Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1910-10-14

- III ldll ANVIL
there now. A few of the prisoners
have been admitted to bail, but
only after having been imprisoned
for considerable time. Those who
have not gained temporary liberty
are enduring hardships that in "a
way r as destructive of life and
health almost as the convict CANT,
of the south.
There is as much argument about
getting bail in Mexico as there /.
in trying to obtain liberty. Tho
court holds numerous sessions the
take up several hours each day for
two or three weeks and listens t.
the arguments on both sides as t.
whether the cuiprit shall be baileG
out or not. The decision, o.
course, rests entirely with TIC
judge, and he never is easy to cor
vince. The proceedings az
especially slow, because they al,
never taken down in shorthand. l.
the defendant or any witness is 1,
be examined the questions which
the lawyers propose asking then
are written out first and submitted
to the judge. In a day or two he
decides what questions he will
allow and what he will not permit,
to be asked.
When a person who is to be in
terrogated is brought before the
court all his W to the ques-
tions are recorded in long hend.
Before the session ends for the da,
the person tcstifying has to reaC
over the record of what has beer
asked and his answers Then hC
signs it, all the lawyers sign it; il
there is an interpreter officiating
in the case, he signs it also ant,
last of all, the public notary alike.
his seal and then writes out ;
formal declaration of the circun.-
stances, which he signs. Tho
whole thing is then tied together
with red tape and attached to the
file of papers that has begun t.
accumulate. As all is written il
long hand, the stack of document.
in an important and long draw
case will weigh 100, sometimes zoe
pounds. They are left in charge
of the clerk Of the court, but the
notary is, to a gre at extent, re
sponsible for them. The notary
by the way, is not the casual
official that he is in the United
States. He must have been ad
mitied to the bar, and must have
taken a twc-year ours in the
College of Notaries. After a case
is closed the documents are filed
away in a big granite building
one of the largest and handsomest
of the public edifces in the City OF
MeXico-which is devoted entirel!
to the storage of notarial archives.
But while all this is going on the
accused person is in Jail. Being in
Jail is no joke in the City of Mex
leo. These American bank o%fficerr
and their associates who have been
arrested are confined in the great
municipal prison Of Belem. Belem
is Spanish for Bethlehem, and the
prison was an orphan asylum anG
school in the days of the viceroys.
II is an ancient castle-like Ltruct-
ure of gray stone and concrete,
three stories in height. With it,
court yards and all, together with
the new building of the criminal
court connected with it it covers
a space of about two New York
city blocks. As n rule here arc
about 5000 prisoner in Belem
year in and year out. Nine-tenths
of them are Of the lowest class,
the b%arefooted, blanketed peon,
whose only characteristic that dis
tinguishes him from the animal be
ing hal he walks erect and has the
power Of speech. These prisoners
and the place in which they arc
confined are indescribably dirt,
and unsanitary. The prisoner
themselves are herdcd in regiment
of a thousand in great halls at
night and sleep on the stone pave
ments there. They are so crowded
many times that they have to liz
spoon fashion to make room for
all. BY day they sit about the
court yards. Exchange.
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