The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1893-11-03
Il'I'l171 :
Privileges Granted Those who Are
Well Behaved--Luxurses Are Pur-
chasable-Unwinungne
to Leave.

the Paris correspondent of the Boston
Transcript Prisoners condemned for
crimes of comparatively minor inn
portance may obtain permission to
pass the time of their sentence in the
Grand Roquette prison on condition of
paying twelve cents day. or little
over $48 a year, to the state. But
owing to the limited number of trades
pursued in the establishment few of
the prisoners there are set to the
trade they have been brought up to-
so that they are generally obliged to
learn new one.
Nor is there always work sufficient
for all the inmates, as that depends
upon the demand in the markets
Owing TO this circumstance there are
often upward of 250 men without
work who lounge in the yard or crowd
in the winter to the chauffoir. large
heated room on the ground floor. A
prisoner of the lower classes having
! no respectable connections will seldom
get the option of serving his time in
solitary confinement and thereby earn
| ing rem lttance, as the cells are scarcely
ever vacant and he is removed else
where.
1t is a strange sight to see the men
shuttle and shamble with slouching
gait round the exercise yard One
has only to look at them to be per-
suaded that the system of promiscu-
Gus repression is not calculated to
deter men from crime, and that there
is some. virtue in solitary confinement
from the first
Four hundred men come out at a
time. Speaking is strictly prohibited,
but 1t would seem as though nothing
could prevent this rule from being in
fringed. AS the prisoners walk
round and round there is buzzing.
nurmurlng sound, like the humming
of top! arising from the whispering
exchanged, in defiance of the wardens,
who walk round in an opposite direc-
ton to that taken by their charges.
Close to the chapel are two stalls or
booths, one of which communicates
with the kitchen. under the manage
ment of 81 prisoner who holds the post
of cantinier or sutler, while the other
is used by marchand de coco who
sells cocoa or licorice to his custom
ers. each of whom, on payment of the
sum stipulated in the tariff, can also
purchase a demisetier or the fifth of
liter of wine. The prisoner is not
permitted to buy more than that guam
tity, as drunkenness makes the men
dangerous.
The things to be bought at the pris-
on canteen, besides wine, are cafe au
lait, chocolate, butter. cheese, ham
sausages, eggs. salad, fruit timed
meat. biscuits. stationery, tobacco and
snuff.
The Cafe Richie and the Pa ais Roy
al. as these two booths are called.
play an important part in the life of
the inmates. Prisoners are allowed
to smoke in Partisan jails, and a very
sensible provision this is. for it pre-
vents that illicit traffic in tobacco
which brings so many prisoners and
warders to trouble in foreign prisons.
and it also supplies ready means of
Furnishing refractory Jail bird
Order can not De kept in a prison
without corporal punishment. AS a
rule the prisoners behave exceedingly
we'll because they know that they can
greatly alleviate the hardships of
their position by so doing. For a
first Otfense mans tobacco and wine
will be cut off for a week; for
second he may be forbidden to pur-
chase any thing at the canteen for 1;
month. If he persists in his folly he
will be prohibited from WORKING
that is from earning money-and
will be locked up in cell, to endure
the misery of utter solitude and
idIeness.
If this severe measure fails and the
man becomes obstreperous. he will be
strait waist-coated and put into dark
padded CELL where he may scream
and kick at the wall to his hearts con-
tent To these rational methods of
coercion the most stubborn natures
generally yield. Itmust be confessed
however. that there are certain des-
perate characters who delight in Civ
ing trouble and who untamed by
repeated punishments Will OFTEN
commit murdeFouS assaults upon the
warders. But in most instances as |
say. the lighter means of restraint
are sufficient to bring the prisoners to
their senses. They can not endure
the idea of being debarred from pre-
seue.hS ehoHoSANoo oO INC 0dn1SeH W
from paying visit to the vendor of
licorice juice, and the incentive thus
provided for industry and good be-
havior has salutay effect even upon
the most hardened among the Grim
inals.
The cells capable OF holding over
600 prisoners are above the work
shops and occupy the whole floors
Each compartment has Its bed and
paillasse good mattress. sheets
changed once week and blanket
such as many a workingman would be
glad to get and far better than the