" WARRIOR" IN TASMANIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 1904, 18 May 1888, Page 27

" WARRIOR" IN TASMANIA.

NO. X.— THE HOBART GAOL. (Continued.) When passing through the male House of Correction Mr Quodling stated that that portion of the goal was built in the early days for the accommodation of prisoners on arrival from England, and awaiting removal to Port Arthur. It was also used as a depot for passholders and ticket-of-leave men, for assignment to private families, &c. This portion of the enclosure, I was informed by the governor of the gaol, had undergone sundry alterations since transportation ceased, and now affords accomodation for 200 prisoners — 30 in cells and 170 in dormitories; besides workshops for bakers, shoemakers, and tailors, messroom, clerks' office, surgery and provision store, and warders' Bleeping apartments. In the yard I found some very useful prisoners employed in making desks and school forms for the Education department, a blacksmith's shop, and a printing press and type ready for the use of compositors, but, strange to say, there was not a printer on Mr Quodling's roll, although there was an unfortunate journalist, who possessed a sufficient amount of talent to ' gain him employment on the London Times. Alcohol had been this poor man's curse, forgery being the crime he was carrying' coals for. The modern building contains 46 separate cells for males and six wards for females, all of which were as clean the day they were built. The discipline was most noticeable. As we approached the prisoners rose from their seats and their work and stood upright, each one saluting the head offioial. On the doors of each of the cellsa card stood out prominently, setting forth the name of the prisoner, the term of imprisonment he or she had to serve, the offence for which he was convicted, his native place, free or not, name of religion, and age. Judging from the number of cells we" visited, most of the inmates were, comparatively speaking, young men, serving sentences from seven to 15 years. Mr Quodling assured me that the majority of these men when they entered the limbo of Hobart had neither a' trade in their hands nor possessed the least amount of education. "At all events," continued my friend, " as you see for yourself, Mr G ,we do our best" for 1 these young men by teaching them various' trades, and- improving their minds in the schoolroom. *In doing ithiswe hope avd trust that in the future these poor* unfortunates will - walk 'the ' straight path, and j like scores of criminals who occupied their cells

