, 1880-05-21
A CALIFORNIA PRISON.


SAN QuESriS, CAL, May 1I.-CnlIfoentn,
with population, Of less than II mll1tuii
sunls, 1,ns n crin,tnni element within her
boundaries nt MI times Of several thousand
l tto nut refer to petty crimes, but TINT
which Is generally denolnhated high class,
sucl as murder, highway robbery, burg
larry, and gral,d larceny. The State Prison ut
Snn Quentin l.arbors about 1900; tho bal
ance are In tho different county jnils, or nre,
for tho time being, FREQ of the lnesllcs OF tho
law, inlustriousiy plying their vocation rs
occasion STRIVES, Despcra,loes Of every na-
tim Under tho sun flock TO California Ms to n
promised land. anil here they commit their
most desperate deeds, beea,,se California Is
tho natural l,ome OF tho bandit. With
It's mountain chains n1l Forges,
Its forest fastMcsses, Its hidden
caves render It Mt once the retreat and safcty
of w build hfgl.waymnM, And then what
rtcl, prlzca tho ,no.lcri, Dick Turpln captures
Mt times III California; Fur this Is still tho
lai,d TINT poets sing:
Tho lnud Of old.
Tho lnni " '4Ul
4 grcnt deaf OF travel Is necessarily done
by stage-c0ach. and many bricks of gold
bullion nra sent by these conveyances from
tho mines to tho city banks or Offices OF min
fng companies. Two determined Highway
men with sl,otguns loaded with buck-sl,ut
cntl capture any stage That ever crossed the
mountains. The best ian TINT lives will
weaken In the presence Ut shotgun, 1t held
by n desperate who 1ins the "tlrop" IN linn.
know there nro tnoso who may rcn.l t!lEs
whU will deny tic sOft Impeachment. l1invts
heard 1t often. But once placed III the posl-
tton they 9ll my, Ike the coon, "You needn't
As California always Inns her ouota OF dcs-
peratN men, 1t follows that hikhwny robher-
les arc tho rule rNtter ttlan the exception.
Tl!o M chances ,!. are desperate but frequently
Cri,nes Of ytolence, sltcl, rs murder and rs
snult to Kill, nre also Of frequent occurrence
III this State. Tho "Greaser' ~. population,
nartieaiariy 10 when drinklng, wiiieli ws
lnay sar Is MI tho time, commit Il gOodty pro-
portion ut these crimes, with "love," liate,
revenge, or money as ln,pelline catlscs. Many
courso Of time tind t!lslr way to the State
think . brief stay woul,! so sicken their FREQ
souls TINT they would pine for liberty, which,
sssu!S ST. ey a TG Tsrs kee% GW & S s %
dozen times, and they like It.
The fuct Is, Callforninns know nothing
nbOtlt running State Prison, mud cDilvlets,
instead Ut being reformed, cone hgre only 10
perfect themselves III criminal exploit
There Is the greatest freedom OF coMml,',lca-
tton allowed betweel, prisoners; they may
way 1T recalling matter, tho result being n
tlelnge Of Police GGzcuss aud literature OF
that Kind. Numbers of the ,consicts nrc en-
iyiSi pfisyiieges s enic e. less no for'nata s eos s51
aud 80 far ttf.! tho spirit Of tolerntton extend
at Que time tint the, officials. winkcd ut the
| existence of u faro bank which was COIL
Tflsa Ts syeton III sSta, Il Sss @ prso n1saefs at could
ass'ee y th2 @st pt twssa fsst,' ss n
from San francisco, al,d most pleasantly
east liinit q Marn coanty. Tho ep sentIe
brcczes OF the bay, tnterspcrsed by MI occtl-
slonal zephyr from the OCEAN, fan tito air, md
! keen the atmosphere ut all times pure. Tho
centre of tho pEisol,-yar,! is devoted to the
cnre Ut three or four conviets whose tustes
run In that groove. Nor il the sense of the
! sublime forgotten. Look around III what
ssssn s M to f5easss hs en s%sn d
majestic TatnalpAls, Its frowning peak kiss
lnE the clouds, Invites tho conten,pla-
iS tS, St ta fneIp p9SopSS 9 Suo "cGt Mte,y wls of
tho Day OF San Francisco strntch away
and lose themselves In tho foothills Of Con-
ira Costa. There Is Nil ever-ihovlng .pnno-
ro1nn Of sail ai't steam vessels on th1 hosom
new delights wherever It may bend. Tho
convict who cahnot IN SUCH homo find
pleasure must be hard to please, especially
when ntta TINT thero Is 10 work to do,-
nothing bnt cRt, drink sleep and ~ b. merry;
California has q large criminal element, The
stnt9 Prison Is by put tn! tiralning school f9r
legitimate place. .Theyare fostercd III crimo
by ths state, Wt.iclt confines them 4 nt san
talk the mlstter over among yourselves, ami i
you put up my more Jobs which you execute
after YOU get AWAY from ltcre III lock y0al
| up Ng1tiNI" And tic boys talk tho nlnlter
over among themselves, exchanges Ideas II!
regard 10 criminal enterprises, anu 80 perfect
themselves. -,
Among tho more notorious criminals who
hAyo served In. San Quentin was q fellow
generAliy known Us Newt Morgan, convicted
Of forging Ioll-tnx receipts. lie was Hetl:.
tencetl to eleven years. imprisonment. Ifo ltatl
pienty. Of money wllom l,c arrived at San
Quentin, and Was received by tho officials
with open Ar1ns. 11e WINS Installed In MI
official position n,sd actslatIy had more 10 say
during his temporary "retirenaent" IN rc-
that any ol'lcer there: lie always dressed