Semi=weekly graphic., 1898-10-19
A rhIoUN IN MEXICO.
svnlOoc CUSTOMS THAT PREVAIL IA
 sELEh JAIL.

Among the various uats to which Mexlee has put soms of her old monas- series and eoavonsB is kh&t of serving foE ssa incarceration of violators of the law. The Gonyenbo de Belen as Mexico ClSy has become, ia eonaMon parlanee, BslOn, tAe city jail and prison, accused aad ooaYAsesd Rsrso2s. men, wonon and children alike bsiag confined khers in difezeRt scmpartRents The building was put ap by the spanish governor in l6Se, as an inscription at the head of the main stairway tells. A casual yiult paid it by reporter of The Mexican Herald reveals s oosdibion of prison management in Mexico worthy of pasz- ing attention in the days of prison re. form associations and international pria- on eongressea
 The Herald said that Belsm had been commonly spoken of as a second Black Hole Of Caloutta, but the reporter fouad that the prison was kept in a state og comparative cleanliness; not so, how ever, the prisoners. Their condition he described as one of disgusting fllthineaA Although there was hydrant in every coll and general bathing facilities in each compartment, the reporter found only one inmate either at bath or with any indication of having bathed within year. 1t was explained to him by the pr5eoa authorities that formerly the l'egr ationg required prisoners to bathe daily, but that this was regarded as such a hardship that the sufferers man. aged to says it declared form of cruel aud u. Esaal punishment and so to have the rHle abFogased. There are in the prison nsw 3. 451 prisoners, of whom 9, 988 ara mea and 90 are minors.
 X eHrioEs feature found by the re- porter was the SpAniSh res@Bd for the avtg, even withia prisoa walls. He found In bAe ssusA wing the writers of libel, "and the cells reserved for ma siCians, artists and others of tas fae arts, Isweuld seem ts be A eharita bls as we'll aa an inolRsivs provisi@a, thas land etkeEs" tbesi&ss Rrtista) of the fine arts. The musicians are permitted, apparently, to take thsir iagtrn@snta to Jail with them, maek As msohapiss taks into ths prison workshop thsir eva tools of tzaae. ''RAe walls sf the ma sioiaAs' cells aza decorated wish difar. ent musical iBssrumeats, and ths re- porter wAs teld tAst alzaost sYsey syo@- ing thoRe was a aaneaEt in sne ef tha patios. ''
 Men sometimes Sc in Mexico what ia this colder cline thay soa sent thena- selves wick wishing Seas. fer bAe re- porter zane apoa sAs Aaa12a, Rndsg sentence Of 90 geaEn for Eilling a wait CT at the Clab dc la Opera bsoaRsa Ao did not bring hiB dinner quick sRoueA. Adams has tao fFssdOm @f hia gal1ag. There azo in each galley shres Ruasisa who go aboab wibh eiHb8 and preserve order, using 5hs club "ossIy when nsgel s6asion will net do Ra wall. ''
 There were stoics aEa@sa As8S sF msa condemned to death. Oas ef these, Rn- der santenca for assaaEinatiRg a maH, expressed his ge9oas oeRHdez@s as to his future, bat. if worst eornas ts wsrE4" "a shrHg of the shoulders And palns up. This man and s0@s stAs&s under death sentence had the FuR o9 tAs som- mandant offices, notwithstanding there were on the walls, sssxiEg as doseFss blons, conaseated weaPoeS of BgisonsgA Oddly eAeugb, as it woal& seem ia this country, bheuga ia we1ldn't have hS@z strange in the Italy o8 AGoAi&vslk, there wasn t 8 gan among tAsss. The nearest to it was q kay@Rst, and the rest were poinards, soimiters, seiletsoa, butcher hnives, table knives, ps@kRiyes. end ahoOmaksFs' kEivss.
 The dinner heur WAS marked by curious spectacle The street outside tke prison was 6lled with the wives, children, dogs sad osheg members oF the pzssaMezs hsuaohelds :" These hBsagAt hAsAaas aE s&ibl@s to She prison sEA, E0Eas ef whem were permitted te speak Co their relatives throHgA gTAt- ing. To thS eezvietE not permitted ts ooEse ts the grating, their relatives were allowed to send in Hotss accompanying the dianer baskets. This privilege had giveh rise % peoaliar way of making few pennies among persons abls to writs-' 'itinsrant seribes who fex eena CT two wrote messages to the pria- oners. " One woman bade the scribe to put her message ia red ink. She woEld have none of the "pSsple stuff, D
 "TBll him, said ahe, that send him two little tamales and tell him that la peErita died yesterday ,
 Says the reporter, And the scribe, lsaning under tAa shade of his Umbrel Ia, sitting on a rock, with Ais bottle of yed ink on another rock beside him, worked away assiduously. with an ety.
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