The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-10-12
PLENTY OF DOPE.
How 1t Gets Into County
Jail No. ,.
NOTHING TO PREVENT IT..
Guards and Prisoners Have Good
Times,
HAVE TWO HAvoRifg RESORTS.
Prisoners Who Sleep in the Barn
I'm Order That They May Get
Their Drinks tiandiIy.

1t would generally DO supposed from
the articles which were published IN The
CALL on Tuesday aud yesterday that the
only enjoyment In life Of those I'M
fortunate boings VINO are sent out TO the
House OF Correction, County Jail 2. bv
unfeeling Judges, is In walking away from
the institution and coming to town and
indulging In drink or two without the
fear of the shadow of a deputy sheriff or
police officer being cast across their
pathway Of life.
AS an actual fact there is really moro in-
ducement TO prisoner to remain within
the walls than there is for him to wander
away. A CALL reporter, who visited the
premises. proved this to his own satlsfac-
tinn. When ne arrived al the criminal
caravaDsary Superintendent Glldea and
Assistant Superintendent Barbee were not
Old the premises. They we're in town upon
important business. the guard-the only
one, apparently
as Guard Cardigan bere?" was asked.
''No. he is in town." was the response.
Further inquiry revealed the fact that
the entire body of prisoners, no were
supposed to be carefully watched and
guarded by paid officials, were in reality
only looked after by two guards. The lat
ter did not look the least bit tired from
their efforts. for the reason that it was ex-
planned that the guards took turns at look
inc after things.
when is Mr. Gildea here ?" was asked.
when he Is not i'll town." was the
ready response.
And Mr.. Barbee?" was the next ques-
ton.
ooh, he's usually here of an afternoon
that is, when he don't have 10 go to town. )"
'And, how often is that?"
well, he's usually here" was the eva
sive reply, but il he isn't | look out for
things, and if l don't some of the boys
do"
SIS Mr.. Mcdonald, who is serving a
three-year term for burglary. here?" was
next asked.
The guard referred to a memorandum
card. and then said:
''No; not just now. He's driving Mr..
Barbee's grandmother out on the road
to-day"
L; is in the appearance uf the prisoners
that the lax methods of conducting an in
s!itution of that kind makes itself most
apparent Under former administrations
the House was never considered soft
sEaD" for ''fendS" who used ''jope" or
tie syringe. They found it rather diff
within the walls. A careful watch was
kept, and the prisoner who succeeded in
getting a ''p,nch," as it was termed, was
looked upon as lucky mortal.
Things are different now, according to
the guard, who met the reporter and
showed him around the place.
"D0pe?" cried the guard, when spoken
to about the matter, "why, the boys can
get all they want-if they have the stuff. 4"
Then, as If weighed down with sense
of MS delinquency in admitting that
much. the guard drew in his HORNS" as it
were, and the dope subject was a
tab00ed one as far as he WAS concerned.
One good glance at the inmates of
County Jail 2 is sufficient to convince
ahy one that dope" or morphine is the
ruling passion among the prisoners. 1t is
not a difficult m1tter, either, tn fiud out
how they get 1t. Under the present sys-
TEN loaf Of bread with the inside scooped
out ana the vacancy filed with enough
''dupe" or morphine to kill a dozen men if
taken with suicidal intent can be passed
into the prison. With the absence of the
chief officials everything lies in the hands
OF a few guards-sometimes not more than
One-and everything is easy for the prison
ers VINO have an appetite for the drug and
have in theii list Of acquaintance friends
who will use every endeavor to see that
they get what they want.
or course one expects to find handbook
ing line-drawD faces among the criminal
element which the law has dealt with and
placed behind bars, but in the case of the
prisoners in County Jail any one would
be surprised al the sembances of human
ity there confined who have been COM
pleIely warped as slaves of the drug habit.
As one of the prisoners himself said
when spoken to about the matter: There's
no trouble about getting The stuff If we
have the money to pay for it. 1t goes on,
TO the saloon on the corner there and is
hell ont for the proper parties. who sell it
inside the walls for all they can get"
There Is a popular resort not far from
County Jail 2 which is earning record
for itself in TIE way of a hospitable cara
vansarY for the entertainment of man.
beast or criminal. 1t is usually a criminal
that is entertained, although guard never
overlooks chance to take drink at the
same place.
1t is at Woods place at which the guards
do most cengregate when they are sure
that the criminals, who were loose for the
day, and we're willing 10 sleep once more
under the legal prOtectii roof, bad re-
turned. There is also another resort owned
and run by|a man named Cavignero To
visit the latter gentleman the guards and
favored prisoners cut across the fields by
the barn. As rule three or four of the
prisoners sleep in the barn in order that
they can conveniently pay their attention.
to Caviguero or Woods. They usually
scout about bit and learn in which place
the guards are located.
The maneuvers are not based upon the
actions of the guards for any other reason
than that the general public, or at least
that portion of it that might wander thai
way. might think 1t strange to see blue
coated guards hobnobbing with striped
suited prisoners.
Among those who visit Woods place
there are several who lay claim to being
good singers, and they while away hours
In singing ty pical songs of the day. One
OF the most popular is parody on one OF
MIR. Gilbert's best. 1t runs something a.
follows:
When the enterprising burglar is not burgling-
Not abursling,
And the cut-throat has forgot the gaIIows rope
Gailows rope,
They like to listen to the gentle gurgling-
Gentle gurgling.
or the whisky or the beer thinking with the dope
With the q one