The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-21


and relatives; there Moffett addresses
them, and the simple, straightforward
story of American justice and the rights
accorded TO free men is told to them. San
dico converts 1t into Tagalog and every
sentence is greeted with a cheer.
The scenes outside the Billbid prison
have done more TO teach the native respect
for the American flag than any other
thing The work is still going on, and, If
the present ratio is maintained, nearly
1000 of the 5000 prisoners will be turned
loose.
Moffett, who in civil life was a newspa-
per man, has brought to his task all his
training in that walk. He is making a
thorough investigation of every case and
is doing so with remarkable speed. To
the credit Of the custodlans of the Span
ish prisoners it must be said that the
prisoners are quite clean; that the food Is
very good, and that there is an ample
supply of water.
There are but two Objectionable things
in the actual conduct Of the prison One
Is the favor shown TO the rich, and the
other the punishment inflicted for infrac-
lions of the prison rules In the center
of the yard at Bnibid stands a large, dry
neat-appearing building. 1t is divided In
10 APARTMENTS, and those prisoners who
have money or friends with money may
rent quarters in il. They may also be
served with anything they desire, and
their families may come there and live
with them. Your correspondent saw a
venerable-lookmg native forger whose
wife shared and kept neat the apartment
where he lived. Prisoners who break the
rules are punished in an inhuman man
ner. They are thrown into dungeon ana
forced TO sleep upon the damp ground.
Either by contagion or from the cold
which they contract, every one OF the
present unfortunate tenants Is afflicted
with sore eyes and Il Is asserted that
continual confinement in the place inva-
riablv leads to blindness. 1t was sad
dening sight TO see the victims of the in
human practice crawl to the barred WIN
dows and blink In the light with their al
most sightless eyes at the visitors. The
moor fellows resort TO various devices
TO get away from the deadly dampness
one of them has gathered together fifty
or sixty sardine cans and has made
he'd of them. The hard couch only raise
his emaciated body about an inch off the
ground but he has won the envy of all
his fellow sufferers. Others have made
little pallets Of pieces of wood, but their
ingenuity has not spared them much
Moffett will probably clear the place out
and give the prisoners chance to earn
decent shelter by good conduct. Billbid
"a not an unpleasant place to look at
The prison buildings number six, and are
laid out In the shape Of a fan, with the
handle near the main gate. They are
low structures. $50 feet long by so feet
wide. The walls are fairly solid, the win
dows are barred, and there are heavy
gates at each side.
The prisoners are not submitted 20
much physical punishment aside from
those who infract the rules and are
cruelty treated In the manner described.
Many are chained when taken out to
work on the roads, but the chains are
not heavy. Food is supplied by Chi
nese contractor. who receives 121sc, Mexi-
nsn Tor each prisoner It Is clean, well
cooked and properly served. The priso-
ners are forced to sleep on the bare
boards az a table-like structure that ex-
toods around each room The grounds
are won kept, ana there is an attractive
garden and a useful vegetable patch.
There are fewer guards than In the av-
erage American prison.
All Of the prisoners are not confined on
trumped-up political charges, and there