St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-05-15
Out Of Sight of the Guards
They Lie Down and Saw
agely Slash Away.
Over Feeding and Under =
Working Blamed for the
Bloody Affair.
FeudS in the PenitentiaPy Far
MoPe Bitter Than Any
Outside.

the mill at San Quentin prison YeSter-
day two cunvictS fought a duel with
knives. each knowing that the loss of
an advantage or the least failure of
strength in either meant mutilation and
perhaps death, says the San Francisco
Examiner Each stabbed and hacked
the body of the other whenever in their
struggles the knife-bearing hands were
free. No cries or imprecationS indi-
Gated that death struggle was being
waged there on the floor, while the
looms Jared nOislly and the Sullen
ICONS" stole furtive gianceS at the duel,
but made 10 move 10 lend assistance or
attract the attention of the officer i'll
charge of that part of the mill.
When at last throat was cut and
blood from many wounds defiled the
place of conflict the other cOnvlctS
could not resist the temptation to 90
nearer the fighting men, and in so
doing defy the regulations of the prison
fOrbidding the men to leave their al
IOted places during work hOurS.s A
guard soon detected the violation of
rules, ami approaching to ascertain the
cause found the murderOus pair locked
in a grip that only the strength
of four men could loosen. When the
fighters were separated and sent
under arrest TO the prison hospital the
great mill changed and buzZed on as
though no fierce tragedy had been added
to its incidents of desperation and
blcody crime.
q PNearranged Duel.
The fight was really a duel to the
death, but arranged, as convictS must
arrange all their little plans, so that the
rigid inspection practiced in their lives
might be avoided long enough to enable
a murder to be done. The convict duel
lists were men of VIGOROUSLY desperate
character.
One OF them-James Wilkinson, alias
''Tug" Wilson'S serving a SeVen-year
sentence for manSiaughter, and went
from San Francisco to the penitentiary
with q reputation for being dangerous
man. Although Young man, his aSsO-
Citations had always been such as to
depraYe him utterly. and the police of
the city were not sorry when he was
put out Of the way of doing harm to any
but felOns like himself.
The other of the fighting cOnYIctS was
Martin Gleason. a SecOnd-term SOjOurner
at San Quentin, his crime being grand
larceny, and his sentence ten years.
Gleason is man of great strength and
size, standing feet 103I icheS bare
footed. In March, 1890. Gleason was
transferred to San Quentin to remain
until the expiration of his term. which
would have been on May 6, 1896. if he
had not broken the rules by fighting
with Wilson Yesterday.
Gleason has not been especially
troublesome as a prisoner, but has
several times given vein to a temper
that has appeared almost uncOMrOll-
able. His height and strength made
him feared by the other cOnYctS, and
his morose disposition made him few
friends. Both he and Wilson were
pariahS in that strange, striped CON-
pany, which endlessIy plOds within
range of the eating guns about The
prison walls.
Surly Prisoners.
A general air of disquiet and a ten
dency to surlineSs have been noticed
among the San Quentin prisoners re-
Gently. The failure of several well
planned and nearly accomplished es-
capes contributed to create small groups
of energetic and desperate men among
those serving long sentences. and about
such groups there gathered the convict
SycOphantS. of which there are always
plenty to hang about the men of stronger
purpose and mole reckless courage.
Between the groups bitter jealouSieS
exist which have not been so SmOthered
OF late as not to be noticeable, and the
San Quentin authorities have been COM
PEELED to maintain closer watch and eX-
ercise more constant vigilance to pre-
vent exhibitions OF temper and strife.
At San Quentin the climate generates
active appetites. which. in the present
economy of the prison, are satisfied by
rich, heating food, better by far than is
given to prisoners in any other state
prison in America, it is said by some
students of penolOgy. The men work
short shifts. and their ample leisure, to-
gether with the high condition resultant
from hearty food in unlimited quantities,
makes them saucy and high-spirited The
present prison system had excellent
opponents in "WilSOn' and Gleason.
They were hearty eaters, and did as
little work as possible. Mutual hatred
had long existed. Every look Or eX-
preston of countenance that could De
construed into Sneer or sign of con-
tempt was so construed by both, and
added to the store of grievance, for
which both desired an early day of
settlement.
The men worked in the same mill
Shift and sat at adjacent places at the
dining table. Numberless opportunities
were given to each to harraSssand enrage
the other, and no such occasion was al
lowed IT, pass unimproved. Sly kicks
and pincheS were interchanged. and
the feud grew more savage and less dis
guiSed, until week ago, when Gleason
was pushed III going down the steps to
the eating table, and selected "Wilson'
as the one who had injured him.
The enemies could not talk nor could
they devise means to destroy one
another without being detected. They
simply hated more bitterly and eXer-
ciSed their ingenuity to cOncot schemes
of vengence. Both of them worked in
the extreme back part of the iute mill,
where the raw materials in bales enters
upon the process which transforms it
from coarse, Stringy wandS into neatly
woven bag cloth. Having constantly to
cut the ropes which bound the bales of
jute Gleason and WILSON were fur
niShed with strong knives, blunt at the
points, and with blades as wide as that
of caseknife and three and one-quarter
inches long. set strongly in wooden
handles IN size large enough to enable a
good grasp to be taken.
Yesterday, as the cOnyicts passed
from the noon meal to labor in the mill.
Gleason and "Wilson" hurriedly offered
and accepted
A Challenge to Fight
with their jute knives on the floor be-
hind the bales of jute, and then the men
walked on as though they were not
eager to reach the place selected for the
bloody affray. When the long file of
cOnvicts had marched to the tasks set
for the afternoon and the order had been
given to start the mill. Gleason and
"Wilson" pretended TO be very busy
about their jute bales. but were furtiveiy
watching their especial guard.
That officer turned to meet ysome de-
mand, and the two bloodthirst' wretches
at once bent to the floor in a passage be-
tween the bales and the whirring ma
chinery. To place themselves head to
head, and resting each upon a left ell
bow, was the work only of an instant.
and then the cut-throat work began. A
smothered hiss of rage as the steeIs
slashed the faces of these human tigers
might have been heard by one kneeling
near, but no sound could be heard fur
Their than a few feet distant