Evening star., 1898-06-13
COMFORT OF PRISONERS
Officers Who Show but Little Regard for
People Incarcsrated.
Case of n Wan Who Was Given Neither
Food Nor Water-Other
Incidents.

n. this season Of the year. Many COM
Paints have gore Tp from prisoners re-
Gently confined in the stations, and it is
possible that some investigation of the
methods in vogue at the different stations
r-ay he asked in the near future.
just how the urfortUnates are treated in
the stations depends largely upon the sta
tionkeeper in charge. The orders from
headquarters regarding the comfort of the
prisoners are fair and just. but are rot, in
every instance. lived Up to.
case OF almost tnhuman treatment is re-
ported from the Sth precinct station. where
a Colorei man named Scott was taken sew
eral days ago at o'clock in the afternoon
or a fimsy charge that In the Police Court
next morning turned cut to be perfectly
giCundless. Scott claims that from the
time he was locked up in the afternoon un-
I'll the rext mo3ning at the Police Court
he did not have drink of water nor a bite
to eat At the same time Scott was con-
fined In the station two small boys, Jacob
ard Henry Lacey, who had escaped from
the Industrial Home School, We're brought
In After being questioned by the station
Keeper In charge the boys were locked up
In a cell and treated the same as would
have been 4 criminal of the worst type.
l. is said, too. that the boys often cried
cut during the night for drink of water.
but their piteous appeals are said to have
gone Gnheard or unheeded. the negligence
being the same In either case.
Poorer Classes suffer.
AS a rule, very little attention is attract
ed TO the treatment Of prisoners in the po-
lice stations. If man with friends is ar
rested he is either released at once on coll
lateral or is cared for by his friends while
In confinement and made comfortable. 1t
Is the poorer class. white people and color
ed who have to suffer the real inconveni-
ences of the process of law. Taken into
the station, probably without means for the
nonce. the prisoner is treated as If already
rfFsa
or penitentiary- That the person arrested
may be entirely innocent OF wrong doing
does not enter the mind of the policemen
in charge. They declare it IS their duty
TO dctain safely all persons brought into
the station. unless the accused can give
collateral The comment made upon this
is that if the members of the police force
and the detective force We're assiduOus
IN their detection and detention of the real
criminals they are with regard to petty
offenders and those therefore guiltlesS of
ofense. the Improvement would be so
marked as TO make Washington the best
protected city in the whole country. and
crime here would be an impossibility. Once
in the hands Of the bluecoat, the small boy
OF thirteen, or the innocent but timid man,
is dealt with with iron hand.
The officer who brings In the unfortunate
marches him up to the rail before the sta
tion keeper. where he Is put through a
Catechism Of questions as to his birthplace,
age, occupation and matrimonial state. The
officer very ostentatiOusly places his club
on the desk. receives the key to cell and
proceeds with his man to the rear of the
station. where the cell room is located. If
the man be a stranger he is comparatively
safe during the march, but If he is an old Of
fender. or If he gave the officer any trouble.
IL IS now that the blUecoat gets even with his
man Tales Of the harsh treatment of pris-
oncrs during this walk to the cell are fire.
Quent. even nowadays, but the custom of
''nugEing'' and "blackjacking" the men is
not praCticed as much as in days gone by.
The Heat of Summer.
The cell room of the stations is situated
- an addition that runs out some distance
n the rear. The cells are arranged in a
fouble row. back to back, and are about
eight feet square, three sides being of
brick, with top of steel. The corridors
In front of the cells nave very small, grated
windows. and in summer the heat is at
fmes terrific.
The station keeper is supposed to tele-
phone or send q message 10 some friend for
the prisoner provided he can pay the triv-
ial cost. but often there Is way of pro-
curing aid by the phone. and the prisoner
Is unable 10 secure q messenger. In such
cases be is required TO remain In the sta
tiOn from twelve to eighteen hours, when
he might have been released on the col
lateral that would have been forthcoming
had friends been reached.
In the case Of Scott. he claims he was
not allowed TO communicate with any one,
Dor would the station keeper telephone to
the Office where he is employed and where
rs " FE4Q nave DFSD SDls 10 procure NGip.
Such cases are only too common, but either
from the fact OF their not being reported
% the proper authorities or no heed being
paid - such reports when made by per
sons of no influence or station, they are
never Investigated, nor is the grossly neg
ESent policeman brought 70 account.
In each station Is maintained a large
tub or barrel Of ice water, while tin cups
c. pots are provided for the purpose of
Passing water into the prisoners through
The bars OF their cells. This water Is SUD-
posed 10 be plentifully given the persons
confined. It depends upon the disposition
Of the keeper in charge as TO whether or
not this water Is administered TO the thirs-
ty prisoners. Rarely Will a station keeper
answer TWO calls for water from a single
prisoner, and his appeals are often
swerei with threats. At night the station
Keepers sometimes take a nap between the
times the men on the Leats are supposed to
turn in from the patrol boxes. They say
the prisoners should be asleep at night and
not want anything
The Ifmid refrain From Asking.
Provision is also made for feeding the
prisoners, and the station bills for food
are often quite large, but unless the hun
CRY person calls for food he Is left neglect
cd and forgotten almost. Many have suf-
fered fer calling out for food and drink
and the more tlIntd are afraid 10 ask for
anything. II they do not ask for 1t they
Go rot get it.
We cannot give prisoners suite of
fans, said a lieutenant Of = station 20 d
reporter for The Star. but We treat them
as well as prisoners ought to be treated"
Saii another official or the police force:
All policemen are not angels. of course,
ana Va must expect occasional cases of
brutality perhaps We're but human. As
wn0-e. however. l think prisoners are
well treated. II any one makes complaint
We usually have II investigated"
The truth OF the matter is, however that
policemen are thTOwa with criminals so
much that many Of them become hardened
aat do not properly appreciate the position
pI an innocent man who chances TO fall
into their grasp They become harsh in
their treatment Of all men, just as the
butcher Is 10 the animal
messenger boy recently established
headquarters at the first precinct station
and for time he made "a buShel' of
money running crrauds for prisoners. He
has gone out Of business. however.
Promise to Reward VnIor.
Reference was made In Admiral Samp-
sons statement about the sinking of thu