The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-06-01

,JaDS Can Learn Trades and Be En-
titled to Their Earnings.
ITIa Wide World
(The Wide X orld.)

In Japan q convict may earn eIOu--
! money while in Jail to maintain his
family. He has the best Of food and
lodging, is taught a trade, and II he
wishes pursues the study of fOrelsn
languages.
At Sugamo a qualified teacher in
structs the younger prisoners in read
ing, writing and arithmetic. Prisoners
of 20 and upward who are in seciuslon
for the first time are taught geography
and history.
If on entering the prison a man de-
clares that he has = knowledge OF
English he is carefully examined by a
linguist and the extent Of his kn0Wl-
edge fathomed. He is then allowed
to pursue his studies, the necessary
books being supplied by the ~autnorl-
ties. When there are several in to-
gether q teacher is obtained from out
side and lessons are given regularly.
In the offices a record of each prlS-
oner is kept during his stay. This
serves to show whether the convict IS
prompt to obey the officials, whether
he showed affection for his parents
and relatives. whether he writes let
ters home and whether he makes
progress or not in his studies.
The main building at Sugamo is
designed in the form Of q du1nbbell.
the two ends being divided into five
ray stars. From the central watch
stand the warder can see along the
whole of the rays, which comprise 800
cells And what cells, Think Of it
20 feet high and double Widowed.
The convicts are housed in groups.
In a cell of eight mats-all rooms in
Japan are measured by mats-12 con
victs are accommodated. The floor Is
covered with mushiro, or soft mattins.
and on this the mems bedding is
spread when they are ready to turn in.
Everything is spotlessly lean.
The chief warder stopped before q
door at the extreme end Of the CORR
dor, and after trying a dozen keys
succeeded in throwing it OPEN writes
a visitor. With some misgivings I
entered. The room would have glad
dened the heart Of an amateur photo
grapher. Not a single ray Of light
penetrated its walls. 1t was ventilated
by means Of small tubes that ran
through the cement in such a way that
they did not admit light.
There are three forms of chObatsu
(punishment) for Decentralization.
said the warder. The first is confine-
ment in an empty room, the offender
being comUelled to sit on a mat with
out moving or speaking from morning
till night. The second form is CON
finement in a similar room slightly
darkened. The third and most severe
is confinement in this totally dark
room, the maximum punishment being
five days have never Known man
wish to come here a second time, he
added significantly.
I'm the bamboo carving she'd were
men with large. intellectual foreheads,
bright, Intelligent eyes, clear-cut
mouths. Only one man reminded me
of conyicts l had seen in England.
He was short in stature the eyes were
small and oblique, the forehead mar
row n receding, the ears large and
the jowls fabby. His crime was
manSlaughter.
H was the chief actor in a drama
Of jealousy that was played to a fatal
finish in one of the novels of TOkiOs
East End. A faithless wife, a hyp0-
critical friend, a surprise, and in the
narrow howell a fight TO the death had
been waged, the guilty wife the only
witness He did not look up as [
passed him. this humble Othello. With
marvellous dexterity he was ~fashioning
in bamboo an angel with outstretched
wings.