The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-01-30
JAIL LIFE.
How tho Inmates YEARLY Pass
the Time.
The Laundryman- Obey Owen-Rus
sell Brown-King-Jack Hayes
Life in Prison.
Post pisDaich.

relieved yesterday al the fouf SouTts
By the suicide Of Patsy Early, which
will BE- q topic for conversation IN that
institution for 3 month to come.
Monotony is a characteristic of prison
life, but especially SO of the st. Louis
Jail. where no more provision is
made for the pastime of q prisoner
than for q Gagged canary. The pris-
eners are divided into several classes.
Tho western portion is devoted to
those charged with murder. AdjoiI-
ing this is the WoMens Department,
which is sub-divided into tiers for
white and colored women The re-
naiuder Of the Jail is occupied by
prisoners serving Jail sentences and
those awaiting trial in the courts and
known as the "transients From the
the irst of these the 'trusties." who
serve in the capacity of employees aud
walters, are selected. No time for ris-
ing or retiring is set for the prisoners.
At 7 o'clock breakfast is served. and
at p. NJ. supplies for dinner and sup
per are handed through the wickets
At this hour "trusty.
carrying a dipper and fol-
lowed by two others with a huge tin
can. makes the rounds of the cells.
ach prisoner exposes deep tin pan,
into which two ladies Of soup is poured
by the waiter. who moves On to the
next cell. Following MIN comes the
nan whose duty it is to supply the
bread, which is carried in a large
basket containing fifty loaves already
sliced Next come the men carrying
the meat and vegetables, filing each
plate as it appeared at the wicket. IT
So'clock in the morning and three in
the af ernoon a whistle is blown aud
the guards Immediately take position
for exercise hour. all the cells excep,
those Of prisoners under punishment
for the violation of some rule are
opened, and the hour is consumed in
walking UP and down the length Of
the corridor. A guard armed with a
; shotgun loaded with ieaden slugs. pa
trolls the semicircuiar walk at the top
Of column near the screen during
exercise hours. while Jailer Seigmund
and the deputies patrol the Fl 'or and
the "bull ring" surrounding the cells
on the outside.
EROM 8 O'CLOCK UNTIL NOON
the attorneys visit their clients. Tues
&ay, Thursday and Saturday are
known as wash-days. On these days
. one and half inch hose is run out
and taken in charge by a pipeman
and half a dozen ''trusties." Under
the command of one of the guards the
washing gang of ''trusties" then begin
operations, cleaning the entire Jail in
/ two hours. The wooden spit boxes
are collected by prisoner who is fol-
lowed by three Others who spill soft
soap over the stone q ,or, after sweep
ing it clean. The floor is then wet,
the hose and the scrubbers drawn up
ih line fifteen deep. column right
aud column left pushing the bristle
brooms before them. until every spot
Is thoroughly scrubbed. The brooms
are then laid by and mops taken in
hand, while the galleries are washed
down with the hose. While the work
is in progress, the other prisoners are
locked up in their cells. This is all
the work or amusement had by the
prisoners while out on the floor. The
old prisoners are gradually leaving
, the Jail. During the past menth
Beaumont and Harry Williams, the
Jail poet. and several of the old resi-
dents went up to the Penitentiarv,
leaving a new set in possession. The
tra"sients, which compose three
fourths of
PRls.NERs, LOAF AND LOUNGE
while in their cells. ALI characters
OF decorative art has been forbidden by
Jailer Siegmund. for the very good
season that it gives shelter and food
60 the reaches which infest the institu-
tion, especially during the winter
time. when it would be injurious to
health to adopt the Washington pro-
gress which is resorted to during the
warm months. A picture pasted on
any part Of cell will soon bulge out
and give signs of animation cause by
the antics of the reaches feeding ON
the past used to make the picture adj
here to the wall. This has taken away
the occupation of many of the pris-
Oners.
CHARLES F. KRING,
who has occupied cell in the Jail for
eight years. said to reporter "This
IL certainly very monotonous. Every
day is the same as the preceding one
here. with very little variety in the
routine. As for myself I road and