The morning call., 1893-03-17
WOMEN IN PRISON.
A View of Them as They
Are in the County Jail.
ONE PRISONER WHO IS ALONE.
Mrs. MilIs-Evans and Her Yellow
Dress-No One Has Ever In
quired for Her.

A poer. with the license peculiar 10 his
profession, once remarked that "Stone
walls do not prison make, nor iron bars a
cage"
But a CALL reporter who visited the
woman's department of the Branch County
Jail. near the House Of Correction, yester-
day found that the Inmates are OF opinion
that they do.
"Yes. we are comfortable here" OBJ
served one girl. who looked too young and
innocent to know anything Of crime, but it
Is feeling l have got to stay that makes me
dislike the place." and she looked wlst-
fully through the barred windows at the
sunshine outside.
There are seyenty-fye women in the
branch Jail. and as the matrOn very truly
observed. IF they dislked 1t very much
they would lot so constantly get sent back"
The first ward visited was a large airy
place surrounded by little rooms. some con-
tanning two, others four hunks. A group OF
women were cruwding round the stove,
some with dull, apathetic faces and coarse
forms; others, wiZened and pinched, were
trying to get little vitality from the glow
ing stove.
A few of the group were occupied in sew
ing, but the majority were of the dull, heavy
type that prefer to do nothing and do II
we'll.
Most of the prisoners. however, we're in
their friends, and were chatting, laughing
and discussing matters Of mutual interest
In an animated manner. Not q few were
smoking cigarettes, and in some cases even
pipes.
"Yes. it is permitted" obse we'd Mrs.
Bartels, the matron. Smoking Is the only
comfort they have"
But the younger women especially seemed
ashamed to be caught smoking. The mo-
ment they saw stranger they hid the
cigarettes, or put them out.
Some OF the rooms were quite prettly
decorated, principally with colored paper
cut into festoons and even religious devices
In one room two elderly women were sits
ting sewing. They seemed excellent friends,
and were holding an animated discussion
as TO the best means of catching a rat.
That rats the only thing have 10 COM
plain of,' observed one of them; "eYen O
trap baited with cheese did not take him" ;
and she entered into an account of the
peculiarly aggressive nature Of that par
ticular rat.
Good conduct forms the only social dis
tnctiOn observed In the prison. The indus
trious. trustworthy women are promoted to
being TRUSTEES" which means That in re-
turn for certain duties performed, they are
allowed privileges not accorded TO all the
inmates.
The kitchen work and the serubbing are
performed by TRUSTEES, and in COZ DsideratiOn
OF their labOrS they receive an extra meal
daily. The cook. being recognized as the
most important trusty, is allowed the dig
nifty Of title. The other women are adj
dressed by their unadorned Christian names,
but the cook is Miss Lizzie.
Miss Lizzie was found among her pans
and kettles. free to roam out into the back
yard, and so happy in her important post
that she was car0ling song at the top of
her voice.
In the workioom several women were
busy cutting out and stitching prison gsr-
ments. mo, they are not TRUSTEES" OBJ
served the matron they are women who
volunteer to do the work and Rre rewarded
by being allowed cup Of tea each at noon"
New dresses are constantly necessary, as
incoming prisoners, alter being searched for
concealed opium or spirits. are required TO
take bath and don the prison costume.
at present there is only one exception
made to this regulation, and that is in the
case of Mrs. Mills-Evans, whose extra
ordinary behavior when on trial recently
excited so much comment
II am i'll to-day, and you must excuse my
not rising" observed the so-called prima