The San Francisco call., 1898-02-07
PRISONERS
 PLEAD FOR
 MORE FOOD They Send an Appeal to Chief Lees for More Rations. Claim That the City Prison Cook Ignores Their
 Cry for Bread. Unfortunat Women Compelled to Beg Victuals of the
 Male Prisoners. CAPT. ROBINSON TO BLAME A Strong Effort to Be Mado To-Day to Remedy the Existing
 Evil.

The prisoners confined in the City Prison are determined to compel Cap tain Robinson to give them sufficient food. Last evening they addressed the following communication to the Chief of Police:
 City Prison, Feb 6, 1898.
 Dear Sir-We address few lines to you as we wish to state we have not been get ting enough to eat.
 Now we do not want to complain be- cause we do not receive pudding, pie and other dehcacies, but we think it is pretty nara when the cook refuses some of the prisoners enough of bread.
 Chlef, since we came in we have been giving him 10 and b cents along with some other prisoners, and last evening 3SaturdaO there were only five pieces of we asked him to please give us enough to go around and he turned around and told us to go to h-. We then called Ofilcer Hickey and explained the trouble as soon as the officer was out of hearing he said he would get even with us.
 And, Chief, we would also like to say |. If the cook would put a small piece of meat in our stew instead of him selling 1t for cash, which he derives from the sale, l am sure there would be no more grievances.
 Hoping you will take such steps as is deemed ter Ted necessary to regulate thu, mat ter, We remain, Respectfully o!5,onIs1, George Marion, M J; Brady. J; Jones. B. Mayr and J. Johnson.
 The men who signed the petition de- clare that they are being starved They assert that the cook, whose name is Harry Williams, consistently refuses to answer to their cry for bread
 If we had any money" remarked one of the men, i've could get all we 1i0 fe Dly,, c- his own interest, and by depriving us of food he is adding to his bank account. We all know that, notwithstanding he is prisoner, he is making more money than he could on the outside. He has frequently boasted that he averages be- tween $200 and $500 a month for SUD- plying prisoners, who happen to have brought into the prison without any money he completely ignores.
 Under the administration of Captain Stone the prisoners confined in the City Prison were given more than they could eat. It Is very different now. Although the law specifically states that each prisoner is entitled to a pound of bread, yet the fact remains that not one of us has received over two ounces since Will Hams has been appointed cook. Cap tain Robinson has persistentily ignored ous appeal for something to eat, and as a last resort we are compelled to apply to the Chief of Police to have him rem edy the evil. Frequently unfortunate women, who through drink are locked up in the City Prison, in order to satisfy their appetite are compelled to beg of the male prisoners portion of the ra- tions which are dealt out to them. In some way Williams learns whether a prisoner has money or not, and if he has he immediately sees that he is well provided for in the way of food. If he is penniless Williams completely ig- nores him and, although he may appeal to the captain of the prison to give him food he is given a curt answer and told to mind his own business.
 Williams formerly served as cook In San Quentin and gained the dislike of his fellow convicts by refusing to give them. the rations that were appor- toned out to them.''
 To-day Chief Lees will make a thor ough investigation and find out where the fault lies. He Is very indignant over the charges made by the prisoners and is determined to sift the matter to the bottom.