The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-16
IN A JAPANESE PRISON.
C0nvicts suDDort Themselves and Som
tim s Their Families.


Convicts support Themselves and Some
times Their Families.
in Japan a convict may earn enough
money while in Jail to maintain his family.
He has the best Of food and lodging. 10
taught a trade, and II he wishes pursues
the study OF foreign languages.
At Sugamo a qualified teacher instruots
the younger prisoners in reading. writing
and arithmetic. Prisoners Of 20 and
upward who are in s~eolusion for the
first time are taught geography and his
tory.
If on entering the prison. says a writer
in the Wide World, a man declares that he
has a knowledge Of English he Is carefully
examined by a linguist and the extent
of his knowledge fathomed. He Is then
allowed to pursue his studies, the neces-
sary books being supplied by h authors
ties. When there are several in together
a teacher is obtained from outside and les
SOL are given regularly.
In the offices a record Of each prisoner
is kept during his stay. This serves to
show whether the convict is prompt to
obey the officials. whether he shows afec-
ton for his parents and relatives, whether
he writes letters home and whether he
makes progress or not in his studies.
The main building at Sugamo IL designed
in the form OF a dumbbell. 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-twenty 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-twelve convicts
are accommodated. The floor is covered
with mushiro or soft mating, and on this
the mems bedding Is spread when they are
ready to turn in. Everything Is spotlessly
clean.
"The chief warder stopped before a
door at the extreme end Of the corridor.
and after trying a dozen keys succeeded
in throwing it open.' writes a visitor.
room would have gladdened the heart Of
an amateur photographer. 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. =
mere are UnTtt IL VI CuoDhSu
(punishment) for characterization said
the warder. The first is confinement in
an empty room, the offender being. CON-
PEELED to sit on a mat without moving or
speaking from morning till night. The
second form is confinement in . similar
room slightly darkened. The third snd
most severe Is confinement in this totally
dark room. the maximum punishment
being five days. / have never known q
man wish TO come here a second time.
he added significantly.
In the bamboo carving shed we're
men with large. intellectual fofeheads.
bright, intellisent eyes, clear cut mouths.
l had seer in England. He was short In
stature. the eyes were small and oblique.
the forehead narrow n receding, the
ears large and the jowl flabby. His crime
was manslaughter.
He was the chief actor in q drama OF
Ia one Of the novels OF Tokio's East End.
A faithless wife. a hypocritical friend.
a surprise, and in the narrow hovel a fight
to the death had been waged, the guilty
wife the only witness. He did not look
UP as l passed him. this humble Othello.
With marvellous de1terity he was fash
Joining in bamboo an angel with out
stretched wings.
In the weaving department the con-
victs were making uniforms for the
army. Piles OF. the finished garments
lay on the shelves around the shop,
and here again the workmanship was
perfect. And how they worked! The
shuttles we're thrown through the warps
by hand. and it was obvious that the
weavers were old 'lags." j..
1T pays them to be industrious said
the warder. The average convict makes
ten sen five cents) a day; four sen
60 into his own personal account. A
Skilled worker will make twenty sen a
day, eight being his W again. Some
OF these men actually support their fam
lilies on what they earn In prison! As
you know. the average coolie can live on
fifty sen a month
1T was natural that after parading
this paradise I should doubt II Japan's
treatment OF her criminals led to a de-
crease in crime concluded the visitor.
THE officials confessed that OF robbers.
burglars, thieves and swindlers go per
cent. came back to the prison. or thoee
who had been twice imprisoned 90 per
cent. returned; OF the first offenders. 10
n.r cant found their way back"