The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-11-02
Horrors Of the Canton Prisons.

The following account of the state Of
things in the prisons at Canton has been
written by one who seems to have
known by experience something of the
hardships and cruelties to which prison
ers are exposed. 1t is printed and cir
cnlated gratuitously in the streets in
Canton. and it is entitled "An Account
of the Extortions and Cruelties Prac-
tised in the Namhoi Great Prison,
the Common Prison. the front
and back Lock-ups, by the Keep
ers, and in the Police Cells by the Po-
licemen." 1t is perfectly right tit says)
to have keepers to restrain the vicious
and violent among the prisoners, but
who would suppose that they would
league themselves with these characters
to extort and oppress? All the evils Of
the prison arise from this source.
Deprivation of Money, Etc. BY this
means the keepers fatten on the spoils
of the prisoner. As soon as man en-
tiers the prison he is searched and
stripped Of his money and clothing;
thus he has no means to provide him.
self with comforts or to keep off the
cold. This is practiced in both prisons
and police cells.
Brides for Admission.-Whenh he is in
the prison he is compelled to write to
his friends, begging them to fee the
keepers and to visit him, and there are
certain days appointed for their COM
ing; they are also requested to bring
money for his maintenance. If either
of these things is neglected, the prison.
keepers give money to the old prison
ers, who make fast one end of rope to
his manacles, and the other to an iron
hook in the beam above; he is suddenly
hoisted into mid-air, and violently
jerked up and down, or swung back
ward and forward; the pain is most ex-
cruciating. If he cries out from pain,
they fill his mouth and throat with
ashes from the furnace, so that his
cries are nearly drowned and he is al
most suffocated. This is known as
burning paper In the large prison it
is done seventy-twO times in succession;
in the common prison thirty-six times.
When once in the hands of these tort
urers there is no begging of. whether
You survive or not; even if you sell your
wife and pawn your children to give tn
them, all is of no avail. The annual
ratio of deaths in prison is four out of
every ten from starvation and cold, and
two out of every ten from being sus-
pended and beaten. Therefore, the
prison-keepers always say that life and
death are entirely in their hands.
Hence the saying:
You must press bran to get oil from it,
You must torture prisoners to get money from
them.
Food.-Those who are not hung up
and beaten are subjected to another
plan for grinding money from them.
Sand and unhulled paddy are mixed
with their morning and evening rice, OF
it is made so watery or so hot that they
can not swallow it.
Segregation.-The prisoners are made
to sit in dirty place and are not per-
mitted to speak word to their fellow
prisoners, nor are they allowed to take
a single step in the open courts. Those
who have received help from their
friends outside are not permitted to give
any of the food they leave over to their
fellow-prisoners. If any one breaks
these regulations he is cuffed about and
cursed. This is practiced in all the
prisons and lock-ups.
Notwithstanding tables are open
day and night. Two-thirds of the prof
its go to the prison-keepers and one
third to the old prisoners and the bribe-
payers. The wardens lend money to
those who wish it, and charge twenty
and thirty per cent. month. If any
of the interest is owing it is kept back
from the food and allowances. Unless
settlement is made at the end OF the
game. the men are hung up and beaten
twice day and put in irons. Starving
from hunger and thin as roasted storks,
they pick up tish-bones and melon seeds
from the garbage heaps to eat.-Chino
Herald.