Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-19
DEFIANT PRISONER
IS ALLOWED TO GO
HEADED IN DIRECTION OF
HOSPITAL
Given Car Fare and Told to Lose Him
self, Which He Does to the
Satisfaction of Police
Officials


tacitly admitted its utter inability to
cope with fractions prisoner, who
thought he had rights and insisted on
asserting them, when cents was placed
i'm the hand of John Blake yesterday
morning and he was told to take the
street car and go to the county hospi-
tai Blake is the man who lived in the
"black hole" at the city jail for thirty
one days and has ate nothing but
bread and water
This diet caused him to become so
weak and emaciatcd that yesterday
fears were entertained that he might
die of starvation and he was given
car fare and told to go to the county
hospital From the time he left the
jail doors he was a free man. He could
have gone to the hospital had he chos-
en-, but he didn't choose, and further
more the police officials had no idea
that he would choose and would have
felt greatly annoyed had he so chosen.
| The police officials wanted to get rid
of Blake, for 1t was soon coming to
"show down. They had vowed they
would keep the prisoner i'm solitary con-
| fnement on bread and water for the full
term of his ninety days sentence un-
less he changed his mind about his re-
| fusal to work on the chain gang. But
| they overestimated the capacity of hu-
man nature for plain bread and water
| and nothing else. 1t was coming to a
pass where they would either have to
acknowledge defeat and feed the pris-
oner, which would have been bad for
the jail discipline, or lose him. They
chose the latter and they breathe deep
sighs of relief, for they hope that Blake
Is lost good and hard and forever. 1t is
safe to predict that Blake will never
again be arrested by a Los Angeles
policeman on a vagrancy charge.
Blake was booked at the station
under the name of John Doyle. He
contended from his arrest that the
chain gang is unconstitutional and
steadfastly refused to join it.
It was at first thought that the man
would change his mind after being put
on bread and water for a few days,
but the days turned into weeks and
he still refused.
"Will you go to work today?" asked
the guard who carried bread and water
to the dungeon prisoner.
mo. I'll let you kill me first. I owe
you nothing. This punishment is cruel
and unusual and therefore is uncon-
stitutional," said the emaciated man,
as he lifted his head from the cell
floor.
"How long do you intend to keep
this up?" asked the guard.
Till 1 die if YOU insist on the tor
ture. l believe this is the end. 1 am
sick and can't eat that stuff. I can't
get up. This crime is on the heads
of the people of Los Angeles"
| Alarmed at the condition of the man
a surgeon was sent to the cell. The
doctor Immediately ordered Blake
taken to the jail hospital.
After an examination DR.. Quint sent
Blake to the county hospital The man
| III
irregular.
You surely do not intend to keep
that man on bread and water much
longer" said a newspaper man to
Jailer McNulty week ago.
"Ill keep him on bread and water
the full term of ninety days if he
doesn't do what l tell him to" was
the reply.
According to City Attorney leslie
Hewitt. a jailer or officer is not allowed
to resort to cruelty in the treatment of
prisoners, and Mr.. Hewitt states that
to his mind thirty-one days on bread
and water is cruelty in the extreme.
II do not believe that Blake will be
placed on bread and water if he IS
again returned to the jail" said Mr..
Hewitt last night. 81 know physicians
sometimes recommend that diet for pa
tients for a few days, but it is one
which it is hard for man to live on
and retain his strength. The law gives
a jailer no authority to resort to cruel
methods in his treatment of prisoners.
rs the chain gang a legal institu-
tion ?" Mr. Hewitt was asked.
"The only ordinance in regard to the
chain gang is the one which creates the
position of foreman" he replied. 1.-The
chain gang has been used in Los An
geles for a number of years. 1t has
been felt that it is best for both the
prisoners and the city to have some
regular employment for the prisoners
and for that reason the gang was
started. 1t has proved in the past to be
a good institution"