A Delightful Prison

1903

It is very doubtful if there is anywhere a more delightful prison than that of Tobel, in Switzerland. There are very few guards, not more than one to every 25 prisoners, and they never think of carrying arms. The prisoners' cells are constantly open, so that the inmates can easily communicate with each other and can tell at any time what the guards are doing.

Moreover, the prisoners are allowed to have paper, ink, newspapers, cider and various dainties from the kitchen, including fried eggs, of which they are very fond. One would suppose that prisoners would not desire to leave such an earthly paradise as this, yet three notorious murderers — Lohrer, Schmid and Hess — quietly strolled away from it recently, and, it is said, have not as yet shown any inclination to return.


Bygone London Customs

In Edward Longshank's days persons living in the city were allowed to keep swine "within their houses." But these Plantagenet pigs were not to occupy sites that encroached on the streets. At a later day the permission to keep them even within one's house would seem to have been limited to master bakers.