As there is no attempt at humor in this book, and since I am on the subject of petitions, I will give here a copy of one sent by a fellow prisoner who was somewhat of a character and whose name was Niblo Clark.
To some of the prisoners the art of reading and writing is an all but insoluble mystery. Every man is allowed a small slate, and many of the prisoners spend an incredible amount of painful toil and mental wrestling in preparing a petition, which, by the way, never does any good. Poor Niblo for a whole year, through all the Summer's warmth and Winter's frost, spent his spare hours producing this petition, and I think my reader will agree with me that it is a masterpiece of its kind.
PETITION.
| Register No. Y 19. | Name, Niblo Clark, |
| Present Age, 40. | Confined in Chatham Prison. |
| Date of Petition, January 15, 1890. |
| CONVICTED. | CRIME. | SENTENCE. | REMARKS. | |
| When. 1880. | Where. Old Bailey, London. | Burglary. | 15 years. | In Hospital. Troublesome. |
To the Right Honorable Henry Mathews, Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department:
The Petition of Niblo Clark Humbly Sheweth—
The Right Honorable Secretary the great benefit your humble petitioner would derive by a speedy removal from this damp and foggy inhospitable Climate to a milder one; the atmostphere here his thoroughly prejudicial to your petitioners health and causes me to be a great Sufferer i am Suffering from asthma accompanied with bad attacks of Chronic bronchitis and have been now 3 long years Confined to a bed of Sickness in a Sad and pitable Condition and upon those Clear grounds and physical proofs your petitioner humbly prays that it may please the Right Honorable Secretary to order my removal to a warmer and milder Climate necessity also compels me to complain of repeated acts of injustice and Cruely committed again me, and which in some respects Might Justly undergo the imputation of ferocity there are numbers and frivolous and false charges conspired against me and every time i am discharged from here the Governor takes them Seperate one each and trys to murder me: i have been No less then Six weeks at one time on bread and Water accompanied with a little penal Class and all the officers are incouraged to practise all kinds of barbarious maltreatment against me and other sick men—theres is one officer here place here for the express purpose of tantelizing me and other his Name is Warder Newcombe this officer sir has barbariously struck and assaulted patients on there Sick bed and Several has complained of it to the Governor—But i am Sorry to say its greatly fostered and incouraged especially upon me it is quite useless to complain of anything to the Governor.
Right Honourable Sir i humbly beg that you will listen to my woe
for what i Suffer in Chatham prison the one half you do not Know
From repeated attacks of this frightful disease i am getting worse each day
So i humbly trust you will have me removed without the least delay
In making my request in poetry Sir i hope you wont think i am Joking
for the greatest favour you can bestowe upon me is to Send me back to Woking
For in this damp and foggy Climate its impossible to ever get better
So i humbly trust in addition to this you will grant me a Special letter
Another little case i wish to State if you Sir will Kindly listen
has it would Cause a Vast amount of talk all round and about the prison
I mean if Niblo Clark Should be sent upon some public Works
it would cause more talk then the late dispute between the russians and the turks
in foggy wheather with my disease it would be impossible to larst one hour
and if you doubt the accuracy of what i say i refere to doctor Power
or any other naval doctor or one from the army garrison
they one and all would say the Same and likewise Doctor Harrison
Since my reception in this here prison i have been a most unfortunate man
and i will tell you the why and wherefore as well as i possibly Can
for every time i been in this hospital its the whole truth what i Say
for my medical treatment i assure Sir i have dearly had to pay
A regular marked man i have been for them all its well known to Captain Harris
for the list of reports against me would reach from this place to paris
So i humbly beg Right Honourable Sir you will grant this humble petition
for i am sorry to State i have nothing to pay having lost both health and remission
Such Cruel injustice to poor Sick men is far from being just and right
but to report Sick patients in hospital is the officers Chief delight
But perhaps kind Sir you might imagine that they only do this to a dodger
But its done to all—Austin Bidwell as well and likewise to poor Sir Roger (Tichborne).
like Savage lions in this infirmary the Officers about are walking
to Catch and report a dying poor man for the frivolous Charge of talking
and when we go out from hospital our poor bodies they try to Slaughter
by taking these reports one at the time and Killing us on bread and water
I am suffering a Chest and throat disease a frightful Chronic disorder
and to go out from hospital is attempting Suicide to get heaps of bread and Water
for it is such cruel treatment made me as i am and brought me to the Verge of the grave
So in conclusion Right Honourable Sir a removal i humbly Crave
if this petition should not be sent prisoners abstain from further writting who will explain his case more Clearly to the Visiting director and i wish to have this petition Submitted to the director by your truly humble servant Niblo Clark.