Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-07-25
PRISON LIFE TRICKS.
Numerous Devices of Conyicts to Kill
Time and Secure Better
Treatment.
Malingering a Very General Method
of Prisoners to Shirk the Mo-
notony Of Labor.
Another Phase of Convict Life is the
Ineipient Mutinies Which often
Occur.

There are many incidents in the prison
life OF e0nvicts that are not Of the Ordin
airy, and may be said 10 form part Of then
pleasures, although some are weird aDl
ragic enough in themselves to be classed
as anything but pleasures. recollect on
one occasion that Z was appointed pecia
'tTusty' over tail, lank, dark-faatureC
young southerner who, in a moment 81
hopeless desperation, had cut ms throat
Teddy, as we called him, had been a head
strong boy, and his parents cClId not con
trol him. and, after a youthful Vagabond-
age he had enlisted in the regular army
where he was always in trouble When
under my care in the special hospital
ward to which he mad been sent he related
much Of his past life to me, and | learned
that he had attempted to take his life
when be was soldier IN the same man
ner as he had done IN state prison.
He was not a bad sort of fellow. but
being OF a sensitive nature az well a.
unreasonable, he allowed his gloomy
thoughts TO master him. and this would
result in periods OF depression and
subsequent desperation, and he cared not
VI AAAh l4E HHLN bA AitAa ID itLL. NG MIS- ms
cIined to emotional insanity.
One night, while my fellow trusty and
were engaged in conversation. he Law on
bis cot p0ndering over his gloomy fate.
when something we said aroused him and
be iiew into rage, got up and grappled
me IN desperate manner.
STRUGGLING FOR SUPREMACY.
4gtrI Les AFf.,f4 J. f.,als l. 1
pimoned hiu, telling my fellow trusty-a
mere boy--t0 ring up the guard.
1t was terrible struggle to keep him
IN snbjection until the guar arrived. for
his frenzy gave him almost superhuman
strength. He quietel down as soon al
the guard arrived and sud he was tool
for getting into such a temper and as he
feared the straitjacket he promised to be-
have in the future He however, in an
other of his frenzied attacks attempted to
tear open the wound in his throat, and il
was BY no means an easy matter TO prevent
HIM doing so. But a reasonable and
sympathetic talk generally conquered his
exciteability. He finally was sent to the
insane asylum.
One morning as prayer was being said
in the prison chapel one of the convict.
set up a howl and 9egan barking like a
dog, after which he clapped his hands
one, two, three; one, two, three and this
caused a general murmur of mixed mer.
riment and expectation
Two guards Immediately passed to the
end Of the form on which be was sitting.
and were hustling him out of the chapel,
when be flew into a rage, struggled with
them as we'll as at the officiating chaplain.
who was particularly an obnoxious man to
the prisoners Whether the fellow was
insane or not | cannot say. The prison
authorities thought he was not, and he
was rouudly punished for his escapade.
On another occasion as we We're march
ing into the hall for supper one of the CON
vlcts set up howl, threw up his arms
and dropped dead on the aoor-a fellow
convict had stabbed him. There was
some enmity between the two and it re-
suited n the death of both.
DIED on THE EVE or FREEDOM.
was hospital tru,ty and a long line
Of prisoners were being attended to by
the doctor for real or imaginary ills. One
Of the prisoners on particular occasion
had nearly served his term of sentence and
he was 10 haze been examined in order
that the medical officer could report on
his condition.
| was preparing a dose Of common stuff
for the prisoner standing next but one to
nan when he fell forward on the floor and
blood gushed from his mouth in a
stream He had ropyurad a blood vessel.
and in spite Of the doctor efforts the
poor fellow died
MaliuEarjng is a very general method
among prisoners % shirk the monotony or
the labor consequent ou their impris8n-
ment Anything that will relieve the
,edIoUsress and Is at hand is brought in.
to action, One here in the quarry will
mash hi. finger in order that BE may b.
sent into the hospital,
Another here wilI-quite accidentally,
IF eourse-fBll down the corridor stems and
sustain such injuries as to insure a quiet
time of convalescence on a hospital diet.
and 50 forth but the prison doctor Is on
faith with al classes Of malingerers, ana
uses his experience in treating such as
come before him Consequently the good
times often anticipated never materlalize.
MEN WHO EAT soar.
A....-.- -. $500 1