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No. 3195, examined. 81. SENTENCE.—18 months; unlawful possession. I complain that I am not permitted by the Sheriff to petition. I received certain stolen goods at Coolgardie not knowing them to be stolen. nothing to do with the robbery. 82. DIET.—The food generally is much better than it was. 83. LIBRARY.—The Roman Catholic and Church of England libraries should be amalgamated, and both better supplied with educational works. No. 10479, examined. 84. SENTENCE.—Eight years, for threatening to kill. 85. AGE.—67. 86. PETITION.—I have applied for a remission of my sentence, but the Colonial Secretary would not grant it. [Documents produced and read.] 87. TREATMENT IN PRISON.—In August, 1895, I attempted to escape. I was sentenced to one month in irons, but that sentence was altered, in my absence, to one month separate as well as the month in irons. I don't know why. I would like the Commission to see cell 55 C, where I was kept for a long time. Such cells have been condemned by medical men. The commission will see from the papers before them that I only threatened the man in respect of whom I was charged after he had come out of his house with the weapon which I took from him; yet for that I have got as much as other men for actually killing a man. 88. REMISSIONS.—At the rate of three months' remission for each year, I ought to have nine months' remission for the three years I have served; only seven months have been remitted. I was tried for absconding, but only 13 days ought to come off the remission for that. No. 2745, examined. 89. SENTENCE.—Two years; breaking and entering. 90. CONDEMNED CLOTHING.—I came in with clothes worth £7 10s. They were condemned. I asked to be allowed to send them out of the gaol if i was not permitted to keep them. This was refused although it has been granted in other cases. 91. REMISSION.—There is some mistakes about my remission. I have earned 53 days' remission according to the rules, but have only got 50. 92.TREATMENT OF PRISONERS.—I have seen prisoners badly treated. I saw a man named Hepner held by two prisoners whilst the orderly applied a battery to his spine. The man's screams were piteous. He was bumped violently against the wall by the orderly. Warder Hodges saw what was being done and did not interfere. 93. DIET.—The food has been bad, but has greatly improved lately. 94. MEDICAL.—No medical examination on admission; so that a man may pass in having syphilis and bathe with the rest of the prisoners. That happened in the case of a prisoner named Brown. 95. BLANKETS.—Not regularly washed. 96. SOAP.—Insufficient. (The Commission adjourned.) THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20TH, 1898. [AT FREMANTLE GAOL.] Present : Dr. ADAM JAMESON, Chairman. Mr. F. Craig. Mr. Horace Stirling. Mr. J. Gallop. Mr. M. L. Moss. Mr. E. W. Mayhew. No. 2007, examined. 97. SENTENCE.— Twelve months; common assault. 98. DISCHARGE OF PRISONERS.—Prisoners should be discharged at 6 a.m., instead of noon, to enable them to get a day's work. Three months should be allowed before discharge, to let the hair grow. 99. DIET.—Bad. Rice is like glue, being badly cooked. It would be better for the prisoners if the oatmeal were served night and morning, as in other goals, instead of with the midday meal. Every gaol in New South Wales gives oatmeal in the morning. It is known as hominy or skilly in other places. 100. MEDICAL EXAMINATION.—I have been in this prison three times, but the Doctor has never examined me on any occasion. In other goals the medical examination is one of the first things to which the prisoner is submitted on entrance. 101. BED-CLOTHES.—The blankets are not washed; at least they have not been in my time. The bed-linen is washed, but i do not use mine except to make a pillow of it. The blankets are fairly clean to look at, but i may have to use the same blankets after an Afghan or a blackfellow. 102. I HAVE NO COMPLAINTS TO MAKE.—I am a bootmaker by trade, and am engaged at that occupation now; before that i was pumping water. I am in for an assault in a brothel. A man hit me with a whisky bottle and nearly knocked me out, and I succeeded in knocking him out. It was a regular common brothel row. No. 10524, examined. 103. DIET.—I have been severely punished for complaining of food. I complained with a lot of others, but was the only one singled out for punishment. I have been very severley treated by the magistrates, Mr. Lilly and Mr. Fairbairn. [Witness described in detail the punishments inflicted on him for breaches of prison discipline, as set forth in the official records.] 104. DARK CELLS.—The dark cell punishment is very severe; 16 ounces of bread are allowed daily, and a pannikin of water; you can neither see nor hear anything. I complain that I have been put in the dark cell when I was only sentenced to "separate." Three times a day the outer door is opened to see that you are all right. In the dark cell there is no hammock or mattress. In winter you get three blankets and a rug and in summer two blankets and a rug. It always feels cold there, even in summer, and the bedding seems insufficient. I was very weak after I came out. The dark cell treatment has affected my sight. 105. MEDICAL EXAMINATION AND PENTRIDGE REGULATIONS.—I have done a sentence in Pentridge. There the Doctor always examines the newly-arrived prisoners. The sentence is first read out to the new arrival; then the rules are read, and a book of rules given to the prisoner. You are taken into the description-room, stripped, supplied with a mask (to prevent identification under the solitary system), and taken to your cell. A little ticket is hung over your door to notify the Doctor that you are awaiting examination as a new prisoner. You must come in with a clean bill of health from the receiving gaol in Melbourne, where you have previously been examined very carefully; then the librarian comes around and records your religion, and you are supplied with the best educational works, if you care for them. 106. MEDICAL TREATMENT AT FREMANTLE.—I think the Medical Officer here is an inhumane man. Take, for instance, his treatment of lunatics, such as Miller, who has been treated in the hospital during the day and ordered back to his cell at night. That is, surely, not the proper way to treat a lunatic, who should be carefully watched. He is at the present moment under a sentence of two months for medical observation. The lunatics are badly treated. I saw Warders Compton and Pond making a laughing-stock of Keenan, who was tearing the shirt off his back in the hospital last Saturday. Keenan was taken to the refractory cells. Mr. Allen, who is in charge of the hospital, is the most humane man I have seen about the gaol. 107. GENERAL TREATMENT BY OFFICIALS.—There is little to complain about under this head since the Commission came here. I think the appointment of the Commission has struck terror into the hearts of the officials. 108. CONDEMNATION OF CLOTHES.—I confirm the evidence of previous witnesses about the justice of condemning our clothing. My complete outfit cost me ten guineas. 109. COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE AT CHURCH.—Whatever a man's religion may be, I think it is wrong to compel attendance at church. I doubt if 20 men out of the whole lot of prisoners would go to either of the two churches if the matter were left to themselves; even whilst the service is going on a lot of obscene language is indulged in. 110. SANITARY ACCOMMODATION.—Deficient. Only six W.C.'s for 316 men in the yard. The W.C. in the pump-yard is a most indecent and exposed place, and open to observation by all in the yard. 111. SHAVING.—I confirm the previous evidence. 112. LIBRARY.—I confirm the previous evidence. 113. PETITIONS.—I believe petitions from inside the gaol are useless. I believe a rider is added inside the gaol of an unfavourable character in every case. [Witness informed that the documents show that there is no foundation for this apprehension.] 114. REMISSIONS.—I do not understand on what principle remissions are granted, refused, or reduced. I have not asked for particulars in my own case. I have been soured by the treatment I have received. I think the Superintendent has been prejudiced against me from the time when I was awaiting trial in June, 1897, when some tobacco was thrown from the trial-yard into the pump-yard. Next day, when we were lined up in the corridor, Mr, George said—"Some of you gaol heroes will be in that yard yet, and i will make it warm for you."
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