The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1893-04-08
PRISONERS FED LIKE Hoes.
Twelve Hundred Men and Women
Beat and Starved.

G.. st. Clair, one of the four Ceur
d'Alene miners who have been i'm
prisoned in the federal reformatory
at Detroit for the last four months,
arrived in Spokane this morning.
He was accompanied to the C9ur
d'Alenes by his fellow prisoners,
Mike Divine and John Murphy,
George Pettibone having remained
in the east. Attorney Reddy re-
turned to San Francisco by anoth-
er route.
"They gave us a cordial welcome
in the Ceur d'Alenes," said MIR. St.
Clair. "Our own brothers could
not have given US heartier recep-
ton and you may be quite sure it
made US feel happy. The boys
have stood by us faithfully, and as
for Attorney Reddy l can't say too
much of what he has done for US.
The failure Of the charges against
us puts an end to the prosecutions
in the Cnur d'Alenes and | do not
think any of the miners will be
troubled by them any more. We
had four months of it, and that is
enough for us"
"What. kind of an institution is
the reformatory?" he was asked.
"Itis simply Siberia in America, !"
was the answer, his eyes kindling
at the memories awakened. "The
government does not have charge
of it at all, but leases the prisoners
to a Detroit man named Joseph
Nicholson. He pays $4,000 year
for the work he can squeeze out OF
100 men and 200 women, and runs
it to suit himself. The prisoners
make everything from pearl but
tons to bedsteads, one prisoner
alone having turned out $4,000
worth of work last year. 1t is a
bonanza for the lessee, but a hell
on earth for the prisoners.
"Nickelson is preacher, and on
Sunday mounts the pulpit and tells
us all about the beauty of piety,
but if that man goes to heaven |
prefer to take the other road.
II have seen the dark cell in that
prison where a man who offends
the guards is swung up by one arm
on tip toe and forced to stand there
from one hour to six and ten days
as the wardens may please to SEN
tence him. The ring is worn smooth
by the writings of the tortured
victims. [ have seen the pearl but
ton room, where 200 men are cough
ing with the poisonous dust that is
killing them by inches. | have
seen men drop down at the bench
from hunger and neglect, and car
ried away to the hospital never to
be heard Of again.
1.-The regular sentence gives 10
hours work per day, and it is hard
work too. The men are never al
lowed to speak or make signs to
each other at any time. At night
they are shut up in separate cells.
Once in four weeks each man is al
lowed to talk with one friend for
half an hour on Sunday. During
week days he can speak with the
guards for one or two minutes at a
time about the work. You see they
have the system fully developed.
"What did we eat? Oh, lots OF
things, some of them against our
will. Monday morning for break
fast we got three little pieces OF
sausage, mustard, dry bread and
root tea. At dinner. we ate soup
and dry bread and drank water.
At supper we had water and bread
every day in the week. That was
all, and sometimes we didn't get
that. Tuesday and Wednesdays
bill of fare was much the same, but
for Thursdays breakfast we had
corn bread, black strap and one
small potato. But the lord deliver
me from another Friday morning
breakfast-boiled Goldfish, bread
and water. Two-thirds Of the prls-
oners could not eat tbs stuff. Sun
day morning they gave us stewed
prunes and bread, while at dinner
we banqueted on turnips, bread and
water and two square inches OF
meat instead of the regulation
soup.
frhis soup they called a stew,
and twas made principally out OF
old bones and cold potatoes, though
sometimes it contained corks, bits
of paper, dead mice and other
things added to give it flavor.
This is not fancy, it is positive
fact.
"On this food we worked ten
hours a day. The worst work was
in the pearl button factory. Here
the poisonous dust from the shells
strangles the men and they die like
rats in traps. Their average life is
one wear. When their lungs are
gone they are taken to the hospital,
from which hardly any patients re-
turn. We never hear Of those who
die, for their bodies will bring $40
in the Chicago market. and that
swells the profits. Daily Spokane
(Wash. Chronicle.