The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-22

ing of practical solitary confinement.
II the prisoners conduct justiies n for
the next five years he n placed at work
on new batteries. buildings. private or
public. and public undertakings OF my
sort. His hours OF labor are from ?
o'clock in the morning until 5 In the
evening. The third period lasts until
the prisoners release. either In liberty
or death. and consists in his being the
servant OF any private or public person
who will bear the responsibility n
provide him board n lodging. These
periods are only for the well
For the slightest offenses. such as en-
tering n cafe. even after Is years
good conduct. the m Is liable TO
| solitary confinement for n year or more
and a resumption Of b afterward.
There is a distinct class OF cuiprits VINO
are condemned to chains for life. ana
among them are several Cuban patriots
and man anarchists. but for the most
part they are murderers who have
taken life while undergoing sentence
here in Ceuta.
The horrible feature of the prisoners
life Is the increasing hunger he must
endure. From the time he lands until
he is set to work he receives two meals
per day, breakfast at . in the morning
and supper at 5 in the afternoon. The
breakfast consists of a pound loaf or
white bread. made from -four rejected
bv the army, with ~porcheche and plenty
of water. Supper consists of potatoes
and plenty OF water. Never any coffee.
and tea is not brewed in Ceuta. After
the prisoner is sent to labor he receives
3 cents Omitted States) per day to pur-
base any thing he may need in addi-
ton to h government ration. IL Is
questionable IL those who labor are
more comfortable than those who rot in
solitary confinement. The only addi-
tional "luxuries' they obtain are a lit
tie more bread for the 3 cents. the butt
Of a cigarette or cigar, which they may
find in the street, and a cat or rat that
they may be fortunate enough to catch
once in a week. 1t In a most horrible
fact that the laboring prisoners of
Ceuta sustain life greatly through the
consumption of rats n cats. Those In
civilized countries will find this difficult
To credit, but ! nave seen much of
Ceuta and am sure Of h ! say. As
an example of the intense hunger of the
eutan prisoner, a little incident will
serve: One day a pig died from causes
unknown. in the street Of Ceuta. The
officials had oil poured over the ear
cass and lighted. and when the remains
Of poor Jankee were sufficiently charred
they were covered with earth. Shortly
afterward. when opportunity showed. a
half score of prisoners rushed to the
grave. dragged out the carcas and de-
Noultu IT, VI ~ '''f
pany with DIR. Augustin Perl, the we'll
known Hungarian traveller and author
of Voyage Pour fOrient," "Emin
Pasha y la Expedition de Stanley" and
various other works In different Ian
guages.
The water the prisoners drink is un-
At for human -consumntion. This water
is obtained from cisterns In alleyways
and narrow streets. The cisterns are
filled by the rains. As the cells are not
supplied with chamber utensils n the
town Is void OF lavatories. h prisoners
make use OF the alleys and deposit all
refuse, and rains occurring at night or
before the refuse carts are at work.
wash everything down the steep alleys
and streets into the cisterns. A rain n
month should wipe out n great many
prisoners. The water for the towns
people Is obtained in the country and
carried on donkeys led by convicts into
the town.
The work required of the prisoners Is
by no means heavy. There are only 800
prisoners engaged in open-air work.
These are lodged In the barracks pris-
ons. in the chamber prison N i'm the
cellular prison. The barrack prisons are
simply huts or stone rooms located on
the slope overlooking South bay. be-
tween Preside hill and the business
portion of the town. but in as direct
communication with the main thor
oughfare as n residential precinct.
These barrack prisons differ from de-
cent peoples residences only in as far
as they are occupied by prisoners and
are furnished as cells. They are only
one story high and cover five large
blocks. Vidal. the photographer. is a
prisoner here and Is alone allowed a
furnished house. of more than six
rooms, a perfect Jewel OF a house
NOM the hundred dens around. The
--u -GA - A.. Ia.A
of Preside hill. overlooking the city,
is two stories high and contains cham
bers holding 80 prisoners c Com
munication Is easy among these pris-
oners. all OF whom sleep In n big
chamber. The cell prison is higher
up on Preside hill and holds the most
desperate of the Travelling convicts.
The work OF most of these prisoners
ls so very light that IL might be called
childish. From 30 to so OF them are
required to draw a cart that a sick
mule would be ashamed to nave behind
him. There are only six of these carts
in Ceuta, as far as I could judge. and
I believe the government prefers to
show leniency to the convicts to being
so extravagant as tn get more carts.
When returning from work, half a
dozen convicts. N of whom Is always
colored. get into these carts and OBJ
tain transit to their prisons. The cell
prisoners are required 10 clean the
streets before 6 in the morning and
do not find the carts such fine things
then. Sometimes an ill-natured ser
geant will put four OF five convicts to
whom he bears hate. to work hauling
one OF these carts filled with stone for
a day or more. This Is. of course. OPP
pressive. but never Is the cart work
as heavy as the work. OF those engag-
ed in building the new artillery stations
and removing the immense piles of re-
fuse on the cliffs. in the latter OF which
works only negroes are employed. The
laboriny prisoners wear a brown skull
cap. brown square-cut suits, full Of
patches. and white sabots OF canva
generally in sad need of repair. At the
hotel where I slowed three ~convicts
were engaged fitting w rooms. For
plastering n room Is by IL by s they
receive 2 cents. One of these prisoners,
a Bombay sailor. who was in for life
for numbering a Spaniard In Cadiz.
I COmplainpd to me Of the condition of