THE LIGHTER SIDE OF PRISON LIFE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 252, 21 October 1908, Page 6

THE LIGHTER SIDE OF PRISON LIFE.

, (By Iffl THE GAOITCTAPLAIK. One of the most persons ever connected with a former ehaplain-the Rev JTvrV* ™ho 4i ed some years" late _fc Bishop of. Western; EquatoriS^ doubt he win stilLbe many Nejy Zealandere. ""r ty i Mr_ Hill's sympathies went out toeviri. one in distress, and in the case <rf ers, especially to men "whtf__ife' I tenees or special causes of ■ inspired, confidence by affairs, I he. doing, is oSS ' one. of his visiting days, J,rSsr i "We thought last Way yoTm± look well, Mr Hilll", ' I was very much worried; *Mv iiWl wouldmotsell. not knpw.Where tp turn for it are noble, generous fellows in thewS Some one heard I had .been disapppiS sent for. mc, asked what was theTnattTr' and then wrote out a cheque for _lob* - (I thmk it was the late Mr. J. L. WiL son.) .-. The first time I saw the Rev. HfflTL prisoners were all assembled awaiting hi, i arrival. There was a whisper:. "ItYflie little parsoH; it's .all right l''.ffi s . op. pearance was a guarantee : the servics "l would be interesting. His presetted always sent a warm thrill through the con- ■ ' gregation. His methods of getting hold of them were sometimes unique, but always effective. Once he began wifh-"Which-db you think'came first—the 3_t& or the hen, or the hen or the egg;-the acorn or. the oak, or r the, oak acorn ? A great iriany people have itried to solve this question. You have .'leisure time on ypur hands .when: in your cells, try what you can do," On another occasion he appeared with a very black eye. He began: "I have a black eye. Thaw more than once' seen members of 7tMs congregation with black eyes 7; Were!l to teU you "I,got-it chopping woodTybV would not 'believe mie, and you would not be far wrong." There was so muctecafe and thought displayed iri his. sermons that I asked him once': 'How 'many dif. ferent sermons he preached on 7a-Sife- . day?" He laughingly replied": "j.-preach one only. You get it first at 9.3o—fresh with the froth on it. 7Ai' 11 it,fs' delivered iit Remuera.;7at 3it is preached somewhere else; very flat—it is given, at night ii'". "t__ Choral - ' - " "-""'-'•.".'■• Mr Hill occasionally took discharged prisoners tpr.-bis,,house, and v pat,:,-tließi up 'until" either'they left "Auckland or obtained employment: He was riot; however, easily- fooled.' Among; others iris' a man named Notwill—son of a Deah-7 who- had been in- troubWpf sjomekiiid in the Old Country,' ' It was'hisTboast that he always selected -highcal dignitaries he had drawn-the brie at Bishopsf'iiiiit now found the limitations of: the colßfiy : would compel him to include Archdeacons. (At this time lie had- jiist Toot*. pleted a sentence for operating on7>_ .Bishop to whom he had brought a-let-! ter of introduction.) Shortly after N°twill's release, one of the prisoners-asked after him. Mr Hill said: "He'S7ascoun- :- drel. I took hrm to my house, aid;went7 security for him for £25, apdyirbit-do you think? He has done that, and now Pve had tQ.:pay~£l27 to get him out of the w)untrjv.;to ; 6aye .7 my £'25." He was Striking the table, he said:' "T feel in- 7 clined to swear I'll never help aay.yt . you fellows again." Then he quietened down, and continued: "Ah, wdi,vtlat■ivouid not be fair; some deserving one might fall again through ~want.\qf * helping hand. But it's awfully riting.? , At the services the men;'were7iKiiii|lly; very well behaved; but at -a . Sunday, afternoon service long. ago, .1 remember a row with some amusing features injit. The parties were two men whom.we , :'*iipl call Black and Jeenjah. The former, half a fool, was very irritating, and at length, Jeenjah struck him,:knocking.him ; tp the seat. The only warder present'vras an old soldier and' an Irishman.,..,-,,.86 locked both men up; but to Jeen."ab7wio was very shrewd, apd had, when cornerad, a habit of putting waTders in an.awtward posiion before magistrates, .he said: "Jeenjah, mc man, T did.not see just right what that feller di<Ho ye-71. know you'll spake the truth,' and;!**.- '• desave" mc." When brought before fiis I magistrates the warder said:' "I bra's these two mm before.ye, sors, for figfitji>S 7 in Church. . Jeenjah, a well-conducted, orderly man, was sitting quietly-hi:!» sate, listinning to the discoorse, *xM wid-out a word of a lie, sor, I saw Black there wid-out any pro vocation...stnfea him on the head and knock him oilt.pif the form. Black is a.troublesome sort.ol a man, sor, an' I thought he nuntiß*f>* chief, so I-kept, my eye on him-"_ J*?. jah, on being asked what he had to S»Ji replied "tiie officer had put the <&*?' fair and so much bett.?r than he conldr he would say nothing." Black, of couistv was greatly excited, and talked into a knot, but it endied in, him getting three days' bread ana water. jah afterwards the warder, said:. ~.,ip ■teller got just what he deserved; it. that knows how to dale wid. coves; UK* that." • '-■, ,'i. Occasionally the prisoners would,»»> a dislike to the preacher. " You may, tase a horse to the water, but you can't n**« him drink," so you may take pnspaep to church, but you can't',make mg> join in the responses. - That is what Happened on many occasions.. Reasons|£ dislike were various. One old gentieffltf who had! something to do with diirteW reported to be sweating his girl emplop ees; another was said to lend/ money.?* extortionate rates of interest, ,_and m have sold somebody up—out or bum and home. The oddest case, of a gentleman who rubbed' future m ishmeSt in hot and strong; but cause of his offending was always ope* ing the service with: " Kend yonr ■**». and not your garments." Teann.cg is a stiff prison offence, and this was interpreted that break their hearts, but they must. Nt» tear their clothes. . ' , w One Sunday afternoon a lay j explained the absence of some I«BSSgj he usually wore by solemnly &» that an an?el had appeared tp him ' n garden, and told him it was * not -accordance with his spiritual mission...**£ preacher to wear anything, of ™*r*Z He had, therefore, gone back to' buttons and a "Waterbury" lowing this up a -prisonfer wrote to-• . late Bishop Cowie (who &mgs_W_l, great interest in the prison) s f m ° had always understood mu ? /:le Vii«.rß things of the past, and inquiring iftr* was authentic evidence that .such tions as the visitor - dsscribed oaA^\ c place in modem times. Histoiydoesw record his Lordship's reply; but <%.$%& ent times ie deemed it- ".J Bahl gentlemen whose methods of the services were hot appr«a»t»4 AVm discontinue them. • " ■ ■ ' ..■,"-■ i;