Prisoner for BlasphemyFoote, G. W. (George William)
Religion
Prisoner for Blasphemy
Foote, G. W. (George William)
Blasphemy; Trials (Blasphemy) -- Great Britain
The mattresses are stuffed with fibre. They are tolerable at first,
but in a few weeks the stuffing runs into lumps, and your mattress gets
nearly as hard as the plank. Shaking is no good; I tried it, and found
it only shifted the lumps out of the places my body had forced them in,
and left me to repose on a series of hillocks. I got my mattress changed
once or twice, but ordinary prisoners are seldom so fortunate.
I retired to rest early that first evening in Holloway. The day had been
eventful, and I slept heavily. Breakfast the next morning was a second
edition of the tea--bread and skilly; and again I refreshed myself with
the little loaf and cold water.
Soon after breakfast I was invited to attend chapel. It was a welcome
summons, for the cell is so drearily monotonous that any change is
agreeable. The corner of the chapel we entered was partitioned off
from the rest of the building, and capable of seating twenty or thirty
prisoners. Besides ourselves, there were present ten or twelve boys,
three or four old men, and two or three persons who looked slightly
imbecile. The service was read by the chaplain, whose voice was loud,
authoritative, and repellant. Some people would call it gruff. It was
certainly the most unpersuasive voice I ever heard. As I listened to
its domineering tones I could hardly refrain from laughing, for they
elicited an old story from the depths of memory. An aged pauper lay
dying, and in the parson's absence the master officiated at the sinner's
exit from this world. "Well, Tom," he began, "you've been a dreadful
fellow, and I fear you are going to hell." "Oh, sir," said the poor old
fellow, "you don't say so." "Yes, Tom," the master rejoined, "I do say
so; and you ought to be thankful there's a hell to go to."
After chapel we spent an hour or so in our cells, and were then
conducted to the basement of the reception wing, where we met the
Governor, who conducted us through several dark passages that led to the
foot of a spiral iron staircase. We ascended this, and found ourselves
on the ground floor of the criminal side of the prison. Four wings
radiated from a common centre, distinguished by the first four letters
of the alphabet. I was taken to the first cell in the first wing, Mr.
Ramsey to the second cell in the second wing, and Mr. Kemp to the second
cell in the third wing; our numbers being A 2, 1--B 2, 2--and C 2, 2.
Colonel Milman personally placed me in charge of a warder who has since
left the prison, and I believe the service. He was a good, kind-hearted
fellow, who never spoke harshly to anybody. Following me into my cell,
he took pains to "put me through the ropes." Before leaving he said,
"I'm very sorry to see you here, Mr. Foote. I've been reading your
case in the papers. It's a great shame. But I'll do my best to make you
comfortable while you're with me." And I must say he did.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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