St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-08-05

there, was leased to several parties Tor
$1,000 year. A convict with money
could get anything OF do anything.
Noted counterfeiters manufactured coin
there and sent it out by the guards.
Burglars tools were made in large guam
titles, especially nippers, which are
used to turn the keys in doors when
left in the-locks, stems and bits, the lat
ter with twenty-three key heads, which
will unlock any common lock, and a
great many of the so-called patent ones.
The puniShments at Sing Sing in my
time were the shower bath, which con-
sisted in putting the culprit's head in a
pipe and then turning on the water; the
spiked cell.with spikes four inches long
projecting from the sides and floor, and
when man was kept in there forty
eight or seventy-twO hours and got
drowsy the spikes had a tendency to
wake him; and the paddle, an instru-
ment about four feet long with the blade
about ten inches wide, made out of some
tough wood bored full of holes. The
subject to be operated on was stripped,
bent over bench made for the purpose,
and the paddle applied. Some of the
Fourth ward toughs when padded
could be heard to yell for mile. l was
told that Joe Coburn, the pdgilist, while
sc rving his ten years, when padded,
was heard bowling across the river.
Joliet is SAID to be the model prison of
the world, and while man is not sub
jected to brutal treatment, he is placed
in solitary cell about 14X9, handcuffed
to the door during the day and permit
ted to lie
ON A BOARD AT NIGHT.
If he makes the least sound he is
gagged so tight he can't wink. l went
there for year in January, 1876, and eS-
capped Oct. 20, the same year, in COM
pany with Keenan,, now doing life for
murder; Williams, alias Tightner, hung
at Franklin, Tex, for killing jailor when
breaking jailr Malone, killed last winter
at Knoxville junction, Tenn, while
seeking to avoid arrest by sheriff's
posse, Smith, now doing twenty years
in Joliet; and Kennedy, life man, now
in Kentucky. We were all caught,
eventually, and for our escapade we got
nine days in the hole, and to make it in
teresting, they gagged us occasionally.
The diet, when in the hole, consisted of
two ounces of bread and little water
every twenty-four hours. The prison
had fine library, and convicts could
take weekly papers. Every man was
treated alike. the warden recognizing
no Difference between Angel. the de-
| faulter, brought back from Portugal,
| and the tramp who committed a cheap
| burglary to get shelter for the winter
After being discharged and knocking
about the country for some time, | struck
| east for st. Louis and made sneak on
wholesale grocery. AS got a tumble
| | had presence of mind enough to take
one s. bill, as they could have settled
me for from one to seventeen years for
an attempt. My offense was petit lar
ceny, and L told good story of respect
able parentage, drink and its attendant
| evils bringing me to my present deplOr-
able condition. The party, Oh promise
of amendment, declined to prosecute,
but i'll day or two [ touched cattle
man for his roll, $1,000, got tumble and
yell the usual old chestnuts, and like
| the sowing of the dragons away back,
each yell seemed to raise another man.
The tiatties (policel began using their
| guns, and | used mine. l got the col
lar, but they did not get the stuff. l
was taken to the police station. A mob
assembled and made such remarks as
hang - and others of like
import. l did not feel very easy,
and told the chief of police that
was an escaped convict from Missouri.
So to get the reward he ran me across
| the bridge. | went back to Jefferson
| Slty duu thCy hliioiy iiiCG lllc DIT tlit Sdle
and gave me warm reception. was
set to work elevating bricks in hod
on the new female prison. My thoughts,
however. had ceased to dwell with long
ing on the land where the muddy Mis-
souri, flows to the sea, and soon saw a
chance to mount mule, and by the aid
of moral suasion and butcher knife |
induced him to
GO FOR THE TIMBER.
heard the music of the guards shots,
but took them as salute to departing
man of fame. My next encounter with
the guardians of public morals and
peace was at Plymouth, Ind, where the
marshal, with club, made my head as
sumo the proportions of Daniel Web
ster'S. In the meantime l was putting
holes in him, for which had the pleas
ure of facing jury of long haired