The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-30
CRIMINALS In CHILE.
How Murderers Are Walled Up
i'm Living T0mbs.

One of the institutions of the famous cap
ital of Santiago de Chile, TO which the citi-
zens point with pride, is their model peni-
Tertiary.
Under the massive arches of the enor-
mously thick walls. where perpetual twilight
reigas even in the outside rooms, are inner
cells, two feet wide by six feet long, destitute
OF single article of furniture. Until re-
Gently those confined in them were walled
in, the bricks being cemented in place over
the living tomb. Now there is thick iron
door, which is securely nailed up. then
fastened all around with huge clamps, ex-
actly as vaults are closed in the Santiago
cemetery; and over all the great red seal of
the Government is placed-not to be re-
moved until the man is dead or his sentence
has expired.
Low down in the iron door. close to the
ground, is tiny sliding panel, a foot long
by two or three inches wide. arranged like
double drawer, so that food and water may
be slipped in on shallow pans and the refuse
returned. Twice in every twenty-four hours
this panel is operated. and il the fOod re-
mains untouched a certain number or days
it is known the man is dead, and only then
can his door be opened unless his time has
expired.
Not the faintest sound nor glimmer of
light penetrate5 these awful walls. in the
same clothes he goes in, unwashed, I'M
c0mbed, without even a blanket or handful
OF straw to lie on, he languishes in sickness,
lives or dies, with no means of making his
condition known to those outside. He may
count the tagging hours, Sleep rave, curse,
pray, long for death, dash his brains out, go
mad if he likes-nobody knows it. He is
dead to the world, and buried, though
living. Six months is the usual sentence
and until lately two years has been the
limit.
They told us that but one man has ever
been known TO live year, and the majority
do not outlast the second month. Those
that survive the six months are almost in
variably driveling idiots or dangerous
maniacS. Tie door is always opened at
night, when the sentence has expired, be-
cause in his enfeebled condition after long
darkness the glare OF day would be torture,
if not death. They expect to find the wretch
stone-bind. emaciated to the last degree.
unable to stand, hair and beard grown long
and white as snow, nails like talons and
garments rotten with mold.
One man of education and refinement
kept himself in tolerable condition through
his half year of solitary confinement by
means Of a handful Of melon seeds. As lie
was going in somebody gave him part of
muskmei0n. Strange to say, it was not
taken from him, and he carefully boarded
the seeds, which he put to a variety OF in
geniOus uses. With them and reckoning
from the number of times fOOd-panS slid
in and out, he contrived to keep track of the
number of days of bis incarceration; he in
vented games of SOLITAIRE" which he
played thousands of times in the darkness;
and to vary the dreadful monOtony he
would throw away the precious handful and
grope around on his hands and knees until
they were all re-cOllected. He says that to
those little seeds alone he is indebted for
his almost miraculous escape from insanity,
idiOcy or death.
The most narrowing tale remains to be
t0ld-one that murdered sleep for US
through many a night. We stood outside
the living tomb of a young scion of the
Chilean aristoeracy-a petted mothers
boy"-only Is years old, who has been
buried In this manner on hye years sem
tence, the longest ever given. Five years,
when rough men accustomed to hardshiDs
seldom survive two months of IL! The
youth is nephew of former Minister of
War, and belongs to a family of wealth and
highest social standing. he was Lleuten-
ant in the regular army and shot his Cap
tain. 1t is said to have been deliberate
murder, calling for no clemency except on
the score of his youth. He was sentenced
to be shot, bat through the influence of his
relatives the penalty was changed to one far
worSe-death by slow degrees In solitary
confinement, prolonged cruelty, emlared
to which shooting would be blessed boon,
and the northern barbariSm OF choking
man to death with a rope around his neck
seems luxury. He was handsome lad,
of the style here known as rubio, meaning
fair haired. blue-eyed and rosy-cheeked.
His last words, uttered with smile as he
entered the awful place, were " shall be
only q when 1 come out; not yet loo Old to
marry" Poor boy! His cheeks are not
rosy now. We stood long outside his door,
thinking what his hourly torture must be
and wondering how his mother and sisters
can live-much less enjoy fashionable So
ciety, as they are said to be doing. -Phila-