Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-14
Sheriff Hammel Has
Model Prison
Has a Thorough House Cleaning In
the County BastiIe, and Demands
That Prisoners Keep Them-
selves Clean

scratch on Il6 pOllSIleu WOOu WOlht
and Sheriff Hammel with sigh OF
satisfaction gazed over his domain last
night and murmured words of thanks
Since his first day in office, January
2, Sheriff Hammel has been working
with the jail Prisoners and TRUSTEES,
officers of the Jail, a dozen wood work
experts, carpenters and painters have
been employed day and night within
the walls of the great steel cage and
the stupendous work was completed
last night when the last piece of wood
work had been finished and the last
brushful of paint applied.
And the Jail was a sight to behold.
Not a single kitchen in the city of Los
Angeles-not even the kitchens of the
best class of hotels and cafes-can
boast a culinary department superior to
that of the jail building. Since the
kitchen is always the eyesore of any
public institution Sheriff Hammel has
paid closest attention to 1t.
There are no unSeemly creatures hid
ing in the cracks and crevices of the
wood work of the kitchen; no cock
reaches bask in the warmth of the
great ranges, and no mice Scamper
about in the bread boxes. All that is
a matter of long ago.
The tables in the kitchen on which
the ordinary bread slicing and light
work is done are marvels of cleanli-
ness. They are sandpapered and as
spotless as fresh linen. The great
ranges have no mark Of rust nor
grease. The huge copper kettles and
pans in which the soups and meats
are cooked for the prisoners are so
shiny and spotless that one can see
his face in them.
The cook was preparing the evening
meal for the prisoners, and there are
now nearly two hundred in the Jail,
when Sheriff Hammel made his final
inspection of the Jail yesterday even
ing. From the copper kettle in the
middle of the kitchen there arose
delicious odor and the sheriff dipped
spoon into the contents and tasted it.
From his expression of satisfaction
the taste must have been pleasant.
The trenchers from which the prison
ers are served in their cells were spot
less The cook was preparing ribs OF
beef on the chopping block and the
meat was carefully cut and cooked with
relishes and dealt out in bountiful sup
ply to the prisoners.
Death Cell Changed
One of the horrors of the county Jail
since it's beginning has been the death
cell on the top floor. There the poor
wretches doomed to die and awaiting
transportation to the gallows have
leered through the bars during the
night or tossed about in fitful sleep,
ed by the terrible dread of what would
soon be their fate.
The cell caused creepy feelings among
the other, prisoners. The wild night
mare of one of the inmates of that cell
would keep the other prisoners nervous
for a week after. But that cell has been
done away with. In the spot where 1t
stood Sheriff Hammel has established
commissary department Most of the
commissary department is soap in Vari-
Gus forms, for that is Hammers pet
hobby. Aside from soap there are nun
dreds of cans of tomatoes, tin lined
bread box, two tin lined bins filled with
onions and potatoes, and other gro
ceries and vegetables.
AS for the rest of the building, it is
spotless 1t is the one Jail in the
country that does not smell like jail.
There is a clean, sweet odor coming
from it that shows cleanliness far
above the ordinary.
On the top floor of the emergency
tank, where the giant negro Fleenor
tore out the castings in his desperate
attempt at freedom, all traces of the
attempted break have been removed
and repaired. All the cells on that floor
are in perfect shape. In place of many
of the gloomy like torches Sheriff Ham
mel in many places has installed in
candescent lights, causing white light
to pierce the cells, and as a result the
prisoners have a better chance to lie
in their hunks and read instead of
moping and brooding and planning
deviltry of some sort.
The prisoners show the effect of the
change. Their clothing fits better and
is cleaner. They are compelled to bathe
oftener and have more time for eXer-
ercise in their tanks.
On the first floor, where the vile holes
in which the Chinese prisoners are kept
awaiting deportation, there has been
marvellous change. Sheriff Hammel,
when he reached that part of his house
cleaning, found that there were more
than forty Chinese awaiting deporta-
tion, and he promptly deported them
and got them out Of the Jail. Before
any other Chinese arrived he cleaned
the Chinese tanks thoroughly-so thor
oughly, in fact, that the place now
looks too clean for Chinese to live
Demands Cleanliness
"a man has to be clean to remain in
this 1ail," said Sheriff Hammel. "As
soon as a man is brought in he is
turned over to Martin Aguirre the
taller who has been working day and
night following out certain plans in
regard to the reconstruction of the jail
system, and Martin certainly sees that
the man gets what's coming to him.
The prisoner is bathed by two TRUSTEES.
II he looks clean he is given an ordi-
nary bath; If he appears to be tramp
then he gets a rub down with heavy
stiff brushes, and you bet the dirt
comes off quick After that he is given
a suit OF clean prison clothes, fresh
out of the laundry, and he is compelled
20 air those clothes at night by hang
ing them on the line. He is compelled
20 battle twice a week. Water never
hurts any one and least Of all a pris-
oner.
"There are now no vermin Of any
kind in the beds and there is a reward
for the prisoner who finds any kind
OF bug I'm his bed. If a prisoner is
sick, instead Of being scrubbed, he is
sponged and kept clean anyhow.
Los Angeles has without a doubt
the cleanest jail in the world at the
present time, and I intend to keep II
Just that way. / buy clean, good food
for the prisoners and II is well cooked.
A man who is clean and has a good
meal under his jacket Is not going to
spend his time planning devitry, es-
- \. NaaaI.A