The times., 1899-12-09
CAPE TOWNS JAILBIRDS
Where a Thousand Cosmopolitan
Prisoners Are Confined.
Inmates Do Not Have "A Very Hard
Time-Some of Them Rented Out to
Three Classes According to Their
Length of Service and Behavior.

Among the many Interesting things in
Cape Town, says a Michigan man recently
back from South Africa, is an immense
prison. where almost every nation of the
globe has representatives. Within this
prison there are more than 1000 conyIcts
of nearly every size and color. There are
American miners and sons OF the English
aristOcracy; French, Italians. Russians and
Jews; there are famous chiefs OF the Afri-
can tribes captured during the Transvaal
rebelIions, and horde of Kafflrs, impris
oned there for every crime in the deca
logue. Many of the most intelligent pris-
oners are serving time for political crimes.
England and her colonies never allow any
sentiment regarding family name or wealth
to make a successful appeal for leniency
toward those who have been traitors TO
their country.
The labor in which the couyict5 are en-
ployed most continuously is in building
forts and forti6cations. On the hillside
overlooking the thriving city OF Cape Town
is a defence consisting Of tier upon tier Of
modern guns bristling alCng the rock and
pointing toward the harbor. There is no
standing army stationed to man the guns,
but each gun is connected by an electric
wire to an instrument in the fort. This
whole hillside of guns can be discharged
at a moments notice. The more iutelli-
gent criminals are not employed upon
these works, but the stupidest of the
Katfrs, and usually those who have been
! sentenced for life are chosen, that no plan
of the defence may be betrayed TO an enc
my.
! Conyicts not employed upon public works
are rented out TO farmers, who much pre-
! fer Convicts TO the natives. for the cOnvicts
have no opportunity to loaf or get drunk.
The usual contract stipulates fuel. water,
and shelter from the farmer and from Sc
| to so cents a day for each convict while
! the government furnishes guards sufficient
to watch the men, and provides clothing
! and food.
/ The prisoners are divided into three
! classes, signifying the time they have been
J incarCerated and their behavior. Those
] of the first class, known as the penal class
are marked by a black band around thelr
! hats. All prisoners upon entrance are plac-
ed in this class, and remain there three
months, but if they show docile spirit
! at the end OF that time they are transferred
| into the probation class which is marked
by a yellow band They remain in this
class eight months. when, if their conduct
/ is praiseworthy they are transferred to the
| ood-conduct class. marked by Il red band;
here they remain until the end of theil
! sentence. There are no paroles, No class
! is allowed TO mix with any other class, but
each class has an opportunity, after work
ing hours. for social intercourse among It's
/ own members. They are housed in wards
and no cells are used except for discipline
! Prisoners who observe the rules are
! kindly treated and well fed in quantity
! and quality but theyy have not many
/ special courses Their breakfast consists
! of 'mealie porridse." coffee and bread
| their dinner of soup. meat and bread, and
| their supper consists Of bread alone; but
the natives look upon this diet as a per
petual feast as compared with what they
are accustomed to outside OF prison walls
| The dungeon is never used, but solitary
confinement is sometimes resorted to with
vicious conviCts; If they are sentenced tC
more than three days confinement they are
allowed two hours solitary exercise out
side the cell each day.
Gaming and fOgging are sometimes prac-
tised with obstinate criminals but no Off
cial of the prison is allowed to pronounce
either OF these sentences; they must come
from the prison magistrate, who visits
the prison once week. When an IN
mate is caned he is strapped with his face
downward and is then given fifteen strokes
across the ieshy part OF the legs WheI
a convict is fiogged he is tied by the hands
to a triangle above his head and giyer
from twenty-five to fifty strokes across th'
back with a cato nine tails The native:
seem to be able to endure any amount o.
bodily suffering and sometimes will laugt
while receiving their fioggIng, and in {
| number Of instances have danced kind o.
"shindig" as soon as released from tor
ture. Any prisoner who thinks that ne ha'