The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-04-19
UNRULY CONVICTS.
how i WARDEN DEALS WITH
MEN WHO BREAK THE RULES.
Starvation, the Dark Cell and the
Whip Generally Bring onend-
ers to Terns-I'reatmen
Of Heroic Cases.

WHIP Generally Bring Omend-
ers TO Terms-Treatment
of Heroic Cases.
Warden Patton, Of the Indiana State
Prison at Jetfersonville, has been speak.
Ing TO an indianapolis joRrAal man OF
bis methods Of managing refractory con-
victs, and some Of his experiences as he
todd them were very interesting. "Oi
course, he said, Sin prison that con-
tains nearly six hundred inmates there Is
bound TO be considerable variety OF
character. It is not always the worst
criminal that is the worst convict, al
though inmates confined for crimes that
show a preponderance Of the animal ma
ture in q man can be relied upon to fur
nish the most troublesome customers IN
penitentisry Most men, after they
get &c understand the rules Of the prison,
settle down to thsir observance. / do
not allow any punishment by guards,
and il a convict breaks q rule in such a
way as to need their interference, all they
are allowed TO do is to cage the convict
that is, to lock him in an empty
eell-and then report the case 70 me for
action ] always allow the prisoner to
tell his Own story. ana after full in
vestigation, Il find he is in the wrong,
! Try - adapt his punishment to the Of
tense in such a way as to keep him from
further repetition Of it. II 4 convict SAYS
be viii not work, 1 generally say 10 him
IF you don't work you can't eat, and
lock him up by himself -Four OUNCES af
brotd day- zl1 aOthlng but cold water
70 drink, VII soGn bring most refractory
convicts to their senses
How long DO the stubborn convlcts
hold out nndes this treatmeuti" the re
porter asked
''soms Of thsn stick It out for aSay
and half, but most Of them wilt within
twe1ty-four houss, and send me word
that they are ready 10 take hold Where
something worse is needed l have a
walking track ard bag OF sand weigh
ing forty pounds, and when man is put
on the track and made TO carry the bag
round the required number Of laps TO
make the fifteen mi es, with q rest Of
only ten minutes az the end OF each
three hour walking. he IS generally sore
and tired enough 10 keep him from re
peating IN odense which merits such
punishment As said before, however,
IN the majority o. cases such means are
not necessary for their control The
prisoners are we'll fed and are not al
l5Eed 70 be oTerw0rked. They have
facilities for bathing and are shaved
once q week or oftener II they desire it.
They are allowed 10 wear Their hair and
ahiskers Il theF wish. and some Of them
although Most Of them adapt their ways
Of wearing their hair 10 their employ
ment Il man WORKS in the foundry
or in any Of the shops where the work
is dirty be cannot wear his hair too
short Most n taem have money, and
they are allowed % buy anything they
want except whisky and firearms. I
never bad occasion 10 search q convict
yet that J did not fad money on mis- per-
son. and The majority are tractable and
ODE lent
.'How about ths cases that require he
70 -Ieatmentln
.'Seii, theg gr5w TO some extent out
q tie fact that tteFe is q classification
q Criminals in PRISON as well as out of
- ana you can not keep conricts who
hsye been 10 the same line Of crime from
tnding each other out and sticking to-
Eetber 70 some ezfsnt; the burglars have
their pals " ihe psniteutiary IS well as
out Of 4, and 50 On through the whole
catalogue. When one Of these men gets
into trouble his friends rally around him.
and there Is sometimes danger Of q riot
when the guard comes 10 take ont TIE
s-is<inai offender. Siill. even IN these
elses. We usually GET along without hav-
ing 70 resort 70 extreme measures. ! do
moi Tenenber but one case where 1t
looked asthough We would have to 20
- the limit, ElsicE 10 this case means
she killing Of the offender. and viii tell
you abOnlthst 80 taat you may see what
means are necessary 70 preserve auihori-
q. without which we can do nothing.
b Tss the case Of = man convicted Of
brutal murder, and when he came 10 US
i was apparent that We were 60
nE 70 hsTe trouble with him.
1lost c0aricts have GONE good
1ess left 81 them, os which We can take
hold iu our management Of them. The
snan seemed 20 be simply IN ungoTerns-
bic animal We put him 10 work in the
foundry aud the arsf week be was there
be quarreled with the convict who
worked next TO him ard nearly killed
HIN win q poker. i put7u in q dun
ge1n that wa absolutely Without q ray
q light Enn kept hsm there as long as
ras physician thouEat be could stay and
live. When he caHle out he binked
IKE O. oFi from his long confinement
IN daflDess. but waestiil unsubdued and
wien he went back = work he stTEcS a
bec0nd convict with . ladle fad Of hot
iIoB, injuriug the m#n 50 badly thst his
lie aaz for some .{ime despaired Of
3nen tls o -eneef raa ont ng the shop,
dc Cd fhc guards, and when the case
nas reported - ne he had got into the
supper room where most Of the convicts
nld gone. and was seated il the midst Of
3 hard crowd Of bis own kidney. Il
looked s1uailT, but e was evident that
tie time had come TO see who was mas
Ter ! took 8 tough hickory cane IN one
hand. want 70 where be was sitting.
touched him On the shoulder and
tod lim % come with me. He raised
Up a1d dreE % 70 strike ne,
but / use4 The cane vigorously on
1ls head and face. backed him
a t-r a--Ar ---4 l4c alle- IDJ-l anu Z
locked him ~. As I backed him ont a 4
eccond convict threw teacup ar ne, and (
cihers stood Up and seemed inclined 20 1
Interfere, BIT Z told them % sit down,
1ed Tiers was no further disturbance. j
hhea had my first maa Gagged went I
back 80 the man who threw the cup,
krccked isim doHrn tuire with the cane
lra pave lim q liberal dose Ct u after
be was down. There was no further
Demonstration Of violence, althongh il
had bsFn fhe boast Of msny eonTicfs that
10 warden could take man out Of that
room N0r they say When the old
msn wants Jon, you've got TO GO As
70 ne first ofense. had him stripped,
took , zhalebons buggy whip and gave
him forty OF flty e. sound lasnss as
could be laid o. without breaking the
slrir- livery blow raised welt, and ]
WIS prepared Il giye him IS many more !
as b. got when Be gave up and said he (
had eneeeh since thnt tine ] have had
40 trouble With him
Do F9n behave 10 corporal punish
rseur IS tie best MEANS Of enforcing I
niscipls1ep
~ Do IN soae cases. There are some +
r4erl--r rrto4e far.Ifat frorrrl1e ram &