The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-01-10
HUMAN WRECKS AT
HOME IN PRISON
Jail Is Refuge for Many Caught
in Dragnet of Police
Force.
MANY C0NTENTED
BEHIND THE BARS
Prisoners Fed Three Meals
Each Day, and Food Is Sub
stantiaI and Clean.

Among the many things OF which
Salt Lake has right to be proud Is
the manner In which she feeds ana
houses the hapless, unfortunates VINO
are caught in the dragnet OF the pre-
servers of the public peace Many OF
these poor human wrecks spend nearly
all their lives in Jail. and there are
not few who would be speedily forced
10 give up the struggle if denied that
harbor of refuge in times OF severe
stress. Consequently they return to the
only home they have, hnd1ng IT. easy
enough to do so through the commission
of some petty offense. such as vagrancy
or technical trespass. Such cases are
not numerous. however. but there are
prisoners now in the city prison who
have spent years of their lives there
by their own choice. Notable among
these is m old fellow named Ed Murtie,
who discovered some thirteen years
creature comforts such ms he was un-
able to secure for himself on the out
side. and has spent nearly all OF his
time since then within its walls. At
the expiration Of each Of his terms he
goes forth into the outer world with
no other though0 than TO break into
jail again as soon as possible. III
compl:sh this. He begs a two.bit
piece, takes couple of drinks Of
whisky, gets drunk, and staggers TO
headquarters TO give hlmeslf up. The
Judge gives him ten, twenty, thirty, or
even sixty days-it s all the same to
him. The Jail is his home, and he has
resolved 10 stay there for the re-
mainder of mis- life. As administration
follows administration his invsrisble
greeting to the incoming jailer is: 81
was here before you came, and [ IL be
here when you leave
Several Star Boarders.
Tom Moore, Jimmie Hamilton and
john Bull, all vagrants since memory
runneth 20 the contrary. divide the |
"star boarder'' honors with Murtie. |
and il S safe bet that either of them |
would commit suicide if liberated and !
made believe he could never enter the |
city's pr,son-house again.
The only woman Irregular now al |
the jail is Mary Baker, who simply
refuses to leave, though her time for
the last offence drunkenness expired
IN last September She likes the place,
and II s considered for the best inter
ests of society to let her have her wav |
about it, especially since Mary is
holy terror. when she starts on
rampage. While in jail she is sober, |
quiet little woman, whom no one would |
for moment suspect Of misconduct |
of any kind. Moreover, she makes her |
self highly useful around the prison,
caring for sick and drunken women,
keeping the Jail Offices in ridy shape
and performing a hundred and one
duties in as neat and ship shape a man
ner as any housewife in the land cares
for her home.
It must not be supposed that the
luckless ones who insist on making /
the city jail their home are permitted |
to lounge about in idleness. Far from
It. All have tasks TO perform, and,
though none are 50 able to discharge |
the duties assigned them with the neat. /
ness and dispatch which charscterizes
all that little Mary Baker does, still
they do the best they can, and there |
ism t one of them who doesn't earn
his keep.
Substantial Meals.
All the prisoners in the city prison
are fed three times day. and every
day IN the week witnesses complete
change In the bill of fare A fair
sample of the kind of food furnished
was presented in Saturdays bill. At
breakfast thirty eight prisoners sat
down to a .splendidly cooked repast
consisting of hash, baked beans, po-
tatoes. bread and coffee At luncheon
soup, vegetables and coffee were served.
For dinner, the heavy meal of the day,
the prisoners received roast beef. Irish |
stS"' ,VeSeLd oies, Tea ana couee
30 IL can be seen that ii is no par
ocular hardship to be and abide at
Salt Lakes municipal bastile. Law
breakers from far and near declare. TO
man, that they receive no such
treatment, from ocean to ocean, as that |
neted out 70 them at Zion IS city jnil
The Chief of Police, who has a lend er
spot in mis- heart for all unfortunates
gave orders when he first went into |
Office that all cpplicanfs for lod
be provided with the best the iail AZ
fords and sent on their way. the fol
lowing morning, after hearty break.
tast and word Of good cheer No de-
sent man or woman has ever an.
pied for overnight accommod ations at
tne Salt Lake City Jail in vain during
the term Of George Sheets.