The Autobiography of a Super-TrampDavies, W. H. (William Henry)
General
The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp
Davies, W. H. (William Henry)
Davies, W. H. (William Henry), 1871-1940; Poets, English -- 20th century -- Biography; Tramps -- Biography
We arrived at this place, and everything turned out as described. The
jail was no different from the other. We were catered for as customers
that would, if treated with courtesy and good living, return winter
after winter, and patronise this place in preference to visiting the
more congenial climate of the south. At this place we sentenced
ourselves to another thirty days. Our room, like the other, was a
large iron cage, in which were twenty-four cells in a double row, main
floor and gallery, like little cages within it. As we entered this
large cage, the sheriff opening the iron door, a number of jail-birds
were singing merrily, not for liberty, but enjoying such captivity.
There was only one real prisoner here, who was waiting trial under a
charge of manslaughter, and he was the one prisoner to be locked in
his cell at night; and, in that cell, had waited trial a most cold
blooded murderer. Here we had the usual amusements of card playing,
singing and relating experiences.
The real prisoner--for none of the others had been guilty of any
offence, having entered of their own free will--was very unfortunate
in having a pair of wags quartered in the cell above him. These two
practical jokers made a figure of their bed clothes, and letting it
down, dangled it in front of this prisoner's cell. The poor wretch,
happening to be awake, and thinking this was Bill Henderson, murderer,
and late occupant of the cell, come to haunt him, leaped from his bed,
crying with a horror-stricken voice--"Bill Henderson, by God!" Before
he could recover from his fear and make a more calm investigation, the
figure was withdrawn. All this happened as expected, and the prisoners
were delighted, for they had been hinting all day about Bill
Henderson's ghost, so that it might take hold of this poor wretch's
nerves. Once only during the night was this accomplished, so that
their victim might have no suspicion as to its being a genuine ghost.
Every time the sheriff appeared the prisoner complained to him of this
ghost murderer, pleading for a removal, or an early trial. That
gentleman invariably listened with a sarcastic smile, seeming to have
some notion of the truth, by glancing at the faces of the other
prisoners. How these sheriffs, marshals and constables, despise
cowardice, and how they respect the intrepidity of dangerous men.
Many a sheriff, I believe, has surrendered his prison keys to the
lynchers and the lawless mobs, forgetting his duty in disgust at the
exhibition of fear in one for whom he is responsible. And many a
sheriff would lay down his life to protect a criminal who with cool
nerve faces his cell, callous and indifferent.
We visited, and were entertained, in several jails during this winter,
and emerged from the last in the middle of April.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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