MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1931.
THE
CHINA MAIL.
CRIMINALS LEFT WITH Thus, the hardened criminal an honest trade, so that they would BOMBAY REBUKE TO NEGLECTED ART
OLD LAGS.
How a "Rat" Sayed a Hardened Convict.
PRISON REVELATIONS,
The astounding revelations of
pose.
•
The writer, who was released
from prison last month, says, aj mail week issue of the past, after a sentence of five years penal servitude during which he earned a year's remission, kept a liary which he wrote in an ingenitus figure code. He was allowed by the authorities
This astounding statement is the result of the system which obtains there. 1-wone like to explain very briefly the system of classification in operation.
and the youth who has hitherto have an alternative to crime in their ' heen free from crime, are thrown future lives. Thesu officials frank-1 together for hours every day, and ly deplored the practice of evil contamination is inevitable in automatically --reserving - places in the youth,
the trade parties for "old lags," A later entry, made in the earlywho, incidentally, turned the know | days of 1929, recalls that a young ledge they gained in euch 'parties "stripe" prisoner, acting as labour as the engineering shops to un- er to an "old lag" with a life-long lawful purposes after their release record of previous sentences, from prison. strongly resents recurrent aug- gestions to lead a life of crime and one day atrikes the "old Ing" who made them.
re-
"B, who was discharged from the engineers shop a few months ago,
The most favoured class of pri-
The most appalling discovery eyer "made during my four years wan that 90 per cent, of these red collar men had been convicted for
ing.
corda:--
IH
CALCUTTA.
European Association and Indian Conference.
DELEGATE'S VIEWS.
REVIVAL.
Ceiling Painting in Fashion.
"F
An attempt to restore the neglected art of ceiling painting has been made in London.
The painting le a long, detailed affair, full of fascinating mytho- logical figures, prancing horses and Athenian columns.
is in the
Bombay, Jan. 20. a convict's life, written by an
soner is known, as the "red collar
An extraordinary general meet ex-public schoolboy which have
mun. These men have the absoluteing of the Bombay brazen of the begun in the Daily Express,
freedom of the prison, and go where European Association passed the have aroused unusual interest
Most Imprisoned Man. they like in the course of their following resolution:- beenuse of their obvious The youth was immediately re-dutien. They walk about without
laving regard to the fact that It is noticeable that the modern honesty and sincerity, of purported, and part of his heavy any warders in attendance.
the Council and members of the celling artist has this advantage punishment was that he Was
his European Association are still with over
predecessors-shadow moved from the trades party.
out details and accurate informaghting shows up the beauty of his An entry made in the middle of
tion as regards the constitutiana' work, and emphasises its clear lines 1928 reveals the following amazing
settlement which is being evolved and the colouring. afory:-
offences on women and children.
with the active co-operation of the] The name of the young artist, Prison He breeds a grim European non-officia! delegates, it whe is still in his twenties, is humour.
in the best interests of the Nicolas de Molaa. He is a nephew back again. I rentember his My diary rocalls the exploite or European community of India as n of the composer Rimsky-Korankoff.
prisoner in whole that
individual expressions, This is the first ceiling, ho han ast, just before he left that he the most difficult was the most" "Imprisoned man in Britain. He is the man who can- of opinion should as far as possible painted in London. to take his diary from prison. Britain.
not be kept in an ordinary prisot be avoided until the new Council.
ho "It represents astrology," It consisted of nine books of
"I overheard him relale his sub-cell.
in consultation with the Branch sold "with all the planets personi- | He is familiarly known na figures.
sequent adventures to Z (a high "Old Bill." and British newspapers Committees throughout India, shall fied. The substaire of this, his second vial, now retired). I said, I'm some years ago, reported a case of have had the opportunity of con- "It took me months to do, but I article, deals with the associa back again, but they sent me to- a warder who received the O..E sidering afresh the Association's was not slung up to the ceiling In tion of young prisoners with this time, I have had a hard job for the recapture of an escaped pri- policy."
cradle, na I believe, some of the hardened criminals, and the
to wangle it back here. I managed soner from a roof. The escape
Mr. T. Chapman Mortimer, act-old artists were. I worked in my hardship and evil that can arise it with my heart. What about my prisoner was “Old Bill"
ing General-Secretary, 'said
un-studio.
