Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-15

a prisoner TO speak to him on any subject
except pertaining to the work business
of the prisoner.
A prisoner must rise promptly when the
bell rings at O'Clock each morning make
up his bed, clean his cuspidor and sweep
his cell. After washing his face and hands
ne must pass into the corridor and form
into line. At O'clock at night he must so
to bed with the signal, placing bis shoes at
the cell door and his other clothing where
It can be seen. Chewing of tobacco while
marching is forbidden; also indiscrimlnate
splitting
The articles permitted In a cell are: A
Bible. cup. mirror. cuspidor. towel. piece Of
hard soap. comb, brush. blankets. shee.s,
pillow cases, night shirt, mattress. bed
stead, camp STOOL table water Jar with
cover, electric light, library shelf library
catalogue, book OF rules and such school
and library books and family photographs
as the grade and conduct OF a man Will per
NIT
Convicts are graded according TO their
behavior and standing. The best grade men.
contrary to the popular idea, do not wear
striped clothing. They wear blue suits Of
nice material ,andeshape. The fellow who
ranks In the middle class wears a gray suit,
bad convict wears stripes. It Is declared
by prison officials of the United States gov
eminent that there is nothing that helps
them make a good man out OF a bad ono
more than this business of Kidding him or
stripes when he has proved that he wants
to do the right thing
=
1t has come to the point now In a United
States penitensfary that there Is as much
distinction among the prisoners as there is
IN everyday life on the streets of a city or
elsewhere. The blue-costuined man looks
down upon the striped cenvict and II Is
the constant desire of every convict with
the slightest good IN him to get out of the
striped or gray class and get into the high
est and best class, 49,
The constant attempt of prison officials
Is to better a man morally mentally and
physically and to maks useful citizen of
him when he leaves the walls.
How much. success is attained in this d.
rectlon was shown when Col. Cecil Clay.
the special agent aof.-the Department OF
Justice, said the other day that the stone
masons turned out at Atlanta are "gobbIed
IN by the quarry owners at Stone noun
tain as fast az they leave prison and are
paid "a and IS day. Many of these men
never knew how to handle piece of stone
until they went into the Atlanta prison.
There they are put to work upon stones
loi the pTlSOu, -sWlllRS- OK winch are IN con-
slant process of erection. 1t ia the same in
other lines of business That is why IL be-
hooves convlcts to behave well and to be-
Gene experts in different lines of work.
$50
So long as a convict has a good record
and obeys the rifles he is entitled to one
ration of chewing and smoking tobacco
each week, sufficient to last him all week;
permission to write once in two weeks; to
see friends once In four weeks; to receive
such newspapers. magazines, books, etc. as
may be approved by the warden; to receive
family photographs, combs, brushes, pow
der soap, tooth brush and other small
articles. .sr-~~s-r4s .~s-ses~
One of the first punishments for disobedi-
erce of rules is a reprimard. The next IS
loss of the letter privilege; fourth, loss OF
good time: fifth, Imprisonment in solitary
confinement on restricted diet; sixth, i'm
prlsonment in solitary confinement on
stricted diet, handcuffed TO the door;
seventh. reduction IN grade: eighth. reduc-
ton to stripes; ninth, loss of all good time.
There is nowhere provision for whipping
prisoner, and no whipping has been given
to a United States prisoner for years. The
| loss of the various privileges is severe
enough to bring most of them to time. The
| loss of good time is. the worst blow of all.
Good time means reduction of sentence
| for good behavior. "A man sentenced to ten
years in a penitentiary is credited with ten
| days each months for good behavior, and In
] a year he saves ene-third of his sentence.