EIGHT DAYS UNDER ARREST.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 444, 22 October 1880, Page 2

EIGHT DAYS UNDER ARREST.

Specially Contributed to the Mail,

It is a well known fact that the late Charles Dickens, so justly celebrated for the accurate descriptions he recorded in his numerous works of tbe various traits and characters of the plebeian classes and for the several peeps he accorded his readers into the lower slums of the great metropolis, its poorhouses, its workhouses, its hospitals, its penitentiaries, and its 1 prisons, accompanied with such true paintings o£ the characters of his Sarah Gamp, his Betsy Prig, or his genial Bumble ; or, to visit dens still more infamous, we meet with his Fagin, his Bill Sikes, his Artful Dodger, or his Jovely Nancy. I say it is a well known fact that Charles Dickens, with a desire to make himself thoroughly acquainted with his characters before introducing them to his readers often visiied personally the dens which he describes and brought himself into intimate contact with the lowest of the low. Then again your readers will remember the sensation caused by another celebrated litterateur since the occurrence known as the amateur casual, who obtained admittance to the casual ward of one of the London workhouses disguised as a tramp, in order to be in a position faithfully to delineate the treatment awarded to these unfortunates in tbe establishments in question. However, I can attribute no such praiseworthy motive to myself for bein" - in a position to render the following desciiplion of my experience as a prisoner

' eiMit days under arrest." On the other hand I have no hesitation in informing those of your readers who may feel any intarest in perusing this article that their thanks are due and my—well say blessings, are in the same manner due to the exhibition of a certain amount of spile and malice on tho part of a gentleman resident not a hundred miles from the Akaroa Resident Magistrate's Court.

And now after this long preamble to come to the point. My free passage through the streets of Christenurch was prohibited, aay on a Monday afternoon by a quiet hint from my friend Detective Neil, who politely informed me that my pre-

sence was required in Akaroa, where I should be called upon to answer certain questions which might be put to me in front of one of her Majesty's Magistrates relative to a charge of embezzlement preferred figain&t me. Having a just and wholesome respect for nil " government officials" I quietty accompanied my friend to the lock-up. I was there searched by the watchhouse keeper, every article I had being taken from me, riot excepting even my pocket handkerchief or, as the Artful I Dodger would have clubbed it, my " wipe." This Jailer, I believe, is so zecilously removed from a prisoner through an half formed and perhaps never actually expressed idea that the " wretched being' may be tempted to strangle himself with it and thus put an end to his miserable existence. This ceremony having been performed, the next step in the official routine was to gather by the most persistent questions all particulars in connection with my ■ name, age, birthplace, occupation, religion, abilities in the art of reading and writing , . The watch-house keeper having thoroughly satisfied himself in these particulars and having duly recorded the same in writing, doubtless for the benefit of the Police Gazette, the door of the dungeon was opened, and I was conducted into it, where in lonely solitariness plenty of opportunity was afforded me for musing on the ways of the wicked and on the truth contained in the old adage, " Honesty is the best policy." I much fear mo however that in many cases, in lieu of this wholesome repentance a general anathema against mankind in general and more especially against all " gentlemen in blue " is oftener indulged in. Towards six in the evening I was again visited by my friend Briggs, the watch-house-keeper, who kindly inquired whether I were desirous to partake of a tea, and upen my assuring him that the unfortunate adventure which had so lately befallen me had in no way impaired my usually good appetite, I was asked whether I would like a "good feed." I was somewhat at a loss to understand the meaning of the query, thinking friend Biiggs might naturally infer that I should liko a "good feed." But he kindly tendered me an explanation to the effect that a change had lately taken places in certain particulars in connection with the Christchurch lock-up, and nmongst other things that the culinary department was worked by a contract cook, and that by the email and modest payment of one shilling extra dainties would be added to the ordinary plain fare accorded to prisoners by the government. I had two of these good feeds, amounting in all to two shillings ; but fearing my small stock of the ready scarcely justified such lavish expenditure, I made up my mind to be content with " Government fare." Thanks, however, to the kindness of friend Brig-gs, I was not suffered to feel much difference caused by the carrying out of this resolution, at he generally managed to add some slight dainty. Whilst speaking of this gentleman I may as well at once stale and by such means dispense with further mention of him, that he is a decided improvement upon his predecessor Sergeant Smith, and all who treat him with due civility will agree with me in sa} ing that no fault can be found with his conduct; in fact on the other hand few leave that dreary habitation without considering themselves owing , him a debt of gratitude for many little eslra services rendered them by him. On the day following my arrest I was conducted along with two respectable (?) drunks, one vagrant and one lunatic, to the ©Id Government buildings where we werei admitted one by one to the august presence of two J.P.'s. Talking about J.P.s reminds me that not so very long ago your journal was somewhat severe upon the doings and sayings of your local J.P.s but if you considered severe comments necessary I can assure you that the Christchurch people are of quite the same opinion with regard to their J.P.'e, whose eccentricities are, if anything, far worse than any of the Akaroa-ites complain of. As to the reason why unfavorable comments on their proceedings do not more frequently appear in the local journale—well I have heard surmises on the subject not very favorable to the conductora of those papers. As an example of the justice meted out by these gentlemen—justice blended with leniency—l might quote one case which took place on the day I have alluded to. A prisoner, a first offender, was found by one of the "bobbies" to have passed the previous night in an old shed at the back of the Empire Hotel where he had endeavored to sleep off the effects of the " cursed drink," of which he had partaken too freely. He was arrested and brought before a J.P., and for this offence was fined 20s or one week's imprisonment. These intelligent gentlemen gave a farther proof of their utter unfitness for the billet by expressing their willingness to consider ray case and adjudicate upon the mattor. In fact they apparently expressed the utmost surprise when Serneant Morrjce stated that the case must be remanded to Akaroa where the offence was committed, and sagely inquired as to the reason of such a step. Did not I thank my stars that they were at last persuaded as to its necessity, as I suppose in their hands, guilty or not guilty, penal servitude for life, or at the least twenty one yearp, was the least I need have expected. Small wonder indeed that these gentlemen are

unpaid. From tho august presence of these wise men I was conducted back to my cell in

the lock-up, expecting evpry morning to set out on my journey Akaroawards, but owing to adverse circumstances I was retained in those " chambers " for four days, w and from there was conveyed to Addington, where I felt inclined to turn poetical, - »nd indite lines, somewhat after this style— * "How sweet the name of Addington sounds In a poor prisoner's ear " but here I stopped short, and could get no further. 1 think I must conclude this article now. I will, however, follow it up at an early date with my further experiences in that lovely '< jug." Before saying ta-ta, however, I might say that the enter- ! taininent to be found in your theatres or * "" music-halls is biit poor in comparison with the high life-below-stairs entertainment accorded in the Christchurch lock-up be- * tween the hours of 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.. when the actors .are numerous and the plays various, the most common one being " drunk and disorderly." On most of the actors an old clay pipe, four or five matches, a filthy handkerchief, and oocasionaUy a few coppers ma> ; bo found,all of ™ which are carefully guarded by the watch-house keeper till the wicked one may be liberated. Only just fancy to yourself a man of my temperate habits, accustomed to retire to my virtuous couch and sleep the sleep of the innocent; I say, *■« _ only just fancy me dropping off into a gentle doze—perhaps for the seventh or eighth time—and being roughly disturbed by a scuffling in the passage, caused by a " wretched drunk being dragged in by the scruff of his neck by Policeman X, thrown by him into a cell, where in all probability - he will continue for one or two hours to render sleep impossible to his neighbors, let alone the unfortunate in the next cell* by the most hideous howls and groans, ** mingled with blasphemy and oaths of the most horrible nature, followed possibly by a heavy stupor, accompanied with a snore eimilarto that to be heard in a piggery. Surely you and your readers must envy my position. One other an 1 by no means small source of annoyance experienced by remanded prisoners is the removal of their handkerchiefs, to which I have already alluded. You can easily imagine how much this inconvenience would be felt by a man with a cold in his head ; but the subject is an unsavory one, and I will m t ** pursue it further.