The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1897-12-11
GUATEMALA.
AND HOW SHE CARES FOR HER
CRIMINAL CLASSES
''The Paris OF Central America, '~Vorthy
of Considerable Consideration The.
Watei Service--In Government; Employ
Joys In Prison Life.
Continued from End Col


the otner SIDE. Farther on another gang was
seen at work in like fashion and we were told
that more were grading, paving, and extend.
ing other streets. Every morning before day
break all the streets Of the city are regularly
swept by the prisoners, which accounts for
their always being so beautifully clean.
When not at work the majority of the con-
vlcts are kept in dormitories, each holding
SO to 100 hundred men. There are no cots,
but every man has straw mat and
certain place on the floor which he can call
his own. BY day his mat is rolled up, with
whatever spare clothes he may possess, and
suspended by cord from the ceiling above
his particular tiles. At intervals along the
inner walls of these dormitories are sentry
Boxes with loop holes commanding every inch
occupied by the convicts. In addition to these
general sleeping rooms, there are perhaps 100
cells, each seven feet by four and one half
closed with iron latticed doors, within which
favored convicts are kept. Some of the tiny
apartments are tastefully ornamented with
pictures, hangings, etc., telling of education
and refinement gone wrong somehow, for
all these are real criminals, in for murder or
some other degrading offense. The political
prisoners, many of whom are incarceratei
within those walls, we were not allowed ia
see, and could gain no information as to how
they are punished or where rney are kept.
Certainly they are not among the cheerful
tho streets.
Better In than Out.
The Dir, airy kitchen of the prison had a
wonderful novelty for Central America viz,
a range, and a very big one Upon it huge
ealdrons of beans were stewing, and tortillas
(cakes made of crushed CORN baking for the
convicts' breakfast. Beans, rice, and tortil-
las form their regular diet. They get coffee
at daybreak; breakfast at 10 a. M; dinner at
3 p. NJ; and at in the evening tin cup of
coffee with a wheat-flour roll-a great deal
better fare than the majority Of them ever
had at home.
We waited to see the men come to breakfast
from their work in the streets. They were
formed in squads Of from thirty to fifty, each
company in charge of an officer, and two or
three armed guards. They were counted, and
then marched to the prison gates. Here they
halted, and convict who was distinguished
from his fellows by wearing white>shirt, COL
lar, and necktie. under his brown drilling
prison jacket, called the roll That done, the
men were lined up in the street for few min
utes' visit with their friends (mostly women),
who had gathered on the outside. But the
friends were Kept at respectful distance,
twelve feet or more away. Every woman had
bundle or basket for the prisoner she had,
come to see. These were first handed to the
convict OF the white skirt, who was supposed
to examine them-but noticed that he hard
ly glanced at them. The recipients eagerly
tanned clean clothes, and usually cigarettes,
fruit, or something sweet to eat. Meanwhile
conversation was very animated between tho
prisoners and their friends, all laughing and
talking gayly; and even when the time came
to say adios, and the men were ordered to.
march into prison, there was no manifesto
ton Of sorrow. Obstreperous prisoners are
whipped here, as elsewhere. There are no
female convicts in this prison, but plenty of
them in the carcel-mostly for murder, jeal-
ousy being the moving cause.
Guatcmala's CriminaIity.
Afterward looked over that quaint official
publication, LA Memoria del Ministerio de
aobernacion4 de Justicia,' or what answers
for our police court records, and found some
curious things. For example: The popula-
ton Of the department which contains Guate.
mala's capital is 100000; that of the city itself
about go, 900. The total number of imprison-
nents for a year was only 1850; yet the num-
Der or arrests amounts to more than 10 per
cent Of the entire populations! What wonder
full lawyers they must have in Guatemala, or
else what lenient Judges! OF the number i'm
prisoned 1872 were thieves 100 guilty of homi-
eide. 230 "drunkards and vagabonds," 1871 for
inflicted wounds" Among the odd items
were 20 imprisoned for "infidelity in the GUS
tody Of prisoners following them to escape?l
20 Imprisoned by request (by their own re-
quest or that Of somebody elseD, and 297 sent
to the penitentiary for length of term not
stated. "by order of the tribunal without
specifying the crime" Probably these are
the political offenders, the manner of whose
punishment is mystery. Evidently Jim,
the Penman," has few imitators in this coun-
try, for there were only three arrests for for
gerry in year, and no convictions for fighting
There were 1900 arrests, 300 Of the number
being women, for carrying arms" OF this
latter class the majority were foreigners-the
deadly machete which all low class natives
carry not being considered yankees
the chief offenders, Germans next, who usual
ly pay the fine and escape imprisonment