BOTTOMEY IN GAOL.

Shannon News, 20 July 1923, Page 3

BOTTOMEY IN GAOL.

LETTER TO /HIS FAMILY.

“I have been here now well over a year, rotting away a big slice out of the remaining portion of my life that counts.” ®

The above is a passage from a letter sent from prison by Mr. Horatio Bottomley to his wife and daughter. The letter; which is addressed from Wormwood Scrubs, and marked as coming from “No 1779,” is as follows: “ Dears, — Beginning manlike aboufrmyself, I cannot this time give -a very good report. “No.appetite and no sleep make a bad combination, especially when aggravated by a variety of painful nerve disorders.. The loss of weight may not b© serious, but the insomnia causes me some anxiety, and at times I am. afraid, some depression. But I fight it as best I can.

“ I think I have had every narcotic in the British Pharmacopoeia and out of it, but, you see, the surgery here, wonderful as it is, contains, nothing labelled Pax vobiscum ! (Peace be with you i) , - “,I suppose the chaplain would say jhat'only one Physician prescribes: and dispenses-that! . . “Of course, I am comforted by the wonderful messages of sympathy and hope you have received from all quarters —from the dear old Bishop down to those poor, humble folk, who are good enough to remember the little things I did for them and theirs during and after the war. But it requires a lot of philosophy to face the awful reality of my position. “ There ar e also those suggestions for a series of monster petitions (some unique in character), but I still discourage the idea. “ If what I have already endured sine© the trial—involving expulsion from Parliament and bankruptcy; my age, my health, my services to the State—if these things do not appeal, then I am sure no number of petitions would. i

“l am sincerely sorry for poor members of those wretched clubs who may not yet have received their money, and for whoim, I am sure, I-., could have done so much had I been permitted to proceed to France (either under escort or on parole). But enough of these sad thoughts. From all I gather from the scanty news which reaches u* once a week, things generally do not appear to be in a very satisfactory condition. “ I am very sorry for ‘ 8.L.,’ who ought t'o have taken warning from that breakdown two years ago, ann not have allowed himself to be prevailed upon to undertake his present heavy task. . ' ; '

“ Until they get cheaper food and drink and better housing, the ‘ working elasses ’ will continue to revolt; while on the top of that there is, I believe, a strong feeling that we are not doing the right thing by France.”