San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1884-03-20
n0rrOrs Of the Canton Prisons.

"
Tho following account Of the state 81
things in the prisons NJ Canton has heei
written by one who seems 10 nave
known by experience something OF the
Lor1shlps and crucltics "a which prison
crs are aXposod, II Il printed aud Or
culnted gfatultlusly In the streets ~
Canton. and n IL entitled IAN Account
of the Extor,Ions and Crnelt!eS rrue'
,ised In tho NumhOl Great fFisoh,
The Common Prison, tho ,iroh'
and back Lock-ups, by the Keep
ers and In tho Police Cells by the TO
Icemen." Il is perfectly right 0t saays)
IN have keepers TO restrain the vicious
and violent among the prisoners, bnl
who would suppose that they woulu
League themselves with these characters
10 GXtort and OuprossP All tho evils Oh
the prisons are from this source.
DeprIyation Of Money, Etc. By rms
means the keepers fatten on the spollS
of the prisoner As soon rs man On,
tiers the prison he Is searched ana
s,ripped Of his money and clothingi
thus he has no means 10 provide HIM
self with comforts or to keep OIL the
cold This Is practiced in both prisons
and police cells. unit.
Brides for Admission. When he Is In
the prison he is compel on TO write 10
his friends, begging them to Zee tho
keepers and TO visit him, and there are
certain DAYS appointed for their COM
ing; they are also requested 10 br,hS
money for his maintenance ii cithcr
of these things is neglected, the prison.
keepers give money TO the old prison
ers. who make fast one end OF n rope 10
his manacles, and the other to an iron
hook In tho beam above; h. is suddenly
boistcd into mid-air, and violently
ierked up and down, or swung back
ward and forward, the pain is most OK
crllciatnp. If he cries ont from pam,
they fill his mouth and throat with
nshes from the furnace, so that MS
cries are nearly drowned and he IS al
most sullOcatcd. This Is known as
burning paper. In the large prison II
l. done sevcnty.two times in succession;
in the common prison thirty-siN times.
When once in the hands of these tort
urers there is no begging of, whether
YOU survive or not; EVENT. you sell your
wife and pawn your children to gave 10
them, all is of no avail. The annual
ratio of deaths in prison Is four out OF
every ten from starvat on and cold, and
two out Of every ten from being sus-
pended and beaten. Therefore, the
prison-k keepers always say that life and
death are entirely in their hands.
Hence the saying:
You must press bran TO get oil from II,
You must torture prisoners toEpt money from
them.
Food. Those who are not hung up
and beaten nrc subjected to another
plan for grinding money from them.
Sand and unhullcd paddy are mixed
with their morning and evening rice, or
it is madc SO watery or so hot that they
can not swallow it.
Scgregation.-The prisoners are made
to sit in u dirty place and are not per-
mitted to speak word to their fellow
prisoners, nor are they allowed to take
n single step in the open courts. Those
who have received help from their
friends outside are not permitted togive
any of the food they leave over to their
fcllow-prisoners If any one breaks
these regulations he is cutled about and
cursed This is practiccd in all the
prisons and lock ups.
Gambling. Gambling tables are open
day and night. Two-thirds Of the prof
its 90 to the prison-kecpors and one
third to tho old prisoners and the bribc-
PAYERS. The wardcns lend money to
those who wish it, and charge twenty
and thirty per cent. n month: II any
of the interest is owing it is kept back
from the food and allowances. Unless
settlement is made ut the end OF tho
game, the men are hung up and beaten
twice u day and put in irons. Starving
from hunger and thin Us roasted storks'
they pick up ish-bon and melon seeds
from the garbage heaps to eat.-Cht''a
Herald