, 1888-09-09
LIFE IN JAIL.
How Time is Passed in the City and
County Prisons.
Inmates of the Latter the More
Respectable in Appearance.
Tramps and DRINKS VS.. Murderers
and Highway Robbers.

quenty securing a readable Item, gener-
ally, of a sensational character, he always
observes something which cannot easily
be converted into news On the whole,
the iails are worth visiting almost any
time. There is always food for reflection
in the appearance of a prisoner, and a
sort Of half pleasurable, uncanny, feeling
experienced In gazing at iron gratings
and solid walls, steel cages, small cells and
barred windows. Sometimes the inmates
look like pictures of despair, again they
assume mock bravado, and then it is very
embarrassing to happen in a jail when a
woman, usually a very near and dear
friend, is visiting an occupant of the
place.
H LOOKUP.
The city jail, the house OF detention for
the tramp, inebriate and petty offender, is
not a very pleasant resort, even as jails
go. True, it is usually clean, but is in
variabIy dark, and quite frequently either
too warm or too cold. The Jail has four
compartments-the bull pen, for mild
DRINKS and tramps, the female ward and
two cells for violent victims of drink or
unruly prisoners. In the tramp
ing season the bull pen is usually
a pretty lively place. The birds
of passage apparently enjoy prison life,
and play all sorts of pranks on the hapless
drunkard who falls among them. They
sing and dance, sleeping but little, steal
from their fellow prisoners, and register
on the jail walls. To the typical tramp a
term in the city jail is not considered a
hardship, but it is often a lasting lesson
to a jovial young man who becomes too
noisy or to the woman just starting out on
a life of shame. There are often funny
incidents at the city jail and sometimes a
husky imbiber resists the officer and a
sanguine encounter follows. Every city
jail has a number of regular dodgers who
would be sadly disappointed if denied ad-
mittance a single night. Then there is
the woman who is a holy terror. She can
whip an ordinary man in a fair fight and
always creates a scene on a public thor
oughfare when intoxicated. Kentucky
Belle, a handsome mulatto, was several
years ago tie dread of the force. Bridget
Gallagher.wa her successor and has often
defed a trio of officers. About once a
year the tramps and inebriates are worried
by the temporary incarceration of a luna
tic. Whether quiet or violent the arrival
of an insane person always induces qui.
etude in the bullpen and woman's depart
ment.
THE COUNTY JAIL.
Niolators of the statutes, genuine Grim
inals, are altogether a different class from
the small fry evil doors lodged in the Gala
boose. They are assigned quarters in the
county jail, which is a spacious, well
lighted room with two tiers of cells in the
center. In the Laramie county jail have
been confined some of the most notorious
CRIMINALS OF the country-murderers, couu-
terfeiters and road agents. Collectively they
actually impress the visitor much more
favorably than the debased creatures
lodged in the lock up. They are also
cared for much better. In the Laramie
county jail the prisoners are supplied
with an abundance of reading matter, are
allowed to play games, and during the
day can communicate with each other
before their comrades. Tumble, con-
victed of murder in the first degree, has
been in jail here nearly two years, and
Ketchum and Germs, found guilty of per-
jury, about eighteen months each. The
three are great readers, and frequently
peruse a work almost the entire night.
The sheriff inspects correspondence, feeds
his charges twice daily, and sees that the
place is kept scrupulously clean. The
woman's department has for many months
been occupied by Mrs. Jennie Berry,
serving time for completely in the murder
of Richard Rice, near Fort Laramie.
Regulations governing callers have never
been established, but visitors can usually
gain admission.
One of the best planned escapes ever
made from a Jail resulted in the departure
from this region of the notorious Bill Nc
Coy, awaiting sentence for the commits
sion of a deliberate and wilfuIl mur ier.
Jones, the expert burglar, also dr>lp-
peared at the came time.
There is always a TRUSTEE or two
about the county jail. These are either
men serving short sentences, or long term
prisoners about to be released.