The ceiling was made in froni anch clrcumstances,
ob job in the engineers shop? I The diary entry reada:- J
animity and co-operation among three pieces. There are habitual criminals was only out seven days when they "Old Bit at it again. Seven Europeans in India would be "I have just finished a ceiling for at who are allowed "valeta" durgut me. Z replied, "You may go o'clock last night all quiet on land absolutely vital during the year Mrs. Maxwell Scott. of Paris," the ing the time they serve their in the engineers' to-morrow."
on. He stressed the artist went Bill's clothes were ouside his ahead of them.
"It sentence!
Afterwards I discovered that Bdoor, as his previous escapes led the need of constitutional commercial dining-room, which has deligatful hart been sent elsewhere, and. authorities to adopt this procedure. safeguards by special acts in the French eighteenth century furni. finding it not quite as congenial as Bill's door was locked. Warder's new constitution,' which would only ture. the engineers' shop at the other inspectionTM 6.K. . Twenty minutes be changeable by the Imperial "I studied for four years Ir prison, had managed to travel back later all alarmed sounding escape Parliament not by the Central Rome, and am now living in Paris. nt public expense because of an hooter. Rumour Old Bill out." Legislature.
Among other decorations that 1 When a young man enters prion alleged weak heart.. Curiously The following day my diary re- Also provision should be made to have done are a room in Sir Hugo for the first time, without having enough, within a day of his return
make discriminatory legislation imde Bathe's house in Cannes and the served any previous terms of inį 9% was his own cheerful self again, "Heard to-day of Bille amazing possible.
large entrance hall in Sir Louie prisonment, he is described as and heart trouhlea had been for escapade. Bill
Mr. Travers's Action. not in bed
Mallet's house at Granse. I have "star class" man, The "ntain" gotten. He was supplied with a when warder inspected, Sub The Bombay Branch's resolution also painted a large ceiling in a class consists of young men who
young "strip" as labourer, or, as stituted dummy of mailbags or is in the nature of a comment on drawing-room in Lady Mendl's new have served small locul sentences or we called it, "valet."
bed. Bill not only got out of own the action of Mr. Travers, Prehouse in Paris." have been fined but have never
cell anheard, but unlocked door of sident of the European Association Nicolas de Motos" work is clear æerved terms of penal servitude" her Two months ago a young "stripe" his mate three cells away, and both who, in a letter to the Press. re and vivid in treatment, and fore. They form nearly half the respectfully applied for permission evaded warders patrolling silent pudiated the views expressed by Mr fantastic in its vision. population of the prison, and ́ure to be separated from an old habitual hall. Under hoses of warders B Gavin Jones, one of the European One of his most successful experi- called the intermediate or "stripe", criminal to whom he was compelled and his companion let themselves non-official delegates to the Round ments is a picture of old Paris, a class, because they wear a red stripe to act as labourer in the engineers' out of hall through two heavily Table Conference, in his speech in panel in the home of a French
shop. Within a few days he was locked doors. Plot failed by war- London last week.
financier. It looks like an antique The remainder of the men
aremustentatiously removed from the der secing gas lamp Lurned out in
Mr. Travers criticised Mr. Gavin aquatint-stiff and architectural, known a recidivists, or, more trades party ard placed in the non-the grounds. Alarm sounded im Jones's acquiescence in the policy with the twin towers of Netra popularly "aid inge." They are the skilled labouring section.
mediately, and Bill and mate caught of responsible Government in the Dome rising above the Seine. bardered, habitual criminals, many One stroke of the pen can introns climbing wall to final freedom. Central Administration and de. Is the work of the new ceiling of whom, da completing their terms, duce one of the greatest reforms in Bill in for six years and mate in forclared he had thus not only gone artist destined to remain in fashion of imprisonment, have In be removi the history of prison administra-life for blackmail. Those men beyond British opinion in India, but as that of his predecessors, who ed to a preventive detention prison. ' tion.
