Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-28
Some Things You Want to Know
Bilibid Prison.

Bnibid prison In Manila Is the largest
prison I'm the world. Il has held this posi-
ton Of supremacy for many years. Twelve
years ago, when the red and yellow flag
OF Spain came down from its gates Il was
also the worst prison on earth--a veritable
survival OF the horrors Of the Middle Ages
Today II stands with unquestioned right
At the head OF the list Of wen-kept, hu-
name, sanitary and correctional penal In
stitutions OF the civilized world,
Every afternoon at O'Clock in Bilibid
prison Is enacted drama which should
cause every American heart TO leap with
pride. Here, whore the American found a
foul and pestilentisi pit Of hell. stands the
model prison. Visitors are admitted a few
minutes before the hour to witness the
daily retreat They are escorted by guards
to a high tower ir the center Of the prison
enclosure. From this tower radiate like
the spolres Of a wheel the several oell-
houses. Zach Is open TO the air-Manila
Is tropical Of course-and between the
celi-houses are wide park spaces. Every
prisoner sleeps with the same ventilation
that is given 20 patients in modern tuber-
cular hospitals. But there Is not prisoner
in sight, save perhaps an occasional
''trusty' acting as a servant
The great clock bell strikes the hour
Then comes marching into the wide open
space at the foot Of the tower the prison
band Of half hundred pieces. The daily
band concert begins. Then from the work
shops and daytime portions Of the prison
come the prisoners Those who have good
records and are graded First class'' march
with the liberty and the discipline OF free
soldiers. The second class are more
closely guarded and must march In closer
formation Tho third class" or dangerous
men. are under close espionage. The first
class" includes more than half of all the
prisoners,
They all take their places in military
precision in the spaces between the cell
houses, standing at attention. Then booms
the gun. and as with but single move
ment every one of these 4GOO prisoners lifts
his hand and makes the salute to the
flag. At the same moment the band strikes
UP the Star spangled Banner and Old
Glory begins its slow descent from the
flagstaff. The smartest crack regiment
in all the army could not do 1t better.
There are now about 400 eonvicts under
sentence to the national prison, and some
L4O0 serving terms in the provincial jalls.
go there. Camp Avery and Iwahig Penal
Colony get about 1.1o0 of them. At the
beginning OF the fiscal year 1905 there were
over $500 prisoners incarcerated in Bilibid.
During the year there were received over
1900 new prisoners, and $50 old ones trans
feFred from other stations. More than
Loo were released by the expiration Of
sentence. and 1900 were transferred TO
other stations. There were twenty-five ex-
ecutions during the year and lis deaths
from natural causes. The incoming and
outgoing prisoners per day averaged eigh-
teen.
The Bilibid prison OF other days was a
virtual house Of pestilenee and torment
1t was established SO many generations ago
by the Spaniards that the Oldest inhab-
tant at the beginning of the American re-
ginne IN the Orient could not tell the date.
There were racks pillories, stocks whip
ping-postS. and other diabolieal means of
punishment There was no serious effort
to mako the surroundings of the prisoners
even passably, decent. When the Ameri-
cans took control of the prison they had
to wade through slime and filth ankle
deep. Keepers had been In the habit Of
relieving the ennui OF their Jobs by tor
turing prisoners for the mere fun of IT,
In one case an aged prisoner was bound
hand and foot and lowered head foremost
into well, so that the guards could amuse
themselves watching his helpless strug-
giles to keep from drowning. Over 300 pris-
oners were in perpetual chains Their
wrists and ankles were chained together
and some were kept in that STOPPING posi-
tion so long that the muscles of their backs
atrophied and they were unable To
straighten up when liberated from their
chains. Beri-beri was common disease
and welcome death eaHied away an
average Of five day
When the Americans took charge things
were quickly changed. Eleven hundred
political prisoners were liberated outright
the chains were loosened from 800. the
buildings were cleaned up, the grounds
graded, humane guards installed, and a
general overhauling given the whole prison
system. The first warden was Major Bean
of the army. He was succeeded by George
N. Wolfe of Oregon, who still holds the
position, and has been responsible for the
excellent condition of affairs that obtains
there.
All Of the prisoners clothing is manufac-
tured IN the prison shops-shoes and hats
included. The first effort at Industrial en-
terprise in the prison was the making of
soldiers cots in lots of 10000. After this