THE BUG HOUSE.

NZ Truth, Issue 128, 30 November 1907, Page 4

THE BUG HOUSE.

THE PLIGHT OF POOR PRISONERS.

Eaten Alive by Vermin.

The Filthy Cells of Mt. Eden Gaol.

To spend a night m the booby hatch is not, of course., a pleasant experience. The dead-beat, dirty, filthy, frowsy, drunk and moll get used to it m time, and would just as soon spend an evening under police protection as doss out m a park or m a dust bin, or cuddle up m some dark doorway. Police cells, anyhow, hold more than dirty dead.--beat drunks, respectable men and women occasionally have the to get within the reach of the Law, and the cells shelter them for the night. The accommodation naturally is not that provided at a first-class hotel, nevertheless, there is no reason why those cells should not be thoroughly cleaned, and not allowed to harbor

PILGRIMS OF THE NIGHT that bite like a bull-dog ant and leave marks and stink like miniature sewers and the very thought of which gives everybody the itch and heightens , the .. imagination of the clean-bodied individual. The police get into trpuble, and rightly so, if the lock-up cells are allowed to become filthy and veritable "wild animal" dens. Anyhow, there has been some sort of a rumpus at Auckland, when locked up persons when brought before the beak have presented truly horrible spectacles, and it is just as well that there has been promised some investigation and an assurance [given that nothing of the kind is likely to occur again m a hurry.

A young man who had spent' a night m the remand cells at Mount Eden presented a sublime spectacle when he was brought up before Magistrate Kettle. His face was swollen, and, according to one account, was a succession of inflamed hillocks, while his arms looked as if he had slept on an ant bed, or had had a battle royal with . busy bees m a hive. "Look at him, your Worship, " requested his counsel, Mr Hackett, with dramatic fervor. "His body is absolutely ea-ten alive. I am positively afraid to approach him, he is m such a state.

IT IS A SCANDALOUS BUSINESS that a man should be put m a place for the night to come out like this. The watch-house ought to be called the 'bug-house.' "

Mr Kettle : Well, Mr Hackett, if this is as -you say it is, an application should be made to the Commissioner of Police, or to the inspector, or sub-inspector, and I have no doubt that the matter will be. immediately investigated.

I object to the watch-house being called a Vbug-house," retorted a policeman named Heudry. The young man slept last night at Mount Eden. And it was laughingly agreed that Mr Hackett should withdraw the charge against " the watch-house, and substitute the gaol.

The Magistrate said he could hardly credit that the ceils should bo m such an infested state, and suggested to the prisoner that he had been bitten by mosquitoes. This the prisoner would not admit, and lawyer Hackett reckoned that if they were mosquitoes they were pretty vindictive ones.

Mr Kettle : Some Auckland mosquitoes are vindictive. "Are you prepared to submit yourself for examination to the district health officer?" he inquired of the prisoner, and was promptly answered m the affirmative.

Mr kettle : Well, I -suegest, Mr Hackett that you have him examined by the health officer at once. If the health officer finds that what you say is correct, then I have no doubt he will immediately have the cells cleaned. If this sort of thing exists, the sooner it is remedied the better, especially with the summer ap-» proaching.''

This was by no means the only case. Another prisoner was brought m, and his condition was as bad, if not worse, than the other's. He declared that the cell he slept m was full of bugs. Mount Eden gaol, anyhow, must be a dinty place, and this prisoner declared that the place

WAS FULL OF BUGS, and that there were plenty of men who were covered with blisters through the attacks of the vermin. ' Lawj'er Bloomfield, who appeared for the unfortunate fellow, gave him his sympathy, but expressed his unwillingness to go anywhere near him. "It was a very shock-ing thing that such a.. state of affairs should exist."

Naturally, it was up to the police

to give some sort of explanation on the mattei', and Hendry explained that he was having the cells thoroughly disinfected. The cells were of stone, and, therefore, were not troubled with bugs, but some very dirty specimens of humanity were occasion-ally sheltered, and the blankets became alive with vermin, but every precaution was taken. Mr Hackett and his client then adjourned to ftie Health Department's premises m search of Dr. Purdy. Upon' returning, Mr Hackett informed his Worship that the. doctor had been greatly shocked at the man's condition. He was found to be worse than was anticipated— " LITERALLY EATEN ALIVE !" commented Mr Hackett. He further explained that Dr. Purdv had promised to report the matter to his superiors. Being a Government institution, it might, however, be a little difficult to' -obtain an immediate inspection. , .... Mr Kettle suggested that he (Mr Hackett) should make application- to the Health Officer for an inspection, so as to see what could be done.