would have stopped at nothing had failed to carry out the instructions spent their lives painting roses, *Nearly all members of the That is the abolition of the pre- they got away."
fimplied in the European Associa- cupids, and men and women of dis "strips" class could be reclaimed sent system of indiscriminately The ingenuity of "Old Bill" is tion's resolution that "the members tinction to be admired for cen- and made good citizena. The old mixing young prisoners with "old worthy of record. He was work of the Governor-General's Executive turies? - lags penly busst that they prefer, ings."
ing out on fields on which there should be
the Appointed by a life of crime to any other.
If a system of setting up parties was an old rubbish heap. Kera Governor-General to hold office for My diary for August 1923 stya: i of men belenging to one classifien-had been thrown a disused box of a fixed period and should not be ra *"X, a London youth, aged twenty tion only in the trades departments water paints, which had presum moved by a vote of the Assembly."
ane, never been in prison before, were established, the fear of young ably ceen the property of a war
Mr. Gavin Jones's Defence, applied to-day to be put in.en
men serving their firet sentences } der's child.
Mr. Gavin Jones, interviewed in gineera' shop, and allowed to learn being corrupted and taught "the "Old Bill" pounced upon this box London, defended himself on the trade for start in life. He was re tricks of the criminal trades" by the as a valuable find. Another pri- ground that the situation had been
London, Saturday. fused. Y, leader international experienced criminals
H.M. the King received Captain with whom soner, it is believed, reported Bill completely changed by the attitude gung safe breakers, who boasts been they are forced to associate would for having paints in his cel).
of the Princes and the consequent Malcolm Campbell at Buckingham attending the prison or the last be removed.
the Federal en Palace to-day and conferred on Warders were sent to Bill's cell to introduction of twenty-five years, applies for same Officials of the prison who were conduct
into the Round Table discussions. him the accolade of Knighthood. a thorough search. thing and is drafted to engineers.", well disposed, towards me have was here that his greatest friend.
The Madras Branch Committee His Majesty conversed with him Two days later I have recorded in stated to me that the Home Office his rat, came to the rescue.
meanwhile passed a resolution - for half an hour on his Daytona my diary: "Heard to-day that a originally intended trades parties rat was ordered into its cage as animously disapproving of the Pre- experiences. Reuter. 'stripe' boy been given job as and instructors to be used to give soon as the warders entered the cellsident's repudiation of Mr. Gavin young prisoners a chance to learn Everything in that bare cell was Jones and the Executive Com-
on their arm.
labourer to Y."
L
|
Indiscriminate Mixing.
DAILY CROSS-WORD PUZZLE.
(This cross-word puzzle has been made by an expert but our readers are earned to look out for peccaional phonetic spellings, such as harbor, plow, and altho.)
2 13 14
8
19 10
12
13
15
17
18
10
114
19
22
123
125
26
127
28
29
30
32
33
134
35
36
38
39
43
144
46
147
48
149
151
152
53
154
55
5b
HORIZONTAL
1-Portion
-To travel on foot
11-Altors the ostor
13-Viper
14-8kl
of Frussia
18-God (Latin).
دره
HORIZONTAL (Cont.)
44-Point of compasa
(abbr)
145-Negative reply
46-To grow old
48-Bolle gently set
18-Manufacturing city 50-Feminine name
[41-A atrong twilled
worsted stuff 53-Woods fos Negotiato
58-Froth
19-Right elda (abbr) 20-A baverage 21-2000 pounds (abbr) 22-Evan (Past) 24-Fatalfars
26-Point of compass·
(abbr.)
| 27-A_high"Turklah
Official
2
+32-A`métal,
83-Hauled
20-A singing volte
36-The (Fr)
VERTICAL
1-8teady gaze 2-Draft animat
3-tasact
>=Musical 'hots..
Walas Pomar compass
(Abbr.)
6-A color
7-A thoroughfare.
(abbr)
88-14 canonítéka 7458 Alament.
46+Ma@s@Urva: nama,
(short)
43-Kach (abbr):
·Judains
10-1.ying flat 112-At som
40 41
$42
45
VERTICAL (Cont.) 18-Disturb 17-Organ of hearing 23-Wants 24-Rows
26-5hore bird' having
long logs [28-To be sentimental,
In lova 28-Moridian (abbr.) 30-Worthless leaving, 134-Lütk
38-in a new; way”
36-8mallcat 97-Anxious [39-Feminine name 41-Mountain range South America 42-To-drink, the
Which of 2 [47-Before" 48-Place 49-Pon' for awinn 50-Masculine name 82-Southern State
abby)
(05-01 age (Latin:
The astution of the sabous serose noord-prasle will appear in
iarne along with a new cross-coord puzzle.
www
It
The
ly the warders retired without the
searched, even down to "Old Bill's mittee's action in supporting the clothes. The rat cage was moved President. Mr. G. W. Chambers. to every apot on the floor. Eventual: the Madras representative on the Council of the European Associa- paints, and "Old Bill" and the rattion, telegraphed to Calcutta: "I chuckled. Under the rat, safely consider it impossible to repudiate ensconced in the straw,
the European delegate at the Round Table Conference"—a precious paints.
sentiment which the Madras Branch Com- mittee promptly endorsed.
were the
*
The "Torture - Chamber,” "Old Bill" became temporarily subdued.. He had found the end of a cigarette and had been discovered by the warders in possession of it The result was his removal to the punishment cells on a diet of bread and water.
FRANCE'S NAVY.
IMPORTANT CHANGES IN
PROGRAMME..
The prison was alarmed a few
Paris, Saturday, Saturdays ago to find that "Old A draft of the "Compromise Bill" had even escaped from the Plan" is reported to have punishment cells, and was agilely been reached £8 the result climbing the drain pipe to the roof of conversations between Mr;
of the workshops, This time he R. L. Craigie, of the British made no secret of his escape. On Foreign Office, with representa his rapid progress to the roof be tives of the Quai d'Orsay, Minis- shouted gaily to the four winds of try of Marine, whereby there will heaven that he was free again,
he imporant changes in-the
་
Most warders in the prison were French Naval programm alled, but in response to a com- It is understood that-Mel mand to descend "Old Bill's" Craigie obtained some satisfac lppant retort was that here was a tion, firstly, in the direction of a 'chance for a warder to earn an reduction of tonnage, particularly O.B.E. again. Ladders were ob-regarding submarines, France, tained, and then Bil came down however, claiming a contingent quietly.
increase in destroyers as com At the time of my leaving "Old pensation; secondly, in the direc Bill" was undergoing punishment tion of persuading France to in the most dreaded acctlon of the agree to a margin of superiority: prison, which is known as the for-over Italy of 150,000 tons until tune chamber. Officials of the pri- 1996-(France claimed a margin son refer to this section vaguely as of 240,000 tons in the course of "round the back"
the London Conference).
Tr
Here each cell consists of four
Mr. Craigle is submitting the bare, whitewashed walls, with a plan to the British authorities. stone floor and a tiny skylight in Reuter, the roof..
A wooden slab raised [Mr. Robert Leslie Craigie, C.M.G., has been a Counsellor in the Diplomatic Service since 1928, and was the British representa- tive on the Inter-Alled Blockade Committee from 1916-18. He
SATURDAY'S SOLUPON
REA ATURES MISERS
LUNA STUN
STA
has also been First Secretary and Charge D'Affaires at Washing- ton.]
about elk inches from the floor, by a concrete bate acts as a bed New another article except a rubber "drinking, murds found in the cells. There are double doors to each vell, and the inmate, during his inçar: ceration, never seen the face of a fellow prisoner.
KING THRILLED.
HALF AN HOUR'S TALK WITH CAMPBELL.
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