Fry, Elizabeth Gurney, 1780-1845; Prison reformers -- Biography
We proceeded to the felons' door, the steps of which were covered
with their friends, who were waiting for admission, laden with the
various provisions and other articles which they required, either
as gifts, or to be purchased, as the prisoners might be able to
afford. We entered with this crowd of persons into an ante-room,
the walls of which were covered with the chains and fetters
suspended in readiness for the criminals. A block and hammer were
placed in the centre of it, on which chains were riveted. The room
was guarded with blunderbusses mounted on movable carriages. I
trembled, and was sick, and my heart sunk within me, when a
prisoner was brought forward to have his chain lightened, because
he had an inflammation in the ankle. I spoke to him, for he looked
dejected and by no means ferocious. The turnkey soon opened the
first gate of entrance, through which we were permitted to pass
without being searched, in consequence of orders issued by the
sheriffs. The crowd waited till the men had been searched by the
turnkeys, and the women by a woman stationed for that purpose in
the little room by the door of the entrance. These searchers are
allowed, if they suspect spirits, or ropes, or instruments of
escape to be concealed about the person, to strip them to ascertain
the fact. A melancholy detection took place a few days ago. A poor
woman had a rope found upon her, concealed for the purpose of
liberating her husband, who was then sentenced to death for highway
robbery, which sentence was to be put into execution in a few days.
She was, of course, taken before a magistrate, and ordered into
Newgate to await her trial. She was a young and pretty little Irish
woman, with an infant in her arms. After passing the first floor
into a passage, we arrived at the place where the prisoners'
friends communicate with them. It may justly be termed a sort of
iron cage. A considerable space remains between the grating, too
wide to admit of their shaking hands. They pass into this from the
airing-yard, which occupies the centre of the quadrangle round
which the building runs, and into which no persons but the visiting
ladies, or the persons they introduce, attended by a turnkey, are
allowed to enter. A little lodge, in which an under turnkey sleeps,
is also considered necessary to render the entrance secure. This
yard was clean, and up and down it paraded an emaciated woman, who
gave notice to the women of the arrival of their friends. Most of
the prisoners were collected in a room newly appropriated for the
purpose of hearing a portion of the Sacred Scriptures read to them,
either by the matron or by one of the ladies' committee--which last
is far preferable. They assemble when the bell rings, as near nine
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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