The sun., 1897-01-17
Rree.," raid a dI,couraged convict from Yums

oners i've there. Il have known many nights
In midsummer when the temperature In the
colle was abont 105 degrees. aud with the natu.
raj dampness of the cells and not breath OF air
stirring. you can IMAGINE what the poor convicts
suffer. The fellows lie on their hunks. stripped
naked, and pant like lizards for enough air to
AT about o5 degrees Tor several weeks at time.
and near the 1O5 degree mark for y week or ten
hSy' ser. ss'Gs b. hns 1ss Sss So"r conxsts
who work daily In summer in a temperature
that ranges rom 40. 70 i!2'; followed at nlslt
one OF the prisoners who have 10 stay in the cell
At night comes out from his kennel. like sleep
Ing place In the morning reck nK with perspira-
tion md weak. Sleep Is only had In brief doses
The doctors cay that any one who has any blood
taint or the lca,t e. s4Sesp,ib,iiy to consumption
consumption are common among the inoneyless
prisoners In Yuma penitrntiary.. Every sum.
mer there are a few convicts who manage to
commit suicide ir their steaming noIsone cells.
rather than to endure tho agony OF life there
Fargo stage at Grants Pass committed suicide
there BY biting nt his wrist and tearing open
the arteries with his teeth"
But the conv let's who have means or innuen-
tial friends can have ~ varied and tempting
food a. they care to buy from tho prison cook.
fresh fish brought for them, and even pay the
cooks for occasionally providing fowl for, them
and with bonds that they will not escnpe from
the prison. they may have cots to sleep on in
in int the w YEAR there is no rain in in Yuma. and one
may sSsE comfortably sa ont Under ii Ie ,s starry
few prisoners sleep out of doors all the time.
Some Of the most exciting and sanguinary
scenes ever enacted IN any penal institution have
heen inside the walls Of Yuma prison. In one
of these efforts to gain their freedom, In the
winter OF 1894 four leaders among the rebelli
cnnvicts were shot dead and four were MANNED
for life. But The most dare devil and bollo,t
contest for liberty that has probably ever tnken
place within the walls OF any penal Institution
her, ss7. The old timers OF Yuma. who have
lived for a generation and more on tho frontier
aN nj. lizaf Ia.sA h.aAn mn
desperate oonficts and slaughter, OF human
beings on the plains and in the mountains. have
not yet ceased talking of that morning.
Thomas Gates, who died by his own hand n
few months ago, was sup.rlntOn,lent Of the
private quarters early one morning lie passed In
the rear OF brick building. where he was set
upon by four prisoners; who were serving long
attack WAS made within the range Of the armed
guards upon tho wall. Snperlntcndent Gntes's
hero-m On that evontful occasion, when he re-
ceived wounds that left him "A phl steal wreck.
j. matter OF history. At the peril OF his own
life he called upon the guards to shoot. and the
order was oheyed. In n second more twenty
other prisoners who had waited for the signal
to make united break for liberty. ran from
their workshops To the prison Office, knocked tho
guards there I'M blli; and despoled the
place OF its rifles and pistols. 4 dozen more
and kitchen to help their fellow convicts. but
were kept back by tho armed guards. In few
seconds the guards upon the walls turned their
w.nchesters and Calling guns upon the rebel
lious convicts. while the dozen guards In the
prison yarn and about the shops threw them
selves into the breach TO keep other prisoners
from joining in the rebellion. An eyewitness
Of the nffair. who has been through two Apache
and Comanchc Indian wars. says he never saw
80 many men Instantly stand mp and face death
ms did both the pri son guards ard the reDelllous
cunNicts that October morning.
shots were exchanged at n range OF less than
twenty feet between the guards and tho prison.
gates darted outside the walls and. rife rifles IN in
hand. started for the town OF Yuma. No Cat
ling gun was ever worked more rapidly and
nall fhnn mi la
at that time. and tho winchestcrs in the hands
Of another guard on the walls fired a ball every
| dropped wounded in their tracks. Three more
| threw up their hands as sirn of surrender. and
| In his fashion walked hack TO the prison yard.
| The attention OF the guards was turned to tho
mutiny In tic yard but there tho Oatling gun
sopld not be used. because q tie angie IN which
terrific exchange Of shots, and few ot them wen.
| three guards fell dead almost at one anothars
feet while three prisoners we're wounded Tor
body. and. nevertheless. lived several years. The
| injured prisoners threw up their hands because
they we're 1 Sp. of Snr,r!dEe. and Mere marched
% which the guards stood In their hand-to-
hand fight Is still shown in evidence OF
bul ct holes In It, some Of them were made by
lead hall. after they Ind passed through a
minutes. Not a word was spoken bv nnv Of the
participants. Guard liartlee stool like n statue
Of shs he ,Ss &
when asked how he felt during i. he said:
u started IN IKE had hard day work to
| The woful experience OF these rebcllious
convicts during their fve minutes taste OF
liberty Is so memorable that 1t has done much
to discourage plans for similar uprising.
In the history OF the prison only one man has
environ the Territorial penitentinry at Yuma
| and IA rea:hng old Mexico. The man was a
sS% nj. III pssn s,oSS
In good stead in running across the desert and
leaving NO track behind, while he -lud-d the
the prison shaSpshoo,crs. II was in 1881 before
the prison was SO well eqnipned with firearms
was life prisoner. and was sent to Yuma for
| highway robbery and murder nj the same ;'me
renr Sass the he p2on and w
this he vas able 10 Kill n rahnit and n smal
bird on the nrst evening OF his liberty. These he
mile, BY Yuma Indian !raIler-. and ,hnn they
was learned aftcrward that he applied for shsl.
ter nj aranch home near the Mexican border
": .a. at" sowar% EVENING ons eI ay was ,"t
tered and forlorn-looking tramp. with a fac,
,hs, lGSked ks IKE SO ninsSsRsa enc WA
snawinc. like dog, bit Of old ,rAwhid'
@ .hlns o' fugitive ,t wore s'faec Ss convict tron
sd ss' s"sssr SSad the "'s
tiary. The poor wretch's terrible suffering
and the fact that he was on the verge Of insanii!
because OF hi, privation, On the desert appealed
to the ranchman's sympathy. Ie fed an,
helped the convict on hi. WAY to Sonora. Thrr
he was effectuallv lost to all pursuit for severa
weeks. party Of .mining pruspectors foun,
the remains OF man. wearing the shreds OF
Yuma c0nvict's garb. one day In the foothill
over the border limo between the United State
and Mexico. The thin. starved. mummihe
body answered the description of the Mexican
WIN had riskcd the horrors OF the most sayag
desert In all the world In the hope Of liberty
and had suffered untold agony In his vain on
dcavors to got to freedom.
4BELL Talks or THE LEAGUE