Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1878-10-05
A Night in the San Francisco City
Prison.

The following we clipped from the
San Francisco Bulletin knowing moth
ing of the facts or the parties con.
cerned; but simply present it as pic
ture of life in the San Francisco City
Prison:
EDITOR Bulletin: Often have 1 read
the police reports in the papers and &C.
casionally looked at the unfortunates
who occupy the prisoners benches in
Judge Louderback's Court; but little
did think my own name would ever
be announced in the papers as one of
the occupants of the City Prison.
On the evening of the 9Th of July I
was called to see sick lady upon whom
some one had been trying to procure
an abortion. I did the best could to
save her life, and failed. A Coroner's
jury investigated the case. I appeared
as one OF the witnesses. and told what
1 knew about the case. and how treat
ed the patient. The Coroner told the
jury that 1 caused the woman's death
that my own testimony convicted me.
He refused me the privilege of asking
a single question of any of the wit.
nesses. In his charge to the jury he
misrepresented the facts on material
points. and refused to allow me to make
single remark to them in explanation.
The jury meekly decided as the Coro.
nor directed, and rendered verdict in
accordance with his instructions. The
Coroner's warrant for my arrest was al
ready prepared and 1 was Immediately
arrested and II lrched to the City Pris-
on. We arrived there about II p. M.
too late to procure bail, or even see
the Police Judge to have the amount
fixed. Isaw l must spend the night in
prison. There was no alternative. OF
the cause of my incarceration will
say no more, nor of its injustice as
viewed from my standpoint. I only
wish to speak of what I experienced
saw and heard, in the City Prison.
That subterranean retreat is Under
the old City Hall: 1t is damp, gloomy,
and dark, and has to be artifcially
lighted the whole day. It is enclosed
with massive walls of brick, and has an
adamaitine floor. We enter it by an
iron door, which the porter unlocks
with huge key, and closes behind us
Is soon as we have entered. We find
ourselves in hall of about ITO feet in
length, and Is feet in width. At one
end Of this hall there is an enclocure
elevated one step above the floor, nth
. cushioned bench on one side, and a
writing desk on the other. That is the
Office Of the prison keepers. There, in
accordance with the prison rules, l was
searched for weapons. They took away
my pocket scissors, but overlooked a
small pocket knife, which some silver
coin in my pocket fortunately covered.
On the side Of the hall opposite our
entrance there are five cells about nine
feet square, with benches on their sides
and rear, and massive iron CRATES on
the side fronting the hall. Then comes
the prison kitchen. Then three more
cells besides these there ere eight
cells IN what IL called the new prison.
Cell No. ] hss q xooden screen be-
fore II. and 10 used for females. Nos.
:. and 4 contain persons charged with
srirae or with being trunk. No. ) is
Tor the exclusive use u drunks. Nos.
=. and are for the use Of persons
Who have been sentenced to spend sew
erA days IN prison. For u hat especial
Yesposs the new prison cells are used
faid not learn.
Tbe night / xas there. the female
cell co1tzined elever-siye whites and
N chinese. No. = about a dozen: Nos.
ssnd 4. ssch . little less; No. 5a small
80 nnEheT. How many there were
n lie CHER cells / vas not in.
hssnas- All eyes we're represented,