The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-09-22
Ex-Convict Denouncss
Prison Barbarity
SELECTED BY e. MARKHAM.

noNALD LowRlE. formerly a
- prisoner In San Quentin. but
evidently man with a sense OF JUS
tice and honor. has written a star
Ting book. My Life in Prison." tell
ing without malice Of certain bar
barisrs in prison methods. He cries
out especially against the strait
jacket and other treatment OF in
corrigibles," which in his time was
permitted. I quote from MS volume:
The straitjacket consists OF a
piece OF canvas about four and one
half feet Ions. cut 10 ht about the
human body. When spread out on
the floor IL has the same shape as
the top o. coffin. broad near one
end for the shoulders. and tapering
the other way. Big brass eyelets run
down The side. IL Is manufactured
IN various sizes. and Is designed sole
IS as an instrument OF torture.
Upon being sentenced TO the
Jacket. tho prisoner is first taken To
the clothing room, where be Is
stripped OF the clothing he has on
and is given an old suit, consisting OF
shirt, trousers and wornout shoes.
"A guard. armed with a loaded
cane. then escorts him to the dun
gaon, where a strait1scket that will
At snugly is selected. This Jacket
lie spread out on the ioor and the
prisoner ordered TO lie face down
upon II. The sides are then gathered
UP over his back and a rope about
the size OF q window cord Is laced
through the eyelets.
''If the word had been passed to
give him a cinching, The operator
places his foot upon the victims back
in order to get leverage as he draws
the rope taut, and when the lacing ts
finished the remnant OF rope ia wound
about the trussed body and ued.
Then the victim is rolled over on
He is left In one of the dungeon
cells. where there is no light. and
where II is cold and damp.
"Severul years ago II was no un-
common thing for a prisoner TO be
rolled In old blankets before the
jacket was applied.
This was done for two reasons.
First, II the prisoner were thin the
blankets eliminated any possibility OF
the Jackets fitting him loosely. sec
ond, when II was desired 10 give the
victim a sweat as well as A squeeze
the blankets served that purpose.
AT that time there was no limit
TO the duration OF this punishment.
Twenty-four hours was the ordinary
sentence, but ] know Of many cases
where men were kept 'cinched up for
a week. and In one instance for ten
days,
Just stop and think what that
meant. Bound In a coarse, heavy can
vas so that the hands and legs were
held rigid. and left to lie without re-
lief for days. Trussed up on Monday
and not untrussed until the following
Sunday"
During that time the victim must
remain recunbent without moving.
and could only vary his position by
rolling over on his side or upon his
faca m Tho Gnnrs
Some Of the physiological details
consequent on this prolonged torture
are too horrible TO be repeated here.
The reader is further told that once
each day, In the evening. attendants
used to go down and hold tin OF
water and a crust OF bread to the VIC
TINS lips. This was known as feed
Ing time"
when the jacket was laced brutal
ly, as was frequently tho case. the
hands and feet would Ole they would
become cold and lnanlmate, and he
would suffer the pins-and- needles SEN
sation that one gets II one holds the
feet or arms In one position for any
length OF time.
Quite often, when the Jacket was
removed. the victim could not stand
but was obliged 10 grovel and wriggle
on the floor like A snake TO restore
circulation. And when the blood be-
gan 70 return 10 tne Qeaoened parts
the torture was e1cruciating,
There Is no regulation limiting the
period Of time that this alienation
six hours in. six hours out--may he
continued Not only this. but. realiz-
Ing that az a means Of extorting con
sesslon,' the torture OF the jacket has
been reduced by the Hi5-hour limit,
II is cinched with much greater sever
ity.
"I know Of instances OF compare
lively recent occurrence where tho
victim has screamed and begged for
mercy within the hour after being
'cinched up 4 trusty, known rs the
dungeon man. has little shack Just
outside the dungeon door. and I have
seen him come up to the office and
report that man who had been jack
eted for hall an hour was ready and
eager 70 confess.
"I've seen men thrown into ths
Jacket on Saturday afternoon for not
having their tasks done for the week.
stay there on bread and water until
Monday morning. and then be run 10
the mill and expected TO get out theiT
tasks for the next Week. II they failed
Il was a case OF the Jacket again over
the next Sunday. A couple OF fellows
went era ~ over this kind OF a deal"