Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-29

grant. filthy beggar, petty thief, cum
ming crooks, in fact men of any and all
descriptions, the. stories of whose lives
would make books containing incidents
more strange and thrilling than ever
thought of by Verne.
Yet this stockade has been built for
but one purpose-namely. that more
prisoners can be confined in more COM
Portable fashion than in the great First
street prison.
Without this stockade. or some build
ing similar, Los Angeles would be un-
able to contend much longer with the
hordes of criminals who daily come to
her.
The Jail building on West First
street, built to accommodate 100 men
and twenty women, has frequently had
thrice that number within its walls,
and the suffering has been intense.
When word was sent out of the con-
6itions existing in it the citizens OF
Los Angeles demanded that some steps
be Immediately taken to relieve them.
They demanded that, despite the fact
that these men were among the low
est of human beings-crooks. vagrants,
drunkards and tramps-yet that they be
treated as human beings and not as
Leasts.
Citizens of a. foreign nation demanded
that one man from their country be
released as conditions were too vile
to allow him to longer remain as in
mate of the place.
Orders Prisoner Be Released
When the matter was placed before
the governor of California he demanded
an immediate investigation, with the
result that the citizen of a foreign
nation was released while freeborn
Americans were compelled to suffer,
sweat or freeze in a living hell in the
center of the fairest city of the earth.
Then the city fathers decided to build
a stockade. To them it was a matter
of dollars and cents. They hesitated
long before the pens were signed TO
contracts. but at last it was decided to
expend $40 900 on the structure anu
allow the members of the chain gang
to do the work.
The result is that the walls of the
new building are now rapidly arising
and within three weeks more hun
dreds of men will be confined within
the walls, daily going forth to dig sand
or screen gravel, and thus make the
chain gang self-supporting institution
and one that will never be a cause for
worry to the finance committee OF the
city fathers.
Around this building, Immediately on
its completion, will pace heavily armed
guards. men selected for their GOODNESS
and hardihood, their crack shooting and
marching abilities, and woe betide the
prisoner who attempts to gain his free
dom by a sudden dash.
Cool Men Guard Prisoners
Let him but try It! The angry crack
of a Winchester, the growl of the Colts
will bring him to a sudden halt, ana
even if he should escape his freedom
will be shortlived, as grim faced, de-
termined men will be on his trail from
the moment his escape is noticed until
he is again back behind the barred
doors.
The fact that the new stockade is so
near completion does not, however, do
away with the necessity of a new jail
building. The one now occupied for
that purpose lacks in every essential
quality the things necessary for a first
class Irison, such a one as a city the
size of Los Angeles demands.
Let the outsider the man who simply
reads of conditions in his daily paper
yet never goes to investigate, stop for
enc moment and consider.
Fully three-tenths of the prisoners
taken to the central station are so in
toxicated they cannot walk. Frequent
ly it is necessary to carry them into
the station and stretch them out on the
floor. Others can walk on level street,
but could not take a step upward to
save their lives.
When these men are arrested it is
first necessary to lead, shove, drag or
push them up three steps into the
patrol wagon. They are then driven to
the station building, where the wagon
turns into patrol alley and halts near
the door leading to the desk sergeant's
office.
Must Mount Steps
Here the men are again carried,
lifted, pushed, pulled or dragged down
the three steps from the wagon and
then forced to go up six steep steps
before they reach the level Of the desk
sergeant.
Here they are searched by the wagon
man, their names-if they are sober
enough TO give them-taken and the
slip issued which admits them to the
Jail.
They are then forced to walk fully
twenty feet and up eight more steps
in order to reach the jail door.
The mere telling of these things can
not convey to the reader all the trouble
of this move, the risks of man fall
ing backward and fracturing his skull,
the chances for a man to suddenly stick
a knife in a patrolmans back as he
alights from the wagon, dash by the
driver and rusi4 forth to safety.
OF course, he will be captured again
few who assault a policeman ever,
escape-but the man does not consider
that at the moment and-why the risk
What Los Angeles needs, say old
patrolmen who have inspected depart
ments all over the land and who are
thoroughly familiar with this one, is
a modern, fireproof building, built on
the level. with a private room for
searching prisoners. q closed Wav for