The morning call., 1895-01-13
ESCAPED From Joliet and San Quentin
Untouched.
INSANE WARDS FOR STATE PRISONS
YitaPs Disappearance From the Stockton
ASYLUM Causes Prison Directors
TO Make Haste.


Hale reported that the jntemill was turn
ing out better bags than ever before and
the cost of production was never cheaper.
The cost of each bag manufactured now is
s6-1OO cents delivered in San Francisco.
The actual waste In weight of jute is AZ
per cent less than formerly.
The beard considered at some length a
proposition to provide a building for In
sane or slightly demented prisoners.
"There IS no dOnbt whatever" said
Chairman DePue that we ought TO have
a separate building for insane prisoners
The Warden submitted an estimate OF
cost OF remodeling the old laundry build
ing for such purpose, with about thirty
steel cells. This could be done for $4,000
or less. He also urged prompt action, for
the reason that there are many cOnvlcts
at present In "Crank alley" who are not
insane enough to 90 10 the Insane asylum,
Int should be removed from other prison
ers 1t would be necessary to have only
guard familiar with that class or conVlcts
TO attend the insane ward.
Chairman DePue favored the erection
of ward at Folsom and read from by.
laws governing the commissions actions
and powers that IL the Improvement
could be made for $4,000 or less the board
could order il done Without asking Tor a
sppctal appropriation. He added that he
would certainly like to see action taken at
once, "Such men as Antoine VITAL" said
he. "shouId never have been sent to Stock
ton or auy other insane asylum. The
officers there have no man competent to
look after insane conVicts and watch them
day and night"
81 regard this insane ward as an urgent
necessity,' said Director Neff, and ne
he nd ha cd n
act with Commissioner Hayes 10 get plans
and bids for construction of a ward for
insane convicts. The motion was unani-
mOusly adopted.
Expert l.. Wadham's report of the prison
finances was read. At the end of the
quarter, December 81, $14.277 63 general
cash was on hand. Warden Hale had
S34OO in bank belonging to prisoners aud
S 400 40 in the vault The outstanding
accounts with the State were as follows:
General appropriation fund, S5S, 100 70;
State prison fund. 1888. 45S 81; juIe re-
volying fund, $44.029 60; totai. $236. 21S 81.
Cash on hand was S14,277 g. leaving
total working capital of $3.50, 496 "a for the
remainder of the fiscal year. The books
were found correct.
Bills audited for the month of December
amounted to S11. 74S 46.
One of the most notorious criminals of
America was returned TO San Quentin
prison last Thursday after an absence of
four wears. He is known by the officials
as Frank Wheeler. with the distinctive
sobruuet of ''Ohio Fatty" a most cold
blooded aud deliberate burglar in criminal
annals.
In 1887 Wheeler was sentenced in San
francisco to ten years Imprisonment for
burglary. About year later. on October
/. 1888. while working on the night shift in
tue San Quentin jutemill, he climbed
pillar to the roof, smashed a skyligtt over
head and got outside. Then be ran along
the low, spreading roof of the mill TO
where it touches the south wall. His fight
was continued on top of the wall, where
guards were paradlng with rifles, and
he dropped down ten feet just as a guard
stopped him. Another guard was en-
countered on the outside ground, but be-
fore he could collect his senses Wheeler
had turned a corner. Years passed, but
the escaped convict dropped out of sight.
Still he did not give up his fayorlte occu-
patton of burgliDg. As James Steadman
he appeared in Chicago with a woman and
two men in handsome house and fell un-
der suspicion in connection with q start
ling outbreak of burglaries. he was
caught at last and sent to Joliet peniten-
tIary for seven years. From that prison
Steadman escaped in quite as cool and
daring a manner as he did from San
Quentin, Nothing was heard of him until
VI
nimIin on suspicion of robbiOg the Ontario
bank. Then ne was wanted by two State
prisons at once, but has been held here to
serve out the remaining nine years OF bis
sentence, after which be will be returned
to Joliet.
Wheeler, alias Sieadman, has a record of
thrty-six different charges of burglary
proved against him, and that number rep
rpsents a mere fraction of his crimes.
The board tried him yesterday for es-
Gaping and found him guilty, so he shall
have to serve the full term without
credits.
John Compton (colored), serving three
wears for burglary in Stockton, was tried
for stealing So from the rockets of visitor
who slep: in Captain Birlam's room, and
also for robbing the contribution box at
the gate.
Compton declared he knew nothing of
the ''cOnstitutiOn-box," but found the So
piece on the floor while sweeping. He put
the money into small paper box and got
A. j. Labrie, the CAPTAINS clerk, to ad-
dress il to his wife. Next day the Warden
accused Compton, who confessed and gave
up the box.
'Labrie addressed and tied it up for me, 4"
no explained.
But the obliginG friend did more. for the
box was found to contain only a broken
knife and some cotton. Then fabric was
charged with completely. They lost all
their credits earned and to be earned.
Labris was clerk in Newman & Levin
sons store In San Francisco, and is serv-
ing a term of seve1 years for forgery. He
loses twenty-seven months credits and
forfeits a nice position in the captain 5
Office for hard labor in the jutemill.
John McNamee, Is years Of age, SEN
fenced April 2, 1894, to three years 10 San
Quentin for burglary in San Francisco,
was tried for assaulting another convict 10
the mill with an iron bar. HIS credits
were forfeited. When examined he
pleaded self-defense, and stated that the
trouble grew out of fight over cigarette
papers.
Didn't you know it was wrong to have
cigarette papers or to smoke cigarettes In
the prisor ?" Director Devlin asked.
''Wel, don't know; nearly everybody
smokes cigarettes in the prison. They get
papers for nickel a pack" replied the
young convict.
"How many men smoke cigarettes
About 800 or 600."
The Warden explained that 1t is not DOS
sible to keep cigarettes out of the prison
no more than opium.
Arthur Bannister, alias Herman Miller.
a boy of Is years, serving his second term
for burglary in San Francisco, was brought
before The Commissioners. Arthur was
out for a month when arrested and SEN
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