Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1899-02-09
CHAPTER XVI.
The Prison on the Island.

Next day Won Mitschka was busy su
perintending the transfer OF the prls-
oners we had on board to the quarters
which had been prepared for them,
and had no time to think of his prom
ise to me When they were safely
housed the supplies that had been
brought in the hold Of the Susannah
We're fetched up ON deck; and the
whole of that day, and for several days
afterwards. the utmost activity pre-
vailed in this settlement Of outlaws.
First of all, the stores had to be raised
out Of the hold, and laid in convenient
heaps along the deck. Then they had
TO be lowered into the small boats-far
too small for the work they We're do
ing--taken ashore, carried up to the
House" tas everybody called the pris-
on and finally inventoried and stored
away.
This work occupied several days. but
before ii was finished | had an oppor-
tunity OF seeing the island for myself.
Won Mitschka volunteered to show ME
over the place, and day we We're
rowed ashore together directly after
noon.
The beach was like that of most
Scotch islands-a long expanse of
brown rocks. invisible at high water,
then a narrow belt OF white single
and yellow sand, then, almost immedi-
ately. the purple moorland. The hills,
which took UP most of the interior.
We're partly green, partly covered
thick with heather and the heather
bell. which, being in full flower, shed
oyer the hills a light, delicate shade of
red which changed at sunlight to the
deepest purple.
There was. OF course, no attempt at
decoration or ornament in the prison.
outside or in. Everything was OF solid
construction, but rough and plain; and
| ear scarcely convey in words the
strong impression OF barTenness ana
desolation which the absence OF every
thing that could be called beautiful, OF
every conventional scrap OF ornament,
such as one sees in the poorest houses,
caused in my mind. There was 10
proper road between the beach and the
prison, nc inclCSure, not so much as a
scrap of garden ground. The rough
stone wall sprang directly from the
rough hillside. Above IL one could see
the upper windows of TIE house, star
ing, without the decent draperies or
blinds or curtains, ON the expanse or
rock and sea.
Within the Enclosure OF the outer
wall We're several buildings, which
Won Mitschka explained to me in pass
ing were used as quarters for the men
| xx-hn &.-at.A not an 1ptr~ on1 ~ ctn,.,
house. Projecting from the prison it
self was a large porch, which was used
as a kiTl OF office.
Here iSe had to go through various
formalities; and | was amazed TO see
that there was the same strict atten-
ton TO rules and forms in this amateur
gaol as n sees in prisons OF iegiti-
mate order.
When the permit was signed, 1 was
conducted over the whole place. | had
IN impression that Won Mitscnka
wished me To see all that was TO he
seen, IN caSe it should be desirable for
me To bear testimony at some future
time that the prison was clean and
well ventilated, and that the inmates
were not ill-treated.
As most OF the prisoners were al
work in the open air, the ellis were
empty, and l Inspected a good many or
them. They were all ON the second
story, all clean, and, although very
small, comfortable enough If they
were used only as dormitoriesl 1 was
shown the punishment cells, which
were nothing nor less Gel
lars, not very clean and no very dry.
furnished with large iron rings driven
into the wall, TO which letters could be
attached.
Have you yer logged any or your
prisonersy' asked, In q low tone, as
Won Aitschka and 1 aseended The stsps
from the underground cells.