Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-09-12
TREATED AS HUMAN
Illinois Warden Puts Prisoners on
Their Honor.

illinois Warden Puts Prisoners on
Their Honor.
Dixon, ILL.,, September 6.-Forty-
picked