The Chronicles of Newgate, vol. 2/2Griffiths, Arthur
History
The Chronicles of Newgate, vol. 2/2
Griffiths, Arthur
Criminals -- Great Britain; Newgate (Prison : London, England); Prisons -- England; Punishment -- Great Britain
There were more varied, and at times, especially when beer had
circulated freely, more uproarious diversions. Wrestling, in which legs
were occasionally broken, was freely indulged in; also such low games as
"cobham," leap-frog, puss in the corner, and "fly the garter," for which
purpose the rugs were spread out to prevent feet slipping on the floor.
Feasting alternated with fighting. The weekly introduction of food, to
which I shall presently refer, formed the basis of luxurious banquets,
washed down by liquor and enlivened by flash songs and thrilling
long-winded descriptions of robberies and other "plants." There was much
swearing and bad language, the very worst that could be used, from the
first thing in the morning to the last thing at night.[84] New arrivals,
especially the innocent and still guileless debutant, were tormented
with rude horse-play, and assailed by the most insulting "chaff." If any
man presumed to turn in too early he was "toed," that is to say, a
string was fastened to his big toe while he was asleep, and he was
dragged from off his mat, or his bedclothes were drawn away across the
room. The ragged part of the prisoners were very anxious to destroy the
clothes of the better dressed, and often lighted small pieces of cloth,
which they dropped smouldering into their fellow-prisoners' pockets.
Often the victim, goaded to madness, attacked his tormentors; a fight
was then certain to follow. These fights sometimes took place in the
daytime, when a ring was regularly formed, and two or three stood by the
door to watch for the officer's approach. More often they occurred at
night, and were continued to the bitter end. The prisoners in this way
administered serious punishment on one another. Black eyes and broken
noses were always to be seen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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