Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-30
ROAST PORK FOR
COUNTY PRISONERS
MEN FARE WELL AND ARE
HAPPY
No Work for Chain Gang-Plenty OF
Food Serves to Make Life
Life Less Of Burden
to captNes

That Thanksgiving dinner does not
of necessity include roast turkey and
cranberry sauce was proved conclusive
ly yesterday when 146 prisoners at the
county Jail made merry ON roast pork,
"spuds" and a generous slice of mince
pie. Life at the county boarding house
is not altogether q round of unalloyed
pleasure. but yesterday was gala day
for the inmates.
To begin the chain gang had an es-
pecial reason to be thankful because
they did not have to work. UP and
down their tank they walked, each one
clad i'm his uniform of yellow on one
side and blue on the other.
In another tank n crowd of blue-uni-
formed, husky fellows were exercising,
working off the effects of the dinner.
These are the ones who are bound over
for court. One young fellow who has
been in four years while his case was
being taken from one court to higher
one. began to criticise the dinner, when
another interrupted him: Yes, you had
an outside dinner; but we enjoyed ours
more than you did, and we're happier,
too"
Anton Besold awaiting trial on a
charge of numbering his wife, COM
planned of having lost weight since his
incarceration, while his fellow mates
declared that he was getting stouter.
Every one seemed happy and smacked
his lips over the dinner he had just
eaten, but already several were count
ing forward how long it would be be-
fore the next dinner would be served.
This happy event will occur Christ
mas day and win be followed shortly
after by little feast New Years day.
Chef Is Old Timer
a Up on the third floor the chef, who
had prepared the repast, William FL
dred, sat smoking his pipe, conscious of
his task well done. For sixteen years
the old man has prepared the county
banquets for the erring ones, seeing
during that time five different sheriffs
come and go. The kitchen, even
though no visitors were expected, was
as clean as those of the best class
hotels, and cleaner than several which
the health officers have recently visited.
In fact, the cleanly feature is made
much of at the county hostelry. The
iron work is painted white and in each
tank there is a hot and cold water bath
that the men may battle whenever they
wish. IL their inclinations do not lead
them in that direction at least once a
week the prison authorities take q a
hand. Before a man is admitted to the
Jail he is given a bath in the basement
and is made to change clothes.
The county has provided accommoda-
tions for entertaining 230 guests, but
at present only 146 have aVailed them
selves of the free lodging provided SC
bountifully. Of these, 143 are men,
only three women being at present
among those who have retired from
active life. Three culprits who had
broken the prison rules were confined
in the dungeon down stairs. Here
not ray of light penetrates, and in
stead of Thanksgiving dinner they
were fed on bread and water
The prisoners amuSe themselves by
playing cards, smoking and tramping
up and down the tank. A few lay on
their hunks and read magazines which
are provided. In the hospital a phono-
graph is provided to furnish soothing
balm for the savage breast.