PRISONER. Any person who is confined, or restrained in his liberty. against his will: a person subjected to imprisonment. The term is ordinarily used to designate persons whose bodies have been attached or seized in criminal or quasi-criminal proceedings and persons who are captured in war. For further information as to prisoners in the general and ordinary legal usage, see su-li titles as 13i1'rusoNmENT; FALSE 1711 PRISONMENT; ESCAPE: PRISON BREACH: AT TACHMENT; BAIL; RECOGNIZANCE, etc. The rights of prisoners of war have changed greatly for the better within comparatively recent historical times. Among the Greeks and Romans, and for many centuries before and since, prisoners of war were the property of those by whom they were captured, and might be slain, kept as slaves, or sold, at the ca price of their captors. ibis is still the case among savage races and among some of the send civilized races of the Orient. A mind picture of the treatment accorded to prisoners of war in early antiquity among all the races of time East i- given by the accounts of the .Jewish victories in the Old Testament. The custom of ransom
together with the use of mercenaries and professional soldiers mitigated the hardships of the prisoners. The modern humane gloetrine as to the rights of prisoners of war is laid down in the rules made by the Brussels Conference in 1874, which have been generally accepted. Under these a prisoner of war is a lawful eonthatant captured in 8Var, and such non-combatants as guides, balloonists. telegraph operators, and others who are identified with the army and rendering it direct service, and important public officials. Surgeons and chaplains, and, now. the hospital attendants of the Red Cross Society are exempt as such from being prisoners of war. A prisoner of war has no protection from the laws of the State and civil remedy: but he is protected by the rules of war against unlawful acts against his person. For further information consult such titles as WAR; _RANSOM; I;ENEVA CONVENTION; BRUSSELS CONFERENCE; ALIEN; INVIOLABILITY: etc. Consult the authorities re ferred to under INTERNATIONAL LAW.