Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-26

ated. and they had been there for years
awaiting trial All were In chains. Some
had heavy irons fastened to their ankles.
The prison was filthy; its walls were then
covered with decayed vegetation. AS
went through the penitentiary | was shown
the irons which had been taken off of these
men Some o. them weighed many pounds.
and they must have worn into the the
flesh. | was shown the garroting instru-
ment used in capital cases. and l paid one
of the prisoners - cents to put his neck in
the collar while / held the screw to get a
photograph of just how it was done
The prisoner sat on bench with his
hands and feet tied so that he could not
move. His back rested against post and
his neck was inside collar of brass which
could be so frightened by turn of the
screw that 1t could be broken or mashed
to Jelly Indeed, if the Xecutioner wished
the neck might be cut from the shoulders
by means of the screw. Death comes, am
told, instantaneously, for one turn Will
break the spinal cord. During executions
the Spaniards shrouded the heads Of ths
victims and it was at the waving OF the
crank was turned which brought instant
death.
The Bilibid of Today.
Bfibid is now an American penitentiary.
and the garrote and all cruel punishments
are done away with. The superintendent
of the prison is an American soldier, who
has put 1t into the best Of sanitary condi-
tions 1t is today as clean any prison
of the United States; its walls have been
scraped and whtewashed, the irons knock
ed off the inmates and most of them put
to work.
I found the prisoners engaged in all kinds
of labor Some were making baskets and
chairs others were working on the ROADS
and others were busy as carpenters max
ing bedsteads, tables and other kinds or
furniture. One man was cutting at lathe
turned by a flywheel manipulated by two
Filipinos; another was carving ana otners
were making trinkets which are SOLD 70
get a nprCgnf1ER
what his product sells for, amounting
among the best workmen, to about Two
dollars per month. In addition to TINS
every prisoner is given five cents week 10
buy his cigarettes, for smoking is allowed
in the prison.
I went through the quarters where the
men stay at night. They are long halls,
lined on each side with sloping tables or
shelves as high as your knee. The tables
are each about six feet wide and eight rect
in length, but they are so Joined that they
make long shelves running from one END
of the room to the other. Upon each table
three or four men sleep at night. They
have no mattresses and no pillows and
only such bed clothing as they bring in
themselves.
What the Prisoners Eat.
Back of the tables are tin pans. each OF
which looks Just like the top of four,
gallon bucket. Every prisoner has two OF
these: they are his only eating utensils.
He has no knife, fork or spoon. but eats
with his fingers. The meals consist OF
rice and q stew of vegetables and fish. The
prisoners are fed by contract and II costs
about three cents of our money a day TO
supply the food of one man. Notwlth-'
standing this low rate they seem healthy
and contented, and they are, L am toid,
well satisfied with their rauons They'
drink only water and each prisoner mas
for this purpose a canteen consisting OF a
bamboo tube about two feet in length.
The daily life Of. the prisoners is as fol-
lows: They are called at $50 am. ana
counted. After this they have breakfast
and clean up the grounds. AT o'clock
they begin their regular work and continue
at 1t from then on till 1880. At Il all
squat down for dinner and after that take
a s:esta until .. From until $50 they are
again at their work. Then comes supper
and then a parade, at which the prison
band plays the Star Spangled Banner ana
the convicts salute the United States nag.
After this the prisoners are marched back
to their cells and locked up for the night
Upon Sundays there is no work, and the
chaplains hold services, at winch All Inc
prisoners attend.
Col. Jake Smiths Jail.
Prisons will have to be established in DIFF
ferent parts of the islands. So far there 10
nothing OF a sanitary nature in existence
and our soldiers have had trouble in finds
ing quarters TO incarcerate criminals. One
of the queerest jais of Luzon was that
built by Col. Jacob II. Smith of the 18th
Infantry at Bautista Col. Smith had been
ambushed. but had captured the ambush
ers had killed twelve of them and taken
a number of guns He brought his prison.
ers to Bautista, but found no adequate jail
accommodate for them. The town is on
the railroad and there were some unused
rails lying beside the track. He solved
the problem by making jail OF these
rails laying them up in the shape OF a
diamond, forming an Enclosure about NJ
teen feet wide. The entrance was by an
alley of rails so narrow that only one man
could pass through at time. Other rails
were put over the top, and into this iron
cage the insurrectos were brought. There
were fifty of them in the cage when pho
tographed them and a harder-looking set
of Filipino brigands ! have not seen.
FRANK G. CARPENTER