Bisbee daily review., 1912-04-07
s JA|LS WILL BE MADE AT
 LEAST HAB|TABlE
Horrible Conditions Will Be Alleviated by Latest
 Reform Wave
FOREIGNERS FORCE IT.

LISBON, April 6-Stirred chiefly by criticism from abroad. the Portu guese government is expediting long delayed trials Of prisoners and is talk | ing steps to provide more adequate | accommodations As the first steL | the famous Convent of Belem is to be turned into a prison.
 The Belem-or Bethlehem-is one of the oldest and most notable estab | lishmeats in all Portugal. The church that forms part of the building was founded more than 400 years ago | by ManHel the Fortunate. It is a mix i ture of Gothic. Moorish and Renaiss ance styles, but too much of it ad mirable, especially the slender carved pillars. Among the tombs of the fam ous Portuguese here are those of Man uel the Fortunate, Catherine of Bra ganza, Cameons, the famous writer and Vasco de Cana, the great navi | gator.
 Palace Rays Expenses. Adjoining the church is the convent with wonderful cloistersl showing magnificent stone traceries. Inclos | ed is a beautiful garden, where hence forth favored political prisoners will be exercised if the prison reformers have their way. For some years the convent has been used as an institu tion for the sheltering of the deaf and dumb and blind children. To turn it now into a prison is one of the most cynical things the republican govern ment has done. To cover the cost of this prison reform they propose to sell the famous old Limoeiro palace which was turned into a prison some years ago, but is now far from desirable place in which to be incarcerated. The tales that have come out of its damp dungeons are terrible.
 Foreigners Cause Reform.
 What has moved the government to belated action was finally the care fuI inquiries instituted by seTeral for eign legations as to the state of the prisons These inquiries strength ened the hands of the humanitarians in the republican party and enabled them to enforce their pleas on the government Before the British min ister. Sir Arthur Hardinge, visited the prison it was hurriedly white washed from top to bottom. Afterwards he made a guarded report which was mls' represented by the premier so as 10 be used as a whitewash for the minis fry itself. The eXoneTstion has, however, recoiled on the ministry tO their witespreaad discredit. Since then even the defenders of the gov ernment have had to admit that a number of the prisoners are badly lodged: in some cases extremely oau- ly because most of the prisons are ancinet and gloomy devices, devoid or the most elimentary hygenic conYen' fences
 Cells are Horrible.
 This is putting the case mildly TOT an independent committee Of torelSh residents have submitted reports that in one typical prison the cells are so damn that the floors are often GOV cred with water. Food is bad and sometimes it does not arrive until hours behind time. There are no ratbs. washstands or sanitary apphan- ces. Such is the dirt and damp that rheumatism, bronchitis and skin dis- eases are rife: yet there IS no resl- dent doctor and the hospital IS not used
 In another it reports: The want o' air is so great that the men have to 20 to small loop hole to breathe freely. Not only is the sanitation lh an unspeakably disgusting state ou' as there are DO bedsteads the straw mattresses are actually lying in water on the floor and the prisoners have to sleep with umbrellas over them u protect themselves from the ram whioh pours through the roof.