Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-07-28
DREARY PRISON LIFE.
nULrlFARloUs TRICKS OF The CON-
VcTs TO KILL TINE.


life Of conyicts that are out Of the ordi.
nary. and may be saia to form part Of
their pleasures. although some ARE weird
and tragic enough in themselves 70 be
classed rs anything but pleasures. Irec.
ollect on one occasion that was appoint.
ed a special "trusty" over a tall. lans.
dark featured young southerner who. in
moment Of hopeless desperation. had
cut his throat
Teddy "a we win call him, had been
headstrong boy, and his parents could
not control him, aud after youthful
yagaboudage he had enlisted IN tho reg.
ular army where he was always In trou.
be When under my care IN the special
hospital ward to which he had been sont
ho related much Of his past life to me,
aud learned that he had attempted to
take his life when he was a soldier In tho
samo manner as he had dono Ia state
prison.
He was not bad sort Of fellow, but
being OF u sensitive nature. as wen rs
unr asonablc. ho allowed his gloomy
thoughts 20 master him. and this would
result In periods of depression aud sub.
fequcnt desperation, and he cared not
what he said or did. III fact, he was Ia.
rlined to emotional insanity.
ono night. while my fellow trusty and
Iwcrc engaged In conversation. he lay
on his cot pondUring over his gloomy
fate, when something we said aroused
him, and he dow into a rage, got up and
grappled mo In a desperate manner.
lquickly flung him back on his cot
mud pinionod him, telling my fellow
trusty-a more boy-to ring up tho
guard.
II was terrible struggle 20 keep him
In subsection until tho guard arrived, for
his frenzy gave him almost superhuman
strength. He quicted down rs soon as
the Guard arrived and said he was fool
for getting into such temper, aud a.
he feared tho straitjackct he promised
to behave himself In tho future.
He, however, In another OF his fronzicd
attacks attempted TO tear opes the wound
IN his throat, aud Il was by no means AN
easy matter TO prevent him doing 10.
But reasonable and sympathetic talk
generally conquered his oAciiabillty. fIo
finally was sent to tho insane asylum.
ono morning rs prayer was being said
in the prison chapel ono Of tho couyicts
set up howl and began barking like o
dog, after which no clappcd his hands
one, two, three; one, two, three-Rnd
this caused u general murnur Of mixed
merrimont and expectation.
Two guards Immediately passed 10 tho
end Of the form on which ho was sitting
and were hustlng him out oi tho chapel
whom he ilowinto rage, struggled with
thoin and hurled horrible curses az them
ns wen rs at the officiating chaplain.
who was a particularly obnoxious man
10 the prisoners Whether tho fellow
was insane or not | cannot say. Tho
prison authorities thought he was not.
and ho was roDndly punished for his
escapadc.
On another occasion as we were march
ing into tho hall for supper ono OF the
oonvicts gave howl, threw up his arms
aud dropped dead ON tho floor-a fellow
convict had stabbed him. There was
some enmity between the two. and Il 70.
suited In the death Of both.
was hospital trusty. and long limo
Of prisoners were being attended to by
the doctor for real or imaginary ills. ono
Of the prisoners ON this particular occa-
sion had nearly served his torn OF son.
tence, and ho was to have been exam.
ined In order that the medical officer
could report on his condition
! was preparing u dose Of common
stuH for tho prisoner standing next but
one 20 him when he fell forward on tho
floor and blood gushed from his mouth
in stream. He had rupturcd a blood
vessel, and In spite Of the doctors efforts
the poor fellow died.
Maliugoring Is a very general method
among prisoners to shirk tho monoiony
or the labor consequent on their impris.
onment Anything that will relieve tho
tediousncA and Is at hand IL brought
into action. One here In the quarry
will mash his finger In order that no may
b. sent 10 the hospital.
Another there will-quite accidental
ly Of course-fall down tho corridor
steps and sustain such injuries a. TO In,
sure quiet time OF conyalesoonco on u
hospital diet, aud 40 forth; but tho pris,
on doctor Is au fat with all classes OF
malingers, aud uses his experience In
treating such rs come before him. Con.
h'lu'ntlN Inv kool tlillua oltcn hltlCl
pated never matorialize.
| know ono ignorant, soft headed Eel
low who became really III by eating the
soap he was allowed with which TO per
form his daily additions Often had
cases come before me where soap eating
had put men into feeble state OF health
aud lent sickly aspect TO their counto
nances, but this fellow was sick, and ne
mistake.
After q course OF treatment which was
In itself as bad as the cause for It h,
was, however, restored and sent int
solitary confinement rs n further punish
ment. Ho never ate soap again, but,
may remark, he was subsequently poi
soned by eating some Of the yegetabl,
growtha around where he, with his tel
lows, was wont 20 labor.
All things conEidered, tho malingerel
comes ont only second best, but It must
be terrible punishment that cause'
men to resort TO II in order TO lighter
their burdens
lhe two most notable cases ! hav,
ever met Of this kind were where a mar
boldly put his foot under falling ma
oil stone In the quarry. causing IL TO b,
terribly crushed and to DO eventual,
nmpuated' and IN tho second ease
"a