there was repeated almost exactly in nearly every prison in the British
Isles. The gaoler in Bedford--and in many other places--had no salary
paid him, and therefore screwed all he could out of his prisoners; and
no matter if a man were innocent or guilty, if a jury had condemned him
or not, he must pay fifteen shillings and fourpence to the gaoler, and
two shillings to the warder who brought him his food--when he had
any--before he was set free. If, as often happened, the prisoners could
not find the money, well, they were locked up till they died, or till
the fees were paid.

When Howard informed the magistrates of what he had found, they were as
much shocked as if it had not been their business to have known all
about it.

'A dreadful state of things, indeed!' they said, 'and they were greatly
obliged to Mr. Howard for having discovered it. Yes, certainly, the
criminals and those who had been confined for debt alone ought to be
placed in different parts of the prison, and the men and women should be
separated, and an infirmary built for the sick. Oh! they were quite
willing to do it, but the cost would be very heavy, and the people might
decline to pay it, unless the high sheriff could point to any other
county which supported its own gaol.'

* * * * *

At the moment, the high sheriff could not, but he had no doubt that such
a county would be easily found, so he at once started on a visit to some
of the prisons, but, to his surprise, he did not discover _one_ in which
the gaoler was paid a fixed salary. And the more he saw of the prisons,
the more he was grieved at their condition. Almost all had dungeons for
criminals built underground, dark, damp, and dirty, and sometimes as
much as twenty feet below the surface; and often these dungeons were
very small and very crowded. Mats or, in a few of the better-managed
prisons, straw was given the prisoners to lie on, but no coverings, and
those who were imprisoned for debt were expected to pay for their own
food or go without it.

* * * * *

Sick at heart with all that he had seen, Howard went home for a short
rest, and then set out again on one of those tours on which he spent
the remaining years of his life, never thinking that the work was done
when he had reported on the terrible evils of the prison system, but
always returning to make sure that his advice had been carried out,
which it often was not.