisfactory character and position of the
legitimate branch of my business, and notwithstanding that my private
expenditure did not amount to a tenth part of the profits on that
branch, I had otherwise become almost hopelessly involved, and I
accordingly resolved to stop payment. With this view, I disclosed to my
principal creditor my position and intentions. Taking the manager of
the firm into my confidence, I informed him of the assistance I
expected to receive from my father, and the hopes I entertained of the
results of my Paris business when once in operation. The consequence_
was that the firm offered to forego 1000_l._ of their claim against
me, and to give me occasional assistance in cash to meet any other
engagements if I would continue to carry on my business. At this time I
owed them about 10,000_l._, covered to a considerable extent by the
accommodation bills I have already referred to; I must, however,
explain that the character of these bills was known to the manager of
the firm, and any banker or discounter could have readily satisfied
himself as to their value by simply writing to the house in London
where they were domiciled.
There were many considerations urging me to accept the offer now made
to me. The present of 1000_l._, the probable success of my Paris
business, the approach of my money making season, joined to my horror
of bankruptcy, all combined to induce me to alter my resolution to stop
payment, and to inspire me with the hope that I would yet be able to
retrieve my position and retain my good name. In a fatal hour I yielded
to the temptation and closed with the proposals made to me, with the
additional obligation that I was to pay off the 10,000_l._ due to the
firm I have mentioned during the approaching season, and to give them
good bills in exchange for the accommodation paper held by them. No
sooner was this arrangement completed than I set about preparations for
opening my Paris house. I refused to send any more goods to my old
partner, and ordered him to wind up the business by the following May.
I moreover resolved to having nothing more to do with accommodation
bills, tore out all the leaves in my private letter book referring to
these documents--a very fatal error, as I afterwards found--and exerted
myself to pay off the claims of those of my creditors who knew my
position. So well did I succeed, that by the end of April I had reduced
the 10,000_l._ claim to rather less than 5000_l._, or rather to
4000_l._, taking into account the 1000_l._ conceded by the firm
previously mentioned. But before this I had began to suspect that my
friends did not mean to adhere to the arrangement I had entered into
with them, one part of which was, that they were to retire and return
me the accommodation bills, on getting good paper in their place. I had
at this time placed good bills in their hands to the extent of
3500_l._, but they refused to give up those they were intended to
replace until they arrived at maturity.
I began to fear that they would now compel me to stop payment just when
they supposed I should be in possession of fresh funds for my Paris
partnership, and at a time when (with the bills in their possession,
which ought, according to agreement, to have been in mine) they could
rank on my estate for about 7000_l._, when with less than 4000_l._ I
could have settled the account. This, by the way, is what they
ultimately did, and had my estate yielded the respectable dividend they
expected, instead of losing even the 1000_l._ they promised to concede
to me, they would have been gainers to that amount by the operation.
My transactions with this firm were in the position I have described
when I started for the Continent with the view of opening my Paris
business, and of winding up my previous unlucky partnership. This was
the most successful journey I ever made. I visited Bremen, Hamburg, the
interior of Germany, crossed through Switzerland to Lyons, where I
appointed to meet my French traveller; visited with him all the large
towns in France, and with my pocket-book full of valuable orders I
found myself in London in less than four weeks from the time I left
home. I arrived in London on a Wednesday, and telegraphed to the firm
to which I have referred that I would call on them personally on the
following Friday morning, to settle their claim and receive the bills
they ought to have returned before. * * * On the Thursday evening, as I
was preparing to leave the hotel for the railway station, I was
suddenly and most unexpectedly arrested, and have not yet reached the
spot I once loved to call my Home.