Writing for Fun
October 2016
The Parasite and Bane of His Life - Gerry Miller
Gerry The Parasite and Bane of His Life Warder Martin mused as he walked up through the Vasterns and into Forbury back to his work, his mother’s funeral was over and he contemplated how lucky he had been to be given the time off. His heart was heavy knowing the misery, hopelessness and despair ahead. But at least he was a God fearing man and showed kindness where he could. He reached the large gates ahead of him, his heart sinking as he watched new prisoners entering, a line of men, boys and mere children all shackled together and in total silence facing their punishment ahead.
Upon arrival the prisoners sat in the cold reception, a yard apart, a warder watching to ensure no talking. One by one they went to the desk to surrender personal property and watch it entered into the property book. Each in turn was made to stamp and crush combs brushes etc. Then removing their clothing a body search was carried out and then bathing took place. Warder Martin shuddered at the water grey and filthy as usual, in-mates entered all together separated by corrugated sheets covered with green slime. Skin conditions and disease was rife and the one towel used by all. After identifying their clothing they watched as they were thrown onto a pile of rags, gone.
Warder Martin oversaw the medical examination as each in turn were weighed, measured and checked by the doctor, who pronounced them fit or not for labour. Taking the scissors the junior warder cut their hair as close to the scalp as the scissors allowed cutting and pulling off great lumps and with great haste until satisfied the scalp could be felt and the face was clean shaven. They were given their uniform and a cloth disc to hang from the top button of their jacket. From this moment forward their own identity vanished they all became numbers.
Warder Martin read the shocked and scared prisoners the rules as they stood there silently listening, what could they have taken in he wondered. Finally they marched slowly in line to their individual cells with the plank bed and no mattress; from now on they would eat, work and sleep within this room and have twenty three hours alone with themselves.
The Governor Colonel Isaacson called Warder Martin to his office and advised him that he was now allocated to the third floor. On this floor in cell 3-3 was prisoner No. 4099. Whilst in Wandsworth, this prisoner had previously suffered a fall and burst his eardrum, the harsh conditions, poor food and manual labour being tied to a treadmill for six hours a day had greatly weakened his health. This care by society led to prisoner 4099 spending two months in the infirmary. Whilst in the infirmary prisoner 4099 entertained his fellow patients and carers with stories and wit, that was until the authorities put a warder sat by his bed.
On transfer 4099 was suffering from hunger, insomnia and disease, all which seriously contributed to his death. The Governor was unhappy that 4099 had friends to lobby for him and that he was forced to put him on lighter duties, he could be allowed some reading but there was no writing. Depression stopped 4099 carrying out even these lighter duties and he was constantly given a series of harsh punishments, 4099’s failure to complete these led to continuously renewed sanctions. So the cycle continued.
Warder Martin understood the ‘separate system’ in which each inmate is confined to his cell that in turn became their workshop by day and bedroom by night, forbidden to have any communication with or even being recognised by a fellow in-mate. The Sunday walks to the chapel introduced all inmates to the ‘Fools Parade’ they were hooded and each held on to a knot spaced out on a rope. Only when they were placed in their individual high sided cubicles could they remove this awful method of cruelty. Hoods only allowed limited forward vision. The ‘Fool’s Parade’ also controlled their one hour exercise circuit of the courtyard, never permitted to speak to or even see each other. This routine enforced each in-mate to commune only with his self and not be contaminated by others.
Yet as Warder Martin also contemplated within himself he remembered the solitary regime had turned many mad. The deterioration of physical health was tragic and when the birching of the small seven year old sentenced to two months for setting fire to a hay rick was carried out he could feel his spirit being crushed. Another lad aged eleven had stolen a paint brush, another killed a duck. Numerous prisoners had asked the warders could they take the birching for the boys, but of course the Governor would not allow this. Warder Martin shook himself he was thinking too much.
Warder Martin supervised the photo taking of some of the inmates who were due to be released. Only those considered to be possible recidivists were photographed. The pose was very specific as each stood with the back of their hands visible in front of their chests, this was determined an indicator of their criminal character. The inmates little knew that this was where the hangings took place, a false floor which could be removed to convert it into the hangman’s execution chamber. A sign above the door stated ‘Place of No Return’. As the hanging of CTW came due the prison became chill and silent, the prisoner was moved to a special cell where warders were with him day and night. Midday on Saturday the seventh June, 1896 he was hanged. CTW refused to plead for mercy and had written to the court saying he refused clemency. He walked to his hanging head low stating to the Chaplain that he was guilty and was ‘Right for the hanging’.
Prisoner 4099 remembered this day for the remainder of his days, it affected him greatly. For Warder Martin things at last were looking up, a new Governor was appointed; the harsh cruelties of Isaacson disappeared. Nelson was more liberal and was ready to relax the rules, he loaned 4099 books from his personal library which Warder Martin observed this kindness brought the prisoner to tears. With four months still left to serve more of 4099’s friends managed to get him paper so he could write; only letters were allowed to be written. These he had previously written to solicitors and the Home Office and in small quantities to friends. But all were inspected and as each day darkened the writing materials were removed by Warder Martin. As each new day dawned a new page was given. No electricity existed and no candles were allowed.
Governor Nelson came up with a plan that as prison regulations did not specify the length of a letter, if unfinished the Governor supposed a prisoner could be able to take this with him at the end of his sentence. Each night both Governor Nelson and Warder Martin read what No.4099 had written, the contents were eye opening. Douglas, to whom the letter was addressed, appeared totally without scruples. To both the Governor and Warder Martin the addressee was a parasite and the bane of 4099’s life, and cause of this man’s incarceration.
The accusations were clear and consisted of spending 4099’s money thus causing him to be bankrupt, of degrading him ethically in constant scene making. Douglas was accused of bad behaviour in matters large and petty; both Warder Martin and the Governor were surprised to see dates, places and details clearly listed. Although many messages and some letters were sent to Douglas contact between them both had collapsed. 4099 suffered greatly from incarceration, his close supervision, both physical labour and emotional torment, the life of Douglas remained unaffected.
Governor Nelson instructed Warder Martin and the stringent rules were relaxed to allow Prisoner 4099 to see the pages together and in neat small writing revisions were made. As Governor Nelson had prescribed the long letter for medical reasons though now finished it would not be sent.
On the day of his release, 18th May 1897, 4099 left the prison and handed over his 60,000 word letter to journalist Robert Ross, an ex-lover and rival to Douglas aka Bosie. It had taken Prisoner 4099 three months to write. Hence the De Profundis came into being and was published five years after Oscar Wilde’s death, this was an incomplete version excised of its autobiographical elements and references to the Queensbury family. It was only in 1962 that the completed and correct version appeared.
Governor Nelson had been correct when he had remarked to Wilde’s friend Robert Ross, ‘He looks well. But like all men unused to manual labour who receive a sentence of this kind, he will be dead within two years.’
Warder Martin was sacked from his job as he gave a starving boy some biscuits as his very poor digestion could not cope with the prison food.
The Ballad of Reading Gaol was published in1898.
Oscar Wilde died on the 30th November 1900