The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-15
PRISON IN A DESERT
To Escape from the Arizona Pen
itentiary Is Simply Suicide.
A Famous Dark Cell that Has No Ter
rOrs for the Taciturn. Desperate
and MurderOus John Clay.

Gals ever seen IN this country. John Clay,
a convict, recently capitulated to the Off
GERS after enduring a term Of solitary con-
fnement in the dark cell for 107 days. This
duel between the convict and his keepers
grew out OF the determination OF the prison
officials to enforce discipline. The princi-
pie involved was so important that the OFF,
Gals deemed It better TO Kill the convict
rather than yield, as any concession to
him would have been fatal to prison dis
cipIine. After a stay Of more than three
months in the dark cell, on diet Of bread
and water. Clay finally made an AFFECT
surrender. but when he recovered he again
became mutinous. and is once more In his
old place Of solitary confinement.
To appreciate this remarkable case II
must be remembered that the Yuma peni-
tertiary contains nearly leo convicts, more
than half of whom are serving long terms
for very grave crimes. They are nearly all
frontiersmen, quick with the pistol, and
ready TO take any risks TO secure their
feedom- Fully one-Quarter of them are
Mexicans or half-breeds. and there are at
least a score Of Apache Indians who are re-
garded as more dangerous than any OF the
other inmates. These fellows rage against
confinement with the passion Of a wild
beast in cage. and were II not for the
escapes OF attempts at escape would be re-
corded every week. AS it is. the convicts
know the almost absolute certainty Of cap
ture should they get beyond the prison
gates.
The Yuma penitentiary is unique among
all the prisons of the country in it's situa-
ton. 1t has the usual prison wall and the
customary guards. but these are merely for
dumb show. The cOnvicts. who come from
various parts Of Arizona, know that in the
thirty years OF the PRISONS existence only
one has reached freedom across the
fearful deserts that surround the prison,
while the bones OF at least fifty brave and
hardy men who have tried TO gain Old Mex
leo now lie whitening in the desert. The
prison stands on q high bluff at the juno
ton or the Yuma and Colorado rivers me
only feasible avenue of escape to civiliZa-
ton are along the line of railroad or by
the Colorado river. To follow the river is
TO be certain OF capture before the convict
has gained q distance OF fifty miles. To go
UP or down the railroad is to be sure Of re-
capture, for with the telegraph and the
telephone the authorities may head off any
fugitive In few hours.
who yearns for freedom IS to strike across
the desert to the south Of Yuma and make
for the line OF old Mexico. This is a dis
tance of nearly one hundred miles over the
most GOdfOrsaken territory included within
the bounds of the country. The mercury
even in the winter rises to eighty or ninety
degrees in the shade and in the summer il
frequently goes up to 80 degrees. There is
absolutely water save at n few points,
which can be reached only by one inti-
mately acquainted with the country. To
add 10 the terrors of pursuit across this
dreary waste the prison officials keep un-
der regular pay two or three trained
Apache trailers. who are notorious for
their bloodthirsty character. These fellows
receive the same pay for bringing in the
ear or the scalp of a fugitive that they get
for returning him alive. The consequence
IS that when their passions are aroused
by pursuit they invariably stalk and kill
the fugitive, The convicts are fully aware
or this deadly Apache trait and they fear
pursuit by these savages more than they
Tread the heat and thirst of the desert.
ONLY ONE ESCAPED.
No one has ever escaped these Apache
hends except a half-breed Mexican, who
about five years ago. escaped from the
prison ground. threw the trailers off his
track by devices which outwitted even their
native cunning. and reached old Mexico
after almost uncomfortable hardships. This
fellow. who was a man of unusual physique
and stamina, owed his escape to the kind
heartedness OF an American rancher who
lives near the line. This ranchman. in tell
ing the story said that morning he was
surprised in going out TO his cattle corral
70 ind man, with face shriveled like a
Indian mummy and with clothes hanging
In tatters about him, standing by the corral
renee gnawing green hide like a famished
He took the fellow. whom he suspected
at once 10 be an escaped convict from
Yuma, fed him with d little milk and
brandy, and after the fugitive had slept
fOrty-eiSht hours. extracted from him the
story OF his hardhlps. He had absolutely
nothing TO eat in his four days tramp, ex-
cept the interior Of the yucca plant and
few Of the beans that grow on the Mes
IuIIS- 49,, ~ l WAFER was exhausted on the
Second Jay. ana he could only alleviate his
thirst BY chewing on small pebbles which
ne gathered along his route. He escaped
INTO old Mexico, but died soon after, as a
result OF his hardships.
discipline has always been enforced in the
Arizona penitentiary by humane methods
despite the desperate character Of the con-
Vlcts. The only punishment permitted is in
generation in the dark cell. No logging is
permitted As rule, solitary confinement
Tor few days on a diet of bread and
water serves 10 break the spirit of the most
hardened criminal. The case OF John Clay
therefore, is noteworthy because it is an
exception to the general rule.
LAY was received at the prison in May
~, from AlariCOpa cOunt>. sentenced 10
serve seven years on two convicrions OF
grand larceny. He was only tWanty-one
years OF age at his admission. lie is a
native or Tennessee. of powerful phvsi1u.-
over six feet in height He is renlrtabIv
temperate: he does not smoke but ohews
wide general informa ton. ana his mental
popularity consists in remarkable splf-U-iiI
and obstinacy when he has once made uD
- Illitii on any question As he is very
imDulsiVe. he is more often wrong In his
conclusions than right, but his companions
Ieue aSo abandoned any hope Of con-
Vincing him OF any of his errors This
trait was illustrat ted in a striking manner
on MS trail. Though possessed OF only a
sn2tteF1ng OF legal knowledge. he flatlv
refused 10 accept the attorneys selected
~ me court 70 defend him. He conducted
ms own case, with the natural result that
though the proof against him was not
oNefpoWer1ng, he was convicted. This made
MN bitter, as he has always maintained
that ne was innocent OF the charge brought
against him, which was horse stealing.
IN \ DARK CELL
From the day OF his arrival in prison he
has been moody and taciturn. His cell ad-
Joined the quarters OF several Apache In
dams. for whom he has as great a con-
tempt as for the negro. He Is particularly
bitter against their thirst for liquor, and he
once cynically remarked that the Apaches
were a great and noble race. for they feared
nothing but prohibition. Clay was closely
watched by the officials on his arrival be-
cause they feared some outbreak due TO his
peculiar temperament. but after several
months strict surveillance WGS relaxed. on
oct = OF last year Clay was detailed with
several other prisoners To build a pew
oven for the baker. The foreman of me
gang happened 10 be a convict named How
ara NlthrOW. a negro. Clay antiDathy TO
the colOred race LED TO trouble with With
row. and the negro complained TO the super
ntendent When spoken TO about the mat
ter Clay made insulting answer and was
sent 20 the dark cell. be remained there
until Nov. 4, eight days, when he was re-
leased
On the following day. when the convicts
We're marching through the main corridor
Of she prison at the end or the days labor
Clay, without warning. sprang ike a wild