"THE VAGABOND" IN PENTRIDGE STOCKADE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 66, 17 March 1877, Page 4

"THE VAGABOND" IN PENTRIDGE STOCKADE.

: That clever contributor to the Melbourne Argus, wbo hae become so famous , under the non de plume of 'f The Vagabond, '' has just been doing four weeks in Pentridge. He was recommended to the Chief Secretary as a fit and proper person to fill the vacant post of dispenser at the Pentridge prison hospital, and shortly afterwards received tlie appointment. After describing how he was duly inducted in his duties, for which, having some knowledge of medicine, he was well qualified, he proceeds to narrate the manner in which he treated his first case, which was PULLING THE HA.KGHA.H'S TOOTH. In less than half an hour after I landed at Pentridge I had my first '* case." It happened tbnsly. After being showed' round the wards, and receiving instructions from Dr. Reed, We returned to the surgery. There the warder addressed the doctor, " I've just come up from A Division, and there's Ball; ram wants a tooth pulled out; Will you go down there, Sir?" " You can pull out teeth, I suppose?" said the dector, turning tome. I sort o£ hesitated. "Who was the man?" I akked. "The hangman, Gately, but they .call him Ballyram here," was the reply. I accepted the doctor's case of instruments witbakcrity, and expressed my willingness to pull out every tooth in " Bally ram's " head. I had never hail any practice in dentistry, and this was my maiden ' effort in that line. With' any other subject I certainly should have hesitated, as I dislike giving needless pain, but Gately I had little sympathy for. . . . Entering the prisoD, passing the office, library, bath and store rooms, and through two gates of strong iron bars, we find ourselves in "the model," which is unJike its sponsor at Pentooville in that it is only designed for three wings of corridors, two as yet being built, instead of four as ia the London institution, and that ie only contains two tiers of cells* Three or four warders, dressed in the simple uniform of the penal institutions, are lounging about a table over which are a number of hooks holding keys, stave*, handcuff*, and. other outward and visible signs of authority. To them I am introduced as the new dispenser, and we exchange polite salutations and a little badinage, after the manner of our kind. " He's come to pull out Ballyram's tootb," said my introducer, and one of t!ie warders escorts me to cell 93. The rattle of the key in the lock arouses the occupant, who springs to the position of "attention," as required by the regulations, and entering I fiud myselt face to face with the last minister of Victorian law — Gately— convict and executiouer. A frightful animal-— the inameuse head, powerful protruding j.»w, narrow receiiog forehead, deficient hrain space, seemed fitly joined to protruding shoulders, and iouj;, stronjr, arras, like those of a gorilla, which he resembles more than a mao. All ihe evil passions appeared to have their home behind that repellant, revolting countenance. With an instinctive movement which my companions would not understand, I placed my hand on my hip. As a brute and a hangman (I trust this is not a premonitory warning) the man was alike distasteful to me. But in a second I remembered that here he was but a prisoner, No. 93, and the power, of authority was visible all around me. I recovered my part. "Now then, old maa, let's have a look at this tooth." He opened bis foal jaws. Faugh 1 •• Sit down." « Ob, doctor, don't hurt me," he cried, as with a professional air I opened a pocket case and spread the forceps on the little table. MOh ! " he cried, as the first pull broke off a piece of tire Ibotb, the forceps slipping. "Just bold his head, and if he stirs, baUg it against the wail," said I to oneof the warders. There was a laugh, the new dispenser was "a queer sort,"/ evidently. I took out the largest- and ' strongest pair of forceps, which would? pull a tootb out of a crocodile. One grip, a roar from Gately, a twist of the wrist, : and out came the tusk. With the consciousness of talent, I wiped the instruments carefully, whilst the warder looked on admiringly. "I must get you to look at my teeth," said one of them. " Have it out now," said I. II If there's one thing I can do better than another, it's this. I'm ——on teeth." The warder shuddered, and eaid be hadn't time just then. This little operation gave me much eclat, and by the mysterious underground railroad of the prison was circulated , through all the divisions to such an extent, that for a time I had quite a buVineea in extracting old stumpß, which only fell off after I broke two forceps in a man's jaw. He wouldn't try the third attempt, when £ meant to pot the bull-dog ou him, and have out that stump or bis jaw-bone. I left the cell fully satisfied of my capacity to pass as a dentist; and, now the thing was' over, amused at my first case. Poor Gately. All the world is down on him, and when free, he had not a place to lay his head. A natural brute he is, as God or the devil made him, for it is hard to believe that any spark of aught Divine can rest in such a frame. An " old hand," be has had experience of the prisons oi Tasmauia, £&w South Waiea, and Victoria, patting his whoie life in and out ot gaol. He goes by tUe several names ot Gately, Bailey ruin, uud Fagin, and was an Irishman and a Roman (Jatuolic. But his long experience ol prison life

has (aught him that owing to the practice of confession, it is bard to gammon the priest, and, casting around for some other creed, by professing which he might obtain somewhat, Balleyrara be- ; came a convert to Judaism. I never met a converted Jew-— I believe they cost half-a-millipn each, and the article, is jKetff.teir'yJin"^^ of sucb. A converted Christian 1 oever heard of, and Gately, Fagin, or Balleyran should be celebrated on this account., I am afrajd.ihqwever,,; tba;t the respectable members of the Jewish race, who : add so muoh to the; pros-; perity of the colonies by tteir industry and public spirit, would no more owa ; Gately thao they would the Thompsons. However, be says he's a Jewj his intentions are good, auMne" ought' jto know. I did not examine him as to j the tenets, &c> oY his faW; Thtf peculiar fact in this conversion is the : cause-r^a longing for Passover oake. Gaiely fotind out; that the Jews were I supplied with this at the proper season, and: seeing that it was a luxury compared to prison fare, has been running ion the Hebrew ticket ever since. But 1 this strange carricature of humanity is j not all evil. On one occasion tie slaved - the life of an overseer. Some years ; back they were working in the qnarry, land a plot was made to "crackle" the overseer, who was considered a hard jtaskmneker. The one who waa to strike the first, blow knocked the overseer from the bank into the quarry. 'His leg was broken; and a prisoner approached to .finish him with an axe, when Bailey ram intervened, and by his threats and enormous strength^ subdued the rioters. For this, I am told,' be obtained a remission of his sentence, and was afterwards appointed executioner. The effect, of such an : office pn the individual may be learned troia the evidence of: warders; who have kuo»n Gately for years. These all say that hia conduct now is greatly worse than whan be was an ordinary criminal. Let this be recorded to his credit — he could , be degraded and made worse by the influences of his debasing office.