before them, profit by their first lesson in crime, and die^ respectable citfeena." Right yer are, governor. Why shouldn't they'have as good a show as' the " Beclfy Sharp's " ! of this world ? Mr Qaodling adds : "We have only room for 50 of the gentler •"(?) sex, but^l am 'glad to say the annual average is only 26'; average of males, 125, though at the present date (25th April 1888) we have only 96' male prisoners all told, and 20 females. ' Fortdnately for Tasmania, the numbers are being reduced every year." In "one of the large yards I wasstruck'by the figure 1 of a strong chubby-built man about 65 years of age, who turned out 1 to be a regular demon when 1 properly put to the test. His last offence was only a harmless one compared 1 with a few other of his :feats of strength. He is at present undergoing a sentence of penal servitude for his natural life. This " quiet " man's offence was -nothing more ' nor less than jumping the stomach out of a poor fellow. The authorities are obliged to cage him up like a wild beast every night of his life and liberate him in the morning. This is'oneof the specimens that England some years ago wished to populate Australasia with. .Thanks to the action of the citizens' of Melbourne, the landing of convicts in Port Phillip Bay was frustrated. There are now only 22 of the old hands in durance at> present, and they appear to be dying out fast. One satisfactory fact in connection with the* Hobart and Launceston gaols is that there are very few Tasmania n natives incarcerated^ and I' cannot do better than quote' Mr Quodling's words in support of my ' assertion :— -"It is creditable to our 'colonial youths that comparatively- bo few of them' find their way inside prison walls. Long may it oontinue." ' ' . The staff of the ' Hobart Gaol consists of the governor, a deputy clerk, storekeeper, senior warder, gatekeeper, and 18 classified warders for' , the male division; and three officers for the female division. The employment of prisoners outside the gaol and at various trades inside renders it necessary to maintain a larger staff ' than would be necessary if all were employed within the walls and slept in separate cells. As regarch the discipline and everything connected with the working of the gaol, Mr Qaodling sets a good example to the governors of other establishments in' Victoria and New i South Wales. He and his staff do their .work well, and deserve every praise. I cannot say as ; much' for those that rule the destiny of Tasmania. Until very recently the dividing wall separating the two sexes was so low that the male and female prisoners could wink and pass kisses to one another without fear of interruption, but at last the governor nabbed them at it, and upon the 'afternoon I visited the House of Correction prisoners were hard at work' building up the wall to a proper height. After a space of nearly 40 years the visiting magistrates to the Campbell street gaol have opened their eyes. At the end of the yard, near the Criminal Court building, there stands a thin timber wall which extends some distance to the south, when it connected with the stone wall fronting Argyle istreet. I was struck dumbfounded, and curiously remarked to Mr Quodling : "Do you call this a tgaol ? Why, a good-storm of wind would blow the whole of that rotten timber to pieces. Some of these days you will 'find this portion of the gaol on fire." By way of response he only laughed and shook his head in a significant manner, which I interpreted as " It's no business of mine." Of course only short-sentence prisoners possess the privilege' of gazing on this jyery remarkable wooden structure. No doubt it is very tempting, but ' the game is scarcely worth the powder. Should one of the incoming prisoners at any time suffer from measles, it is a thousand pounds to a Chinese orange that theprison hospital will be pretty well "filled, for I noticed that thenumber of basins for washing one,«elf could be almost counted on the fingers. It appeared to me a matter " of my turn next, me covy." "How longer yer goin' to be, Bosseye ? " " Clear the way Mother Carbuncle, &c." If the man with the measles happens to get the first dip, its all up a tree. Another object struck me as capable of improvement — the dangerous approach from the condemned cell to the place of execution. At one time I imagined that we were walking on a spring board. They do keep up to the old traditions in the gaol under notice. After leaving his cell to meet his doom, the poor unfortunate culprit walks straight ahead, and in front of him he recognises the instrument of death. To keep his spirits up the walls are , coated with tar, and all round him darkness prevails. I can g6 no further without remarking to my companion, " Don't you think (he appeared a littfcle scared) that the visiting justices and the prison authorities might put' their heads together and paint the walls white, if only to change the monotony of the thing?" Why the walls should be black I have no idea, Perhaps they may change the colour next time they have occasion to hang a man. The buildings are very old, and a few of them are in a .dilapidated state. I hope to see on my next visit to the Hobart Gaol a marked improvement in their condition to that of 1888. THE CASCADE ESTABLISHMENT. In years gone by this building was known as the Cascade Female Factory, where once dwelt a number ef handsome lasses, known as the " Twelve Apostles." lam glad to say that the term applied to these females, " who one day sailed away in a Government ship to a place 16,000 miles across the sea," was very appropriate, as in after years waß proved. "Warrior," when a lad, often met in the streets of Hobart Town and Launceston seven out of the twelve "Apostles." These females married honourable men, became wealthy members of tip-top society, became converts to religion, lived well,, and died fat. The majority — indeed, if I mistake not, the whole— of the " Twelve Apostles" are cow numbered with the dead. The spacious building under notice lies in a hollow at the foot of Mount Wellington. To the right. is Knocklofty Hills, and to the left the Cascade Brewery and the Mountain Lake. At present there are in the Cascade establishment no less than 60 criminal lunatics under the supervision of Dr Coverdale, M.D. ft surgeon superintendent. I, would be very sorry to place before my readers a description of the fiendsinhabiting this building. ■ Such sights I have never set my eyes upon before. A regular pandemonium. Not unlike New Norfolk Asylum, the Imperial convict plays a most conspicuous part \n the Cascade drama. , These lunatics- are most diabolical, and equal anything to be found in any part of ,the United Kingdom. I felt very glad when the', time came for my departure; The* Government should take steps to have the poor creatures removed to some outlandish island in the Southern Ocean. It's mere claptrap and hypocrisy to pander to the idiosyncracies of those who pretend 'to believe "that these criminals should be kept Uke " fighting cocks " at the expense of the residents of Tasmania. CONCLUSION. Before concluding thejar tides of "'Warrior' in Tasmania," allow me, as the Australian sporting correspondent of the Otago Witness, to publicly thank Mr A. S. Agnewfo^his kindriess in showiug me over his > stod farm ; Mr Algernon Page for our enjoyable trip to the lakes, when old Tarpin lost several shoes, accor,dinigto the doctor;' Pr Crampton* who did me the honour of perf $onally y escorting me over 1 the 'buildings and grounds of the New. Norfolk Asylum ; r Mr. S:. Rheufaens, who lost a' considerable, amount of

time in preparing a statement of the progress made by the Hobart Abattoirs; Mr Hi G. Qaodling, governor of_ the_gaol ;\.Mr " AiniJtt, mayor; the Hon. Alfred Page; Mr West wood, secretary of the Taamanian Jockey, Club; Mr 3. B. purrran, secretary, of' the Tasmanian Turf Clab; Mr P. J. Monaghan, "Merlin" of the Tasmanian,. amL/Northern handicapper; Mr Liston, "Tarn o' Shanter" of the 'Tasmanian Mail! and Messrs Birch, Hobart Town Hall; and Luke Walton ; Hobart Slaughter' House. It is only duo; to' these gentlemen that I should thtts record their kindness to a journalist representing the leading weekly paper 1 in New Zealand. ' \ Should •» Warrior " at some future date visit Tasmania, he will do his best to 1 make' his remarks on the impressions he receives readable and interesting. ! I■' (t