The Washington times., 1903-09-06

ishment. The prisoners are given from
five to thirty paddles according to
the supposed enOrmity of the offense
against discipline. The paddle causes a
kind of blistering of the skin. bringing
the blood to the surface, and ones back
has the appearance known as black
and blue" for several days The ulti-
mate effect is to injure the kidneys. and
a great number OF the men have weak
backs for the rest OF their lives The
punishment is most inhuman and ought
not 20 be tolerated.
Another mode Of punishment is hang
ing UP by the wrists. Handouts are put
on and the man is hung up on hook
where he remains several hours or sew
eraI days, according TO the whim of the
warden in ordering the time OF The
punishment. Hanging a few hours in
this way incapacItates a man from work
for a week. and lays him liable TO the
same or some other deviltry, becaIse
he cannot make his stint Oftentimes a
mans punishment is continuous for
days because he is not allowed time 70
recuperate from one iufiction before
ne Is given anOtDeT-
Sent to the Dungeon.
Finally there is the dungeon where
men are placed in dark, solitary con
fnement, in A damp cage unfit 10 place
a bear in. Bread and water is the only
diet. and the man Is kept there until
subdued in spirit, and meek as a whip
ped dog he goes back to work deter
mined 10 avoid a recurrence OF the ex-
perience II he can.
| The routine OF punishment is about
as follows: The prisoner cannot make
his task. he talks out of his cell IN
sheer desperation, or he does some
thing TO displease the guard. The pris-
oner IS marched to police court in the
ONCE OF the warden and the charge is
read. being a written report of the
guard. the foreman of the shop, or somo
other employe of the prison. The SEN
tence is given with no opportunity Of
fered for the prisoner 10 bring proof OF
the ralsity OF the charge. An open de-
nial is all he can make. and that usually
brings a heavier punishment. The sys-
| tenn would be all right, perhaps, except
| that II works out In giving opportunity
for the greatest partially as among
prisoners. II man gets the i'll will
! of a guard. the system is so arbitrary
and the guards are so brutal that some
prisoners are continually falling under
the ban.
II is not an easy thing TO keep two
or three hundred prisoners always II
good order Like other men. they are
| irritable. and they feel and resent in
Justice as much inside as outside Of the
| "pen." The trouble is that the guards
| and wardens in their constant contact
with men of the criminal class become
| hardened to the condition of slave
drivers. The superintendent OF the
mems prison. the foremen OF the shops
and the chief guards are men who have
apparentIy lost all feeling. sympathy, OF
even instincts OF decency. They treat con
victs worse than they would dare treat
animals. The worst feature is that they
have their favorites and show favorit-
| ism in n manner which enrages the
other prisoners past the point of en-
durance. They are unnecessarily harsl
to the prisoners at all time from habit
and because they are in positions of ar
bItrary authority. answerable to no one
they are tyrannical and increasingly so
Men are poorly cared for when they