prisoners to; but we
were informed that such prisoners were kept in close stone cells, in
the yard, which were commonly occupied by negroes and those condemned
to capital punishment. The ominous name of this third story was "Mount
Rascal," intended, no doubt, as significant of the class of prisoners
it contained. It is said that genius is never idle: the floor of these
cells bore some evidence of the fact in a variety of very fine specimens
of carving and flourish work, done with a knife. Among them was a
well-executed crucifix; with the Redeemer, on Calvary-an emblem of hope,
showing how the man marked the weary moments of his durance. We spoke
with many of the prisoners, and heard their different stories, some of
which were really painful. Their crimes were variously stated, from that
of murder, arson, and picking pockets, down to the felon who had stolen
a pair of shoes to cover his feet; one had stolen a pair of pantaloons,
and a little boy had stolen a few door-keys. Three boys were undergoing
their sentence for murder. A man of genteel appearance, who had been
sentenced to three years imprisonment, and to receive two hundred and
twenty lashes in the market, at different periods, complained bitterly
of the injustice of his case. Some had been flogged in the market, and
were awaiting their time to be flogged again and discharged; and others
were confined on suspicion, and had been kept in this close durance
for more than six months, awaiting trial. We noticed that this worst of
injustice, "the law's delay," was felt worse by those confined on the
suspicion of some paltry theft, who, even were they found guilty by a
jury, would not have been subjected to more than one week imprisonment.
Yet such was the adherence to that ancient system of English criminal
jurisprudence, that it was almost impossible for the most innocent
person to get a hearing, except at the regular sessions, "which sit
seldom, and with large intervals between." There is indeed a city
court in Charleston, somewhat more modern in its jurisprudence than the
sessions. It has its city sheriff, and its city officers, and holds its
terms more frequently. Thus is Charleston doubly provided with sheriffs
and officials. Both aspire to a distinct jurisdiction in civil and
criminal cases. Prisoners seem mere shuttlecocks between the sheriffs,
with a decided advantage in favor of the county sheriff, who is autocrat
in rei over the jail; and any criminal who has