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Convict Conditions
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Nos. 10512 and 10454, examined together. 235. ALLEGED WRONGFUL CONVICTION.—We want to know whether we may not petition for release. It is well known to the detectives that we are innocent, and that the men who committed the offence for which we are suffering are now in the goal. Detective Condon stated, in the presence of acting Chief-warder Webster, that he knew that No. 10454 was innocent. [Acting Chief-warder Webster, called in, stated that detective Condon told prisoner 10504 that he knew he was innocent., and advised him to petition, but the prisoner could not do so, as the proper time had not elapsed.] 236. PERSONAL [No.10512].—The imprisonment has preyed upon my mind. I could have proved that I was not at the place at the time the offence was committed. The other prisoner 10454, was not known to me. I left my defence in the hands of my lawyers feeling sure that, being innocent, they could not possibly find me guilty. I cannot read or write, and I have no chance here of learning to do so. I was born in Perth. I have been in the goal before for vagrancy and drunkenness. 237. DIET [10504].— I am in the cookhouse. I go to there at 4 a.m. The food is generally better now than it was as regards the quality of the meat supplied. I have, however, repeatedly complained that I can not get hind-quarters of meat. I never get anything but flanks. You can not bake flanks without the good deal of waste. I got two legs of mutton in 250lbs. of meat. All the rest is shoulders. Out of every 100lbs. of meat 25lbs. is allowed for bone. If there happens to be much gristle I cannot cut it out or there would not be enough left to go round. We get 40lbs. or 50lbs. of bones every day. They are boiled down for soup. The bones are taken away by the soil-cart man. I don't know what he does with them. I have 61lbs. of bones to-day. The quality of the meat has been recently personally checked by the Superintendent. I consider the quality is satisfactory, only we get too large a proportion of the flanks of beef. Rice, oatmeal, and potatoes are weighed in the store, on arrival, by a prisoner. The potatoes were very bad some months ago, but have been much better lately. The flour comes in 15 bags of 200lbs. each. The bags are sewn up. It is not examined before the baker gets it. The baker is prisoner Pacy, who has baked the Christmas pudding 33 years in this prison. As to the tea, I receive that from the store, with a piece of paper notifying the weight. I may say that in the matter of the weight of the meat, the men are supposed to go get 12ozs. each before cooking; but in fact, if you divide the total weight received by the number of prisoners, only 10ozs. of uncooked meat comes in per head. Mr.Munro decides if the meat is fit to eat. I have seen meat with what I call "kernels" in it. I have observed that both in the beef and the mutton. I should think it was a sort of disease. Occasionally, I have known the meat to be so bad that I have grumbled at it; but I am only a prisoner, and must do what I am told. I should only have got into trouble had I refused to cook it. ( The Commission adjourned. ) SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20TH, 1898 [AT FREMANTLE GOAL.] Present: DR. ADAM JAMESON, Chairman. Mr. F. Craig. Mr. E. W. Mayhew Mr. Horace Stirling. Mr. M .l. Moss Gr. Lotz, and the Secretary No. 10504, further examined. 238. DIET.— If the Superintendent finds the meat to be bad, he orders it to be sent away at once, but the other officers very likely do not care to take the responsibility. I know that the Superintendent does not wish any prisoner to eat what he would not eat himself. Mr. Munro is the officer in charge of the cookhouse, and Mr. Chester is the contractor. On one occasion I told Mr. Munro I really would not put the meat in the copper: it was so bad. Mr. Webster came up, saw it was bad, and ordered 60lbs. to be sent back to the butcher. The grumbling amongst the men is chiefly about the rice. Englishmen do not care for rice as a rule. It is only served once a week; but no potatoes or bread are served with the meat on rice days, and the men do not like it. As to alternatives from the dietary scale, I have never seen pumpkins supplied, or salt beef, pork, biscuit, or cabbage, as shown on the dietary scale. Occasionally I get a few eschalots grown by the men. I make the tea at 5 o'clock, and it only stands half-an-hour in the copper before it is served. 239. REMISSIONS.—I have to work on holidays, Christmas Day, and Good Friday, For this I get no special remission. I work from 4 a.m. till 4 p.m. in the cookhouse. When Mr. George was attacked by a mad Chinaman, I saved his life. For that I got one month 's remission. 240. PETITION.—I have sent in a petition setting out the facts of my case as laid before the Commission. I cannot say that the detectives expressed any opinion to me about the innocence of the prisoner who was sentenced with me, but I suppose if the evidence broke down against me it would against him, as it was the same false and trumped-up evidence against both of us. Nos. 3050, 10529, 10536, 3442, examined together. 241. DIET.—The diet of the long sentence men is the same as for the short sentence men. The former should be on a more liberal and varied scale. [All concur]. 242. HOSPITAL.—All descriptions of ailments are treated in the one ward. There are 15 beds of which three are occupied by orderlies. If more than 12 patients come in, the rest must sleep on the floor. The milk stands in a tin not far from the beds of fever patients. [All concur]. 243. CONDEMNED CLOTHING.— All concur in previous evidence. 244. DISCHARGE OF PRISONERS.—Discharge too late in the day and no provision for penniless prisoners. [All concur]. 245. REMISSIONS.—A man committing an offence in the last week of the year loses his remission for the whole year. Each month, as regards remissions, should stand on its own footing. The Superintendent appears to have too much personal discretion in the matter of remission. [All concur.] 246. SANITARY.—The chamber accommodation in the cells is very limited. The pots cannot be emptied at night, and during the summer very disagreeable odours permeate the blankets and rugs. [All concur.] 247. CLASSIFICATION.—First offenders should be put by themselves. It is not fair to a long sentence man to put him with a short sentence prisoner. If there is a row and a consequent report, it means nothing to the man with a few days, but the loss of remission to the long sentence man means a lot. [All concur.] 248. LOSS OF EFFECTS. PERSONAL [No. 3050]. —Last June I received a letter (produced) informing me that some West Australian stamps were enclosed. which might be of use to me. Warder Woods said he thought there were 13 stamps enclosed. After being sentenced I heard no more about the stamps. I asked the Superintendent to inquire into the matter. He said there were four half-penny stamps. It is not likely that anyone would think it would be worth while sending me four half-penny stamps; but even these I have not been asked to sign for in the usual course. 249. ALLEGED UNJUST SENTENCE. PERSONAL [10536]. —I was one of the men mixed up in the row at the Denver City Hotel at Coolgardie. I was never in goal in the other colonies. [Witness described the procedure of the trial when he could not get the depositions.] I have petitioned, but Mr. Finnerty, before whom I was tried, said I deserved every day I got. The court and the public were prejudiced against me because it was falsely stated in the papers that I was a desperate garotter from the Eastern colonies. I want my case reconsidered in the light of the evidence given by the prosecutor himself. I believe also that I could appeal on the ground that the jury were temporarily discharged by the court, which was not at that time provided for by law. 250. PERSONAL [10529].—I was in the Government service. I embezzled about £7,000. There had been no audit of my accounts for two years. The fraud was not discovered until a fortnight after the audit. I intend to leave the colony, and have the means to do so, when my sentence is completed. No. 1192. examined. 251. AGE.—32. 252. DISCHARGE OF PRISONERS.—I have been in the goal on a previous occasion. When discharged I was turned out penniless. 253. PERSONAL.—I am a sea-faring man, but have lost my discharges, owing to running away from my ship. I would like to say that on one occasion a prisoner, Bankier, was flogged for an offence which he did not commit. He was charged with threatening to strike. It was really I who used the threatening language, but I did not know at the time that Bankier was going to be punished for it. No. 3307. examined. 254. AGE.—29. 255. OFFENCE AND SENTENCE.—Forgery and uttering, 18 months. 256. PETITION.—I wrote the sheriff in May, and have received no reply yet. 257. PERSONAL.—When I first came here there was a warder named DeBurgh. He was always drunk. On one occasion he left my door unlocked all night. I told him of it. He thanked me. Afterwards he reported me for falsely charging him with neglecting his duty, and I got 24 hours bread and water. No. 10541. examined. 258. OFFENCE AND SENTENCE. —Attempt to murder; life. 259. DISCIPLINE. —The discipline of the goal is very lax. The Warders want training and experience. 260. SHORT SENTENCE MEN. —Nothing is done to educate or reform the short sentence men.
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