Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-11-09
A JAPANESE PRISON.
THE INTERESTING THINGS SEEN BY
AN AMERICAN CORRESPONDENT.

CURIOUS k2ct-Ine Women'S Quafter AZ
Ichigaws-A Case.
With the exception Of the Ycshiwara, OF
which plenty hereafter, the two prisons OF
Toxic are the most interesting things have
seen in Japan These are, first, the great
prison upon the Island of Ishikawa, ct the
south of the city, and, second, the convict
and female prison of Ichigawe, in the center
Of the city itself. The former is completely
isolated, all communication with the main
land being by police ferry, and contains
2,052 men and boys, all OF whom are serving
terms of ten years or less. The latter con-
tains !, 400 men and 10 women, among
whom are many serving life sentences.
There is q convict farm attached, and it is
here that capital punishment IS inflicted.
Otherwise the two prisons resemble each
other so closely that it is not necessary to
distinguish between them in description.
The entrance is through a massive wooden
gateway into a guard room, adjoining
which are the Offices of the director and OIL
Gals The prison itself consists of score or
more Of detached one story buildings, all OF
wood and some of them merely substantial
sheds, under which the rougher labor, ike
Stone breaking, is performed. The dorIni-
tories are enormous wooden cages, the front
and part of the back formed Of bars Us thick
as ones arm, before which again is narrow
covered passage where the warder on guard
walks ct night
THE PUNISHMENT CELL.
On leaving the dorulitories we passed
small, isolated square erection, peaked and
gabled like little temple. The door was
solemnly unlocked and flung back and was
motioned to enter. 1t was the punishment
cell, another spotless wooden box, well ven
tilated but perfectly dark, and with walls so
thick as to render it practically silent ''How
many prisoners have been in it during the
last month"; l asked The director sum
moned the chief warder and repeated my
question to him. ''E'tori mo gozaimasen-
none whatever" was the reply. what other
punishments have youf' "None whatever
mo foggingF' When this question was
translated the director and the little group Of
officials all laughed together at the bare idea
! could not help wondering whether there
was another prison il the world with no
method of punishment for 2, 900 criminals ex-
cept ono dark cell, and that not not used for
q month And the recollection Of the filthy
and suffocating sty used as punishment cell
IN the city prison of San Francisco came upon
me like q nausea
A Japanese prison may be divided into two
parts-dormitories and workshops. OF cells
or prison buildings, properly speaking, there
is nothing whatever. Walking across the
yard we entered the first workshop, where
couple of hundred prisoners were making
machinery and steam boilers One warder,
armed Only with q sword is reckoEed for
every fifteen men, and here the prisoners were
working on contract orders for outside firms,
under the supervision OF one skilled teacher
and one representative OF the firm giving the
contract So it was in the line art depart
ment and every other OF the score of work
shops.
CURIOUS FACT.
Prisoners employed at the higher classes Of
labor are credited with one-tenth the sum re-
ceived for their handiwork But as the work
was so good and the running expenses seemed
SO light was much surprised to learn that
the prison was not yet self supporting, only
seven-tenths Of the total cost being realized
from the sale of prisoners work. Another
curious fact is that every adult prisoner is
detained for six months after his sentence ex-
pires if he is not claimed in the mean time
by his friends, and until be is of adult age if
he has not reached it and is unclaimed.
These prisoners wear blue instead OF red,
after their sentences have expired.
The women's quarter at Ichigawa is sepa-
rated from the mems by high wooden fence
and gateway guarded by q sentinel, and con-
sists of two or three dorInitories and one
large, comfortable workshop, where all the
ITO are employed together at labor let out by
contract. When l was there they were all
hemming silk hardkerchiefs, each seated
upon the matted floor before O little table,
and very neat they oil looked and very pretty
some of them, with their loose red gowns and
simply twisted hair. Those are forgers,n
said the officer, pointing TO three of them; II
do not like them to be so pretty" One Of the
women had young baby playing beside her,
and another Of them, as she glanced up at
US, showed face entirely different from the
rest, pale, sad and refined, and l saw that
her hands were small and very white 1t
was Hauai Ume. the once famous geisha of
Toxic, famous for her beauty, her samisen
playing, her dancing, her pride, and most
famous of all for her afaire d'amour