The San Francisco call., 1897-05-31
cess OF the affair and then made formal
demand for the warden.


Warden Hale met with even worse re-
ception than did DR.. Lawlor. Pretty
nearly the whole vocabulary of conceiv-
able and vllainous abuse was showered on
him from ali quarters. He was literally
driven from the spot by the obscene ex-
plosions that recochetted about the court
yard from 700 pairs of lungs, and beat
hasty retreat through the prison gates.
These are some of the tactics that the
convicts are using to their advantage.
Brutal vilification. insult and all the men,
tai putrifactions OF the beast in degraded
man have really awed the prison authori-
ties out OF their sense of duty. The in
mates of San Quentin Prison are convicts,
convicted of every sort of infraction OF
law. They have been sent here to be d s.
ciplined and punished. Now they have
maGe O law unto themselves. They are
masters of the situation, insomuch as
they have refused the first principle OF
prison discipIne-obedience
The worst feature of the whole matter
is the demoralizipg effect it is producing g
on the regular routine of the prison. If
the force of example is to cut any figure
in San Quentin there is plenty of trouble
gangs are exhibiting signs of uneasiress
They spend their working hours building
the Corte MADEIRA boulevard these days,
and the echo of their companions in the
tanks has decidedly incendiary effect.
The fever 10 strike may attack them any
moment Should the epid emlc reach the
kitchen-workers and TRUSTEES the entire
prison will be tied up effectually. This
result is what the ringleaders i'll the lute-
mill revolt have planned to accomplish.
Then the public would see for first
time penal institution absolutely gov
erned by Its inmates.
Inside The prison there is an appalling
reign of terror. The more desperate ele
ment has intimidated the weak-hearted.
There are many men in the tanks al pres
ent who would gladly go to WORK to-mor-
row morning at anything offered them.
These were the passive participants in the
revolt in the jutemil on Thursday morn
ing last. Any scruples they had about
disobeying prison rules were outweighed
by the terror OF the vengeance of the
vicious workers. The weavers In the jute
factory, who are all free men, say that
fully half of the men under their superin-
tendence were bitterly opposed to the
strike, but they feared for their lives 10
hold aloof from it. The convict vengeance
is the poison that has turned Warden
Hale's big house upside down. There is
that long record OF mysterious murderous
assaults that makes life in the jutemill a
veritable hell to any one but the des-
perado.
Ever since this mill was added to the
prison it has been holbsd of rebellion.
In it have been Matched the seeds of al
most every trouble that has taken place
within the prison walls in the past few
years. Men have gone to their loom to be
struck down from behind with sledge-
hammer, to be impaled on a dirk or
felled with an iron bar to crafty the ven-
geance OF some companion. Weak-hearted
and we'll inclined prisoners have had
their skulls fractured by fello w-convict
because they refused to participate in
some deviltry. The guards seemed un-
able to check this lawlessness. Convicts
wounded almost TO death feared to give
the names of their assailants to the prison
authorities, tor within the mill prisoners
is ring, to which bIood-letting is a
pastime.
1t is these very men that have now set
at defiance the warden and all his law OF
order. They are the ringleaders in the
strike. They are the men who wrecked
the dungeons yesterday, and cursed the
warden out of countenance when he de-
manded an explanation. Their member
ship is recruited from the slums OF San
Francisco-housebrea garroters, high
waymen, thieves, opium iends and this
class. 1t is not always the man convicted
OF the most serious crime who is watched
most closely by prison-keepers. A five
year-term thug or thief is likely to prove
much more refractory than a lIfe-term
murderer. Many of the best prisoners at
San Quentin are Iife-termers. Many of
them are TRUSTEES about the institution.
But the thugs and short-term sneak
thieves-look out for them!
Thus it happens that there are many
men now in the tanks who are among the
best prisoners in the institution. Their
companionship with tue goats has lost
them their own identity in this outbreak
This seems an injustice, but one must not
be particular in some matters when he be-
gins to wear the stripes.
Bread and water is not calculated to
sustain the fastidious liver nor increase
enthusiasm, so the expected has already
happened. One of the strikers, con-
frmed 'dope fend," has collapsed and
has been removed to the hospital.
The example was catching. Fifteen
more of the rebels presented themselves
PROSTATE at the feet OF the prison phy.
sician, but they were sim ating illness.
The discovery of the fraud they resented
with a volley of curses. One old tim e
convict scattered his oaths so last that he
brought on a slight attack of apoplexy.
An epidemic of lockjaw just now would
fill long-felt want and give the guards
and other Inhabitants of San Quentin a
peaceful night OF slumber.
Captain Edgar who is in charge of the
unruly convicts, said tonight that he had
received letters from over forty meE, de-
clarlng their Willingness to go TO work to-
morrow morning if they were assured
against harm from their comrades. But
the strike has gone 100 far now to come
10 an end when the convicts desire it to.
The prison authorities have planned a
sort of freeze-out game. They intend tc
keep the men on bread and water and
confinement for some time-possibly a
month or two-at any rate until the back
bone of the revolt is disioInted out of all
hopes of repair.
The usual dinner was served to-day ir
the regular prison Gining-room. The bill
of fare consisted of roast meat and gravy
mashed potatoes, white beans, stewed ap
nIes gingerbread white bread and coffee