The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-05-24

but there was a hearty good fellowship
and a smiling cheerfulness visible
on each OF their countenances
very little IN accord with their sur
roundings. Jim" Watson, whose good
natured form has so long been familiar
| figure as Waterman ON Main street, was
fairly bubbling over with good humor |;
Mr.. Cannon was cheerful and full of
praises for the treatment they received ;
Mr.. Musser said with his usual frank
ness, Immediately under the ear of the
guard, that nothing bad that could be
said of the place, would do it an in
| justice, although, of course" he said,
1.-THE people here can't help that. 1t is
the government who is responsible for
the building; as for ourselves, We are as
happy as clans at high tide" Rudger
Clawson, who has grown quite fieshv
since his term of imprisonment began
/ this real term. however, despite the fact
that he has been so long iDcarcerated,
win not commence until after the meet
! ing of the Supreme Court was quiet in
his manner, but there wassnothing to
indicate that the long term which must
elapse before he could emerge from these
walls, had in any way impaired his
! Spirits; Joseph Evans, a halean hearty
English blacksmith. of the bluff type, has
aged little, but his good humor is un-
diminished ); Farley P. Pratt was al
ways quiet and undemonstratiye, and
! he was unchanged. The conversation
backwards and forwards was very ami,
mated, and was mainly devoted to CIV
| ing friends some particulars of prison
| life and discipline. A circumstance on
which they all dwelt with much plea
sure was the fact that religious services
had been conducted there on the Sun
day preceding, by unanimous request
| from the inmates of the place, and
BY permission of the warden. A meet
| ing of an hour and a quarters duration
had been held in the dining-room, and,
as Mr.. Watson put it, che had never
heard a more orderly assemblage
preached to. y Messrs. Musser, Pratt.
! Evans and Cannon did the speaking,
and the congregation of prisoners fur
nished music by singing very passably
several of Moody and Sankey's gospel
hymns.
"All letters, coming in or going out, !"
said Mr.. Musser, "are first opened and
read by the warden. 1 wrote. AN open
letter to Judge Zane, addressed to The
HERALD, fully a week ago, and sent
| it to Marshal Ireland for his
inspection. Idesired to have the letter
published in THE HERALD, or if Marshal
ireland thinks best to suppress it. [
would like very much to have it return
ed to me. have asked friend to wait
on the Marshal to signify as much; but
up to this time | have heard nothing or
the matter"
The conversation turned on the "Cop-
per act" and the time which it short
ened worthy prisoners terms of sem
tence. The guard, Mr. Cottrell, said he
understood that the Copper act" took
off five days in every month from
mans time-sixty days, or two months
in every year, consequently, should the
Mormon prisoners so comport them
selves as to merit the provisions of the
act-of which there is little doubt
those who have been sentenced to six
months will only serve FIVE, Rudger
ClawsoR, whose term is four years. will
thus serve three years and four months.
Mr.. Cannon said. however. that he
understood Mr.. Dickson had put new
construction on the meaning of the
copper act, which would work against
the prisoners. There was at that time in
the prison. some one in the room said.
man whose time would be out if he
were allowed the benefits of the copper
act, but who was being held pending
the settlement of the dispute; his case
was to be made a test one, and it was
probable that the matter would get into
the courts, Mr.. Dickson defending his
theory, and Judge Sutherland appear
ing for the prisoners, a fund having
been raised among the inmates for the
purpose of making the fight.
1t was not long before the prisoners
/ frs< 10. nyok -
take leave. the half hours probation
accorded them being on the point of
expiring; there was the same cheer
fitness for the most part apparent,
but several of the younger girls
daughters of one or the other
of the prisoners = went out of
the room with vain attempts to
hide their tears. Desiring to visit the
walls before the closing hour arrived,
we also took leave of our friends, and
were conducted again through the
kitchen into the court yard. A stair
way here guided the visitor up to the
wall promenade, and momentlater we
stood ON the adobe battlements along
side Of another guard who sat idly in
the sun with a Winchester rife on his
arm.
The interior of the Penitentiary was
now stretched out below uS-a huge,
dry, sun-baked yard, inclosed by the
interminable high and dry adobe walls
on all four sides. These walls shut in
space large enough for game of ball
to be playedin -or, to be more exact, an
area of ninety-three yards long by fifty
five yards wide. The walls are twenty
feet in height. 1t may be imagined that
it was rather TO the occupants of the
place, however, than to the details of
it, that our attention was soonest
directed. One hundred and two
souls, the guard said, they then had
in charge, and it seemed as If the total
number were spread out below us. The
largest cluster was in the shade of an
oblong frame building which stood in
the west end of the yard. and which the |
guard informed us was the bunk |
room" where all the unfortunates
bundle into at night and lie in rows of !
beds, built one above another. sleeping !
car fashion-two to a bunk" This |
group was engaged in reading the
papers, lying down. or watching one of
their number braid hair. Farther off |
three or four men were pitching quoits !
still farther away. half dozen were |
playing "house ball." against the |
adobe; another group sat against the
shade of the south wall-twO PLAYING !