Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-02-05

CONVICT UNDER sENTENtE
TELLS OF LIFE At COLUMBUS.
II IL n Very Hare story-Insidc EN-
prricuccs and Hnrdshtps OF wen
~yho wcnr the strIpcs-Whippcd
for Speaking to a Friend.
ATLANTA Constltutlon)

| effect this transfer, ara 'hdt u wiz" wv
convict can further the end OF justice by
telling what he knows OF the doings OF
some other fatcd criminal on trial And
II is only in extreme cases OF this kind
that 1t is p.rmitted
The oxigencies OF an important case In
the United States Court demanded that
Jim Brackett. convicted and sentenced
| last June. be brought back to Georgia
| After much correspondence Solicitor Joe
/ James received communication giving
| him the authority TO order the convict
out. Escorted by Deputy James, son OF
/ the principal keeper Of the OHIO peni-
Tertiary. Bracket was brought to Atlanta
| and is now waiting for the McKutcheon
case to be called before Judge Newman.
BRACKET Is BLEACHED
Bracket has changed since he was car
RED on to Columbus. After the nine
months imprisonment his face has taken
on the usual expression Of the crimi-
| nal and he wears the conventional
convict features The loss Of one eye
! has destroyed what might have been
! once a pleasing countenance. His skin,
Of the mountains and moonshine was
| rough and rugged when he first went to
| Ohio. is now thoroughly bleached. and its
| milky wilderness is covered by thin
coating Of red beard.
| lie has DOTTED temporarily his convicts
garb and donned a neat-looking suit in
which he made the trip.
TN 40. 25G52."
Don't call me Jim Bracket. Call me
| No. 25Gj2. and | feel more like myself.
| I've almost forgotten my real name you
know That passes away when a fellow
strikes that places and It's not often that
he hears it pronounced.
II can't complain OF the treatment they
give us up there. OF course the life il
hard for me. | am used to the mountain.
where | can go anywhere / want TO- and
| have things my own way generally. and
where everything is free and open.
1T was a great surprise when they
came To me last Friday and told me that
| must make the trip 10 Georgia for the
purpose Of being a witness I'm the courts.
/ couldn't believe them az first | don't
see how they could let me get out of
! there. they were 50 strict. but they sent
me down a citizens suit. and last sun
| day evening. just after We had been
marched away from the chapel. the guard
told me 10 step out. and / knew that |
was 10 come It's like stepping out into
q new and very different world. | don't
/ feel natural. The sound Of human voices
seems strange TO me.
\ MULTITUDE or CONVICTS.
"You cannot imagine" he resumed. the
size of that place and the number Of peo-
pie there. think that now there are
! 2lJ0 convicts there The buildings cover
twenty-five acres. and these buildings are
/ cut up into little cells In which the boys
are packed away.
There is only one man in n cell. 4
| light is furnished us at night. and We are
allowed to read until o'clock
I'VE get up at > o'clock every morn
| ing. Then we form in squads and are
marched out into the hall. Everything
| goes lock-step there. but we are not
| chained. The guard marches us 10 the
bathing rooms, and there we separate
and take our morning baths. Then, out
| into the yard for an hour We 20 10 take
| exercise. and after that We are carried
| 10 breakfast. Ali Of us are arranged in
| squads at the different tables. This fin
| ished. We are marched over 20 the idle
| house whore we spend the time doing
| nothing. but thinking"
! SILENCE. SILENCE EVERYWHERE
The greatest torture - me-" CON
! tinued the convict lis the silence that
| is demanded Of you. We are never al
| lowed. under any circumstances. TO say
a word 10 a guard or q fellow-prisoner.
| except on matters Of important business.
| and that business must be stated. just
| like A schOolboy tells his teacher what
| he wants 10 talk about.
THE STORY OF \ FLOGGING.
| tho rttia about creokfpg III
| caught the consequences one day. |
| knew that I was breaking the rules and
| knew what would follow, but | had
not heard the sound Of my voice i'm 50
| long that / was forced 10 say something
| There was a man named Fowler sitting
by me in the i1le-house.' ! knew him
wei. ana before | could control myself
walked up and slapped him on the
| shoulder and said, How are you? lie
looked at me and trembled.
Then the guard came up and asked
my number. | blurted it out to him He
put it on piece Of paper. ! knew what
It meant
TASTING THE LASH
about daylight the next day the guard
| ordered me out ] was marched down 10
| a little room. where SIX or seven more on
the same mission had assembled. We
| formed lOck-step. and We're marched down
|
| operation was in store for aIs. ! was the
third man 10 be called. The guard led me
into small room. II was heated with
steam. so as 70 make it feel comfortable
| when a fellows clothing was all off. was
| disrObed entirely. Then a kind OF elastic
cap. which reminded me Of the gallows
| black-cap, was drawn down over my head
and eyes. My hands were drawn behind,
and tightly handcuned.
II was led to another room. which ]
| afterwards saw was much smaller. The
deputy was here. He read over the charge
| TO me in a loud voice. and asked II |
was guilty. I told him I was. Then /
| tasted the lash for the first time The
| strap which he used was made from
| heavy leather 1t came down ON my bare
| back ten times with all the force the de-
| putty could use.
after he had finished I was sarcely
able to put on my clothes. / was so eX-
| haustod.
This was the only time 7 ever tasted
| the leather and the last, If holding my
tongue has anything to do with It.
STRUNG Up FOR THREE DAYS.
THE number Of lashes in cases of this
kind vary. Of course. according to the ma
ture Of the offence But this style Of
punishment is nothing to some ! have
seen. one man that ] know Of was
strung up for three days
1.-THE process is about this: The con-
Wet is handcuffed and his hands drawn
up over his head. where they are tied
to "A chain suspended from the ceiling. In
this position ne is forced 10 remain until
his sentence Is finished. During this time
he IS allow nothing TO eat except bread
and water"
Here Urackett gave an interesting ac-
count Of the religious side Of prison-life.
In the large chapel there, he said.
corps OF teachers assemble every sun
day morning. They are usually citizens
bent on doing home mission work There
are three services during the day but
In order TO attend a written permission
must be obtained from the chaplain. and
this Is tackled on the door of the con-
vict's cell so that the guard can call for
him.
1.-THE convicts. as a whole, are a very
religious set" continued Bracket "and
their enthusiasm al the different meetings
would surprise you. II is one OF the few
times We are allowed to talk. at these
meetings. and when the preacher calls
for the experience OF the men. nearly
all Of them get up and say something.
just to keep their tongues from going 10
| sleep.
HE SAW JIM LAWSHE
with the large number OF convicts