Project Gutenberg's Prisoner for Blasphemy, by G. W. [George William] Foote

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Title: Prisoner for Blasphemy

Author: G. W. [George William] Foote

Release Date: December, 2004 [EBook #7076]
Posting Date: March 24, 2009

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PRISONER FOR BLASPHEMY ***

Produced by Freethought Archives

PRISONER FOR BLASPHEMY

By George William Foote

Originally published 1886

Persecution is not refutation, nor even triumph: the
"wretched infidel" as he is called, is probably happier in
his prison than the proudest of his assailants--BYRON.

London:
Progressive Publishing Company
28 Stonecutter Street, E.C.
1886

CHAPTERS

I. The Storm Brewing

II. Our First Summons

III. Mr. Bradlaugh Included

IV. Our Indictment

V. Another Prosecution

VI. Preparing for Trial

VII. At the Old Bailey

VIII. Newgate

IX. The Second Trial

X. "Black Maria"

XI. Holloway Gaol

XII. Prison Life

XIII. Parson Plaford

XIV. The Third Trial

XV. Loss and Gain

XVI. A Long Night

XVII. Daylight

PREFACE.

This little volume tells a strange and painful story; strange, because
the experiences of a prisoner for blasphemy are only known to three
living Englishmen; and painful, because their unmerited sufferings are a
sad reflection on the boasted freedom of our age.

My own share in this misfortune is all I could pretend to describe with
fidelity. Without (I hope) any meretricious display of fine writing,
I have related the facts of my case, giving a precise account of
my prosecutions, and as vivid a narrative as memory allows of my
imprisonment in Holloway Gaol. I have striven throughout to be truthful
and accurate, nothing extenuating, nor setting down aught in malice;
and I have tried to hit the happy mean between negligence and prolixity.
Whether or not I have succeeded in the second respect the reader must
be the judge; and if he cannot be so in the former respect, he will at
least be able to decide whether the writer means to be candid and bears
the appearance