The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-02-21
JApAN,s ossIsANr coNvIcrs.
Dropping Their Tools, They Salute Omosrs
with Heads ON the Floor.

Dsspping Their Tools, They Salute Omcsrs
with Heads ON the Floor.
The prison at Tokyo Is surrounded BY
brick walls IS feet high, surmounted on
each corner by sentry box, In which
stands an armed guard. Inside the wall IL
o second barrier, but only IL feet high. A
huge stons capped aroh forms the only en-
trance and this Is barred by gates of pol
ishod steel. AT the entrance stood an
officer, who saluted respectfully as we came
up, and with a single query, to which my
interpreter apparently gave satisfactory
answer, unlocked and opened smaller
gate cut In the larger one and bade us en-
ter. I.
The first room we entered appeared -
court, fitted with tier of platforms, o.
oupied by tables and chairs, and IL Is into
this department the prisoner Is conducted
upon his arrival, stripped and examined
physically and mentally.
In the next room, counterpart OF the
first, he is given his prison garb and lee
ture delivered him by one of the officials,
the theme of which Is the degradation and
futility of crime. The prisoner Is now
given a number and Is entered In the
workshops, or the hospital as his physical
oondition may indicate Chief Koyama
now led us from the Office building and
we entered the workshops. The workshops,
seven In number, are each about 80 by $50
feet and two stories In height. The first
was the cereal and cloth house." At
machines, described In a previous article
rs the trip hammer rice husker, SCORES Of
convicts were industriously working, their
movements watched by keen looking po-
liceman, nattily attired and armed with
the customary saber. Rice and barley are
ground by these men, both for use In the
prison and the world outside.
AS we entered the attendant uttered a
sharp word of command and the men all
dropped from their machines to the floor;
q second shout, and each fell to his knees;
third, and each forehead touched the
floor. The officer now saluted us each in
dividually and we passed among the ma
chimes and inspected the work. On all
sides were the bowed criminals, some In
| red kimonos, some In pale blue-those
| in the red the worst class, those In the
| blue the men who had shown themselves
| industrious prisoners, willing to serve
| Japan as q workman and servile subject
| until their crime be atoned for. At the fal
| end of the shop we encountered different
| industry-the weaving and dyeing of thu
| cloth from which the clothes of the prison
ers are made.
The different rooms are divided by Z
broad walk, leading directly across thu
building, connecting two side doors, ant
as our footsteps sounded on the resonan
| path the guards in the department we hat
| Just left gave a command, and, turning,
observed the oonviots rising slowly and re
Stunning their work.
The poor wretches had been in this hu
initiating attitude the entire time we hat
been inspecting the department.. As W
entered the second the attendant Their
gave the same command, the convicts pros
trated themselves as had their companions
and, passing among the looms, spinnin
machines, dye watts and drying racks, W
left No. and entered the next building
Cor. Chicago Inter Ocean.