Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-08
LIFE IN 1,4OO PRISONS
A TRAMP INCARCERATED IN
FoRTY-SEVEN COUNTRIES
Tells of His Imprisonment Undsl
Varied Conditions and for Vari-
Gus Reasons.
From the Chicago Tribune.

From the Chicago Tribune.
Ned kishman, alias Texas Ed, alias
Brake Rod. alias Cinders, alias Globe Trot-
ting Ted, the tramp who has been arrested
in more countries than any man on EARTH
is back in Chicago.
Kishman, who has carved his name on
railway stations all over the world, has es-
tablished record of being incarcerated
for vagrancy In the jailS or prisons Of
forty-seven different countries. He has lost
count of the number of times that he has
been arrested, but declares he has viewed
over 1 400 different prisons from the view
point of the man inside. He has looked
through the bars upon the cities of the
world. and claims record of having trav-
eled over 223. 4S5 miles without paying a
cent of railway fare.
He boasts that the only railroad fare he
ever paid was from Hot Springs. Ark. to
Malvern Junction, approximately thirty
five miles. when he was too i'll to attempt
to beat that road. And he figures that.
had he paid first-class fare for all the rid
ing he has done. he would have spent
$572, S5S.
The man who has kept over half mil
lion dollars out of the pockets of share
holders in railways is small. 1.-THE.
bronzed man. probably forty-three years
Of age. He was born in Clinton county
Ohio. near Wilmington, and ran away from
home at the age of fifteen. He has visited
practically every country on the globe and
every district of the United States since
then, and once came within three miles OF
his home. which he saw through. a blur OF
cinders while riding the rods of a
through express train.
Owns Big Farm in Ohio.
During his career of twenty eight years
as bum and his remarkable record of ar
rests Texas Ed has never been convicted of
crime and only twice charged with
crimes, and those times only because he
was gathered in by the police drag nets
after some great robbery or murder when
all suspicious characters were apprehended.
He is now worth over 10000 and is owner
of great tract of farm land near High
land, in Clinton county, Ohio, which was
left him by relatives who died, and he
could be Independently wealthy if he chose
to go home, but he refuses, and declares he
will die on the road
Kishman's work on jails Is one of exreme
interest and it is strange that he declares
the best prison system and the ideal prison
from all points is the new municipal prison
at Bangkok, Siam. where he spent three
weeks against his will. For cleanliness.
good management and reformatory effect
he believes the Siamese lead the world-at
least in this one prison
He declares the United States possesses,
as class, the best and the worst prisons
in the world. He cites the Cook county, Ill.,,
jail as model in the United States, and
the municipal prison at Frankfort. KY. and
the calabooses at Hillsboros Ohio. and at
Leseur, Mimi, and Waycross. Ga, as
among the worst in which he, has been
locked up.
His comments on the lack of system, the
brutality, the fearful results of partisan po-
litical control of American prisons are
scathing. and he lays the evils Of Ameri-
can prisons to two causes-first, politics;
second. ignorance.
British System Is Best.
= ''The British system says the champion