The San Francisco call., 1898-11-20

M f'
 San Quentin penitentiary calling
 forth more interest than the rest
 that spot is what in the prison
 vernacular has been dubbed Crank Alley" It is situated between the first and second buildings abutting on the east wall of the institution and is a narrow alley about thirty feet long, with a gate at each end and cells only on the southern side. When the prisoners are not locked up they may be seen lolling around the alley getting the benefit of the sun or amusing themselves in many ways.
 You see,'' said Warden Hale, we Fave here number of fellows that are not insane enough to send to an asy- lum, but are so cranky that they can not be permitted to mix with the other convicts on account of the trouble we should have in making them observe the rules. These persons generally are afflicted with melancholia on account of their confinement. which manifests itself in a number of curious ways
 Captain Edgar, who has charge or the inside yard of the prison, happen ed to be in his office in company With pr. Lawler, and both had deal to say about this queer corner Of the prison.
 Crank alley is a place where some pretty strange specimens flourish. we have to keep them away from the rest of the men or there is continual clashing. Yet, as rule, they are com paratively harmless. They're errat1c That is where the trouble lies. we don't require any work Of them except keeping the alley swept clean and their
 
 are kept there for no other reason than that they made disturbance every time they were taken into the dining-room.
 Take that fellow Cunningham. who was released from confinement a feW days ago. He used to wear ms hair h1 long-not so long as was reported by a certain newspaper correspondent, whose imagination would honor Juies Verne himself, but down on his shoul- ders He took an oath that he would not speak word when he was sent here from Orange County to serve d six-vear term for burglary. but al though he broke his word In week s time. he developed so many eccentricl- ties that it was only short time untli he had to be placed in Crank alley and kept there until the day he left tne prison. without a word of warning fell in what was thought to be violent fit. lie was carried to the hospital and placed on the operating table to receive treat ment. While Dr. Lawler was busy preparing a dose of medicine, Cunning ham rolled off on the floor. Doctor, sup pose you tell the rest"
 That's what he did" retorted the physician cheerfully, "and 1t was long time before I caught on to him. too. Finally I concluded to let him lie on the floor and told him he could make a bed there If he wished. lie never rolled off the table again, but he had the fits right along. He would take them in his cell and in the alley, In the yard and nearly everywhere it would cause us the most inconvenience. After a while I concluded the man was really insane, and on my recommenda- tion the Warden sent him to the In sanity Asylum at Ukiah, but he never got there On the way he managed to elude the eye of his guard long enough to escape out of window and it was two days before he was recap tured He was at once brought back I concluded that man sane enough 10 act in that fashion could spend his term here.
 Well, this thing of Cunningham's fits ran on for months. One day the 'trusty' who has charge of the alley came to me and told me he was con- vinced the man was shamming. He said that Cunningham went into most realistic fit a week before and he told him If another fit occurred Cunningham would be found dead in his cell, sup posedly having dashed his own brains out against the wall. This the 'trusty' said had the desired effect, ana for a week Cunningham had not had single fit. I sent for him and finally he con fessed that he could bring on these fits at any time he felt like 1t. During the balance of the time he was here we had no trouble with him.
 Yes" resumed Captain Edgar, "and this same fellow was one of the most expert mechanics ever saw in all my life. He could make anything he ever laid his hands to. He used to manu- facture miniature houses out of paper. Inkwells and everything in the way of house ornamentation on delicate scale were right in his line. There is a sample of his handiwork on the man. tel" and the speaker pointed to beau- tiful inkstand and penholder.
 Then there's Johnny Sansorne. He has been in seven times for various of lenses and Is familiarly referred to as Samson He Is serving a nine-year sentence for burglary committed in Placer County Samson Is crazy on the subject of religion. He has used up enough paper writing on that sub ject to make an unabridged dictionary. He seems to regard the warden Cap tain Birlem and myself as sort of wicked trinity whose salvation depends on the number of letters we get every day on the subject of looking after the welfare of our souls. We each get one for breakfast, dinner and supper. The fellow has kept this up for months. and now and then inquires if any of us has confessed his sins and joined the church.
 Then there is another prisoner we call Old Frenchy' I can't remember his real name. and 1t would not inter est the public, anyhow. 'Frenchy' Wanders round the alley, and every