The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-08-06
THE WETUMPKA WALLS,
 STATES MODERN PRISON
(Contiaued from Page Two.y

.
 signal for the men to prepare for the meal, the second for them to get in
 line outside the door of the dining
 room, and the third for them to file in and take their places. No man is
 allowed outside of the prison with
 out permission. This may seem a use-
 less statement, but in every prison
 there are atrusties." men whose good
 behavior has entitled them to thsfcon-
 fidence of their keepers. These men,
 some of them have shown they could
 be trusted, and are employed to run
 errands outside the walls, even driving
 guests and visitors to and over the
 two miles of road to the railway sta- ton at wetumpka.
 Bulletin boards are used both inside and outside the prison doors. On the former are posted instructions and orders for the men to read. and outside. board Is used to keep record of the prisoners out of the walls during the day under guard. and of the trusties who have been sent on dif- ferent commissions.
 Case of Jack Gable.
 A good example of the confidence which may be put in a 'trusty" Is found in the case of Jack Gable, a Montgomery negro, who was sent to The walls some twelve years ago for life for having killed man.
 Jack is q brown negro. who takes
 pride in being a "trusty.' His work 1t Is to bring people from the station
 to tho prison.
 DO you ever feel like you want to
 run away7" he was asked one day.
 "Yes. sah," he returned with grin,
 but always puts the temptation be-
 hind me. They are good to me out
 here, and I don't want to be caught
 and sent away from here"
 Well, if you are well treated. why
 do you want to get away"
 q dunno, sah. but sometimes I
 would give good deal jes' to know Pse free"
 Jack has been in the penitentiary something like ten years now There is a petition in his interest being pre- pared to present to the Pardon Board,
 There is something pathetic in the accuracy with which the prisoners re- member the length of time they have been incarcerated. When askeds they always reply in years and months. It is never eleven years and half, or twelve years. It is always eleven years end seven months" or whatever 1t may be, but always to the month.
 If others forget when their sentences
 gre to run out, the prisoner knows 10
 the exact day.
 7 one of the characters of the place is
 A negro, named Will Smith, who, with
 another negro, was convicted of mur-
 der in Birmingham twelve years ago.
 Roth were condemned to be hung.
 Some medical students came to the Jef-
 ferson County jail and offered the
 doomed men $25 apiece for their bodies
 after the execution. WITS companion took his and spent 1t before being hung. VIII, on the other hand, gave it to a lawyer. who entered plea for
 communication of the sentence. AS there was some doubt as to the extent of his,auilt, Governor Johnston grant ed the communication. Now he hopes some day to be pardoned. Lawyers ain't much good" he says, put aey sure saved dis nigger's life" VIII xnows, for he came within one hour of the gallows once.
 The life of the prisoner is naturally subject to little variety. During SIX days of the week the same old monot- onous round which they have known since their incarceration is maintained. On Sunday, however, there IS lttue recreation. Religious services are held hoth morning and afternoon, church and Sunday School being held every week. In this work the men are Tea ! by Rev. w. J. Elliott of the Wetumpka l Baptist Church, and Rev. J. H. James | of the Methodist Church of that place. Occasionally the program is varied py a visit from State Chaplain hev. cAoTee E. Brewer, who makes the trip from Montgomery for the day. At tendance At the church services Is com- nnlsory to all prisoners, while the Sunday School services, usually led py | one of the men, Is optional
 On Sunday. too. many of the men mt in the time playing checkers Tn an | old unused building in which they re- | aort as in a club room. A number or
 tha men play on stringed instru-
 nents. and frequently musical enter | tainunents, both vocal and tnstrument- l ali are rendered.
 rSron, the observation of your cor regpondent during the entire day spent | at The Walls. the prison falls snort | in no respect from the most nulnane s.,l 5 standard of treatment of convicts. The care taken of the sick is of the best ana the record of Dr. c. N Lacy under vhosa supervision only one man has | d,ad at the prison In three months, sneaks for itself To the different members of the prison force theS thanks l of the writer Is due for every possible attention and courtesy during ms l short stay hetterment of conditions now to bo | found in the Alabama prisons over that of former years before the modern system was introduced, one should go | to Wetumpka. and view the olo prisou in which women convicts were form l erly kept. An old building. now dis
 used. standing at one corner Of the grounds, served as their prison. Mar row cells, seven feet by four. with 1 barred doors and grates constituted their abiding places. During the day they were allowed to walk the cor rjdors. But for twelve hours out of the twenty-four, they were forced to remain in these close foul little | chambers, at night under the surveii- | lance of the guards. and always suf- | fering from the closeness of quarters and the lack of air.
 When one compares the present sys- l fem with these ghastly skeletons of inc old regime. 1t makes the blood run cool. The sight of these reminders of sufferine and privation, make one turn with relief from the noisome building into the open of the prison ward. 1t is a lesson without the need |, of words. A glance at the conditions l now existing, and a mental picture of what the old system must have been. | furnishes a contrast which makes ono reioice in one and shudder at the form |