Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-29
REGAIN FREEDOM
BROKEN IN WILL
CONVlCTS INCAPAClTATED FOR
LIFE STRUGGLE
Prison Discipline Depriyes Them of
All Power of initiative, LeaV-
ing Them Permanent
Public Charges

Public Charges
When a convict regains his freedom
society hopes he will be good. Admit
tedly there are impediments. Usually
he is without money and with few, II
any. friends. His description has been
sent the police rounds, and small
army of his fellow beings is profession
ally and financially interested in keep
ing close tab on him and taking ad-
vantage of his first slip from grace
But, on the other hand, society consld-
ers that he must have learned Valu-
able lesson, and that during the years
of his Imprisonment he may have ac-
CURED habits that will guide his feet
safely in the paths of virtue. Let him
behave himself" says society, and do
the right thing, as others do.'
An eminent writer Thoreau, CRITICS.
ing the Sunday school teaching of his
day, says: DO not be merely good; be
good for something" That is more
than a moral precept; it is practical
statement of the facts of actual life.
If a man is to keep his head above the
water he must be more than honest or
well meaning; he must be capable. He
10 heavily handicapped if he has not
some special occupation, but even II
he has, other qualifications are essen
tial without some capacity of SELF
assertion he most assuredly will be
driven to the wall in the universal
jostle Not an hour will pass without
calling on him for some exercise of viii
power; at every step he will be re
oujred to use his Judgment and dis
criminate Our civilization is, at least
partially free, and men are expected 10
do things for themselves.
Such is the world of which our con-
vict finds himself once more part;
under disadvantages, it is admitted,
but with his lesson learned and years
OF training to assist him. Let us see
how he has been trained for the con-
hict that lies before him.
Many books recently published, such
ae "The Turn of the Balance" NO.
o0o9', "Thirteen Years in the oregon
Penitentiary'' and Life in Sing Sing
to saw nothing of the numerous maga-
zine articles by well known writer's
have made the public exceedingly skep-
tical as to the education given IN our
state penitentiaries, but there Is prop
abIv a feeling that the central govern
ment runs things with a closer ap-
rroximation to common sense. Here,
then. we give an extract from the rules
in force at the United states penitenu
arv at Fort LeavenWorth, kaS.-an IN
stitution under the management OF
Major r. w. McClaughrey' VINO 5 Is AN an
advocate of the most advanced prison
reforms but finds himself the mere ad-
rninistrator of a system he had no hand
in creating:
Discipline at Meals
- On entering the dining room
take YOUR seat promptly-position
erect-arms folded, with eyes to the
front until the signal is given to
commence eating.
13 Strict silence must be observed
during the meal. Staring at visit
ors. talking and laughing, fooltng
or gazing about the room are strict
ly forbidden.
IA Eating or drinking before or
after the bell sounds, using vim
egar in your drinking water, or
putting meat on the table are pro-
hibited.
Is. Should you desire additional
food. make your wants known TO
. the walters in the following man
ner: If you want bread hold up
your right hand; coffee or water,
hold up your cup; meat, hold up
your fork; soup, hold up your
spoon, vegetables, hold up your
Q. knift If you desire to speak
to an officer about food or service
in the dining hall, hold up your left
hand. Wasting food in any form
will not be tolerated. You must
not ask for or allow the waiter TO
YOU can eat. When through with
meal leave pieces of bread on left
: side of plate. Crusts and small
pieces of bread must not be left on
your plate.
II. After finishing your meal place
knife, fork and spoon on right side
of plate. Sit erect, with arms folded.
When the signal is given to arise,
drop hands to your side. At the
second signal march out and to your
place in line in a prompt, quiet and
orderly manner.
Men fight shy nowadays of enlstlng
in the army the constant obedience to
autocratic orders being alien to that
larger freedom which a society gradu-
ally evolving from militarism has ac-
quired And it is proverbial that the
discharged soldier is seldom capable
of holding his own in other occupa-
tions, having acquired unConsciously
the habit of waiting for the word of
command, rather than of thinking for
himself. But even with the soldier
meal time is a period of iollity and re-
taxation. In the federal prison, as in
other penitentiaries, men march 10 their
meals under the shadow of guns and
fanked by armed guards; devour them
in grim silence, and may think them
selves lucky If they escape punishment
for infraction of rules so minute that
they constitute in themselves a reign
of terror.
Tortured in Ohio
That this is no eXaggeration may be
seen by any one who will take the
trouble to read the article on the peni-
tentiary at Columbus Ohio, appearing
in the August number Of HamptOn's
Magazine and written by Charles Ed
ward Russell, a publicist Of established
reputation. His visit TO the dining
room is described thus More than
one convict makes an attempt on the
mess before him, and. desisting after
moment, sits and stares hOpelessly
at his plate. If one wishes more bread
he raises a dirty finger, and a guard
t kes a piece in his hand and tosses it
upon the dirty table. If one wishes
more water, he raises his cup. Not a
soul breathes word. The guards are
all there, watching, listening"
This is followed by the affidavit of
William Labarge, which is given to
explain the paddle torture, and shows
how unrelenting is the meal time dis
ciphne tt runs as follows: Three
weeks after I entered the Ohio peni-
tentiary there was a couple of guards
arguing about politics, and one of the
convicts cat dinner hour stuck his
hnger up for some bread The guards
did not seem to pay much attention to
him, so l passed him some bread /
was reported in the morning, sent to
the cellar and the deputy gave me
about twelve or fourteen licks with a
wet paddle and sanded, and every time
he hit me 1t seemed to take the flesh
right off, and it bled so il went into
nv ShOetOpS. / had to uSe p0ttor7 for