St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-11-22
Cape Towns Cosmopolitan Jail.
where 900 Convicts from the Ends Of
the Enrlh re GQnGnad.

-
she Earth are Confined.
Among the many interesting things in
Cape Town, says a Michigan man re-
Gently back from South Africa, is an i'm
mense prison. where almost every nation
OF the globe has representatives. Within
this prison there are more than 1000
convicts OF nearly every size and color
mere are American miners and sons oil
the English aristocracy; French, Italians
Russians and Jews there are famous
chiefs OF the African tribes captured dur.
ing the Transvaal rebelions, and a horde
OF Kaffirs, imprisoned there for every
crime in the catalogue. Many of the
most intelligent prisoners are serving
time Tor political crimes. England and
her colonies never allow any sentiment
regarding family name or wealth to
make successful appeal for leniency to-
ward those who have been traiters to
their country.
The labor in which the convicts are
employed most continuously is in build
ing forts and notifications. On the hill
side overlooking the thriving city oil
Cape Town is defence consisting Of tier
upon tier of modern guns bristling along
the rock and pointing toward the har-
Dor. There is no standing army sta
toned to man the guns, but each gun is
connected by an electric wire to an in
strument in the fort. This whole hill.
side OF guns can be discharged at a mo-
ment's notice. The more intelligent
criminals are not employed upon these
works, but the stupdest of Kaffirs, and
usually those who have been sentenced
tor life are chosen, that no plan of the
defence may be betrayed to an enemy.
Convcts not employed upon public
works are rented out to farmers, who
much prefer convicts to the natives, for
the convicts have no opportunity to loaf
or get drunk. The usual contract stipu-
lates fuel, water and shelter from the
farmer, and from thirty six to 60 cents a
day for each convict, while the govern
ment 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 incarcerated and their behavior.
Those of the first class, known as the
penal class are marked by a black band
around their hats. All prisoners upon
entrance are placed in this class, and re-
main there three months. but if they
show docile spirit at the end of that
time they are transferred into the proba-
ton class, which is marked by a yellow
band. They remain in this class eight
months, when, il their conduct is praise
worthy, they are transferred to the good
conduct class, marked by a red band l.;
here thew ron, a., ,,nt;il tho erJ ,,f tho; .
sentence. There are no paroles. No
class is allowed to mix with any other
class, but each class has an opportunity,
after working hours, Tor social inter-
course among its 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 they have not many
special courses. Their breakfast consists
OF "meale porridge," coffee and bread ::
their dinner of soup, meat and bread,
and their supper consists of bread alone:
perpetual feast as prepared to what they
are accustomed to outside the prison
walls. The dungeon is never used, but
solitary confinement is sometimes resor-
ted to with vicious convicts: il they are
sentenced with more than three days
confinement they are allowed two hours
solitary exercise outside the cell each day.
Gaming and fogging are sometimes
practiced with obstinate criminals, but
no official of the prison is allowed to pro-
nounce either Of these sentences; they
must come from the prison magistrate,
who visits the prison once week. When
an inmate is caned he is strapped with
his face downward and then given fifteen
strokes across the fleshy part of the legs.
When convict is logged he is tied by
the hands to triangle above his head
and given from twenty-five to fifty strokes
across the back with cato .nine-tails.
The natives seem to be able to endure any
amount of bodily suffering, and some
times will laugh while receiving their
fogging, and in a number OF instances
have danced kind of "shindig" as soon
as released from torture. Any prisoner
who thinks he has grievance has an
opportunity once week to complain to
the visiting magistrate.
The most remarkable native ever inn
prisoned there was the son of a famous
inland chief who had been educated at
Oxford University. After receiving the
best that England could give he returned
to the Transvaa and become royal in
terpretor at one of the imperial courts.
But when war broke out between his ia
Their and the English he deserted the
court, snatched up his longneglected
club and became leader of his fathers
tribe in the instruction. He was cap.
tured and thrown into this prison under
a sentence OF fifteen years, but was re-
leased at the end OF five, and returned to
his tribe in the interior. He is man of
fine culture and keenest intellect and
natural leader of men, but chooses to
follow the wild, barbaric instinct.
This prison is also the home OF ayoung
man who went to Cape Town with
Bible under his arm and sublime faith
in his heart and passionate desire to bear
the light of the gospel to that insulated
mining camp. He was the secretary OF
the Young Mems Christian Association
in Cape Town, and was held in the very
highest esteem. He had wonderful in
fuence over young men throughout the
city and the colony. On account of the
confidence OF the people i'll his integrity
he was elected secretary of the Cape
Town Building and Loan Association,
which annually manipulates an immense
amount of money. He devised a shrewd
scheme of bookkeeping whereby he could
conceal his entertainments, and succeeded
in stealing $1S5, 900. He is doing seven
years for his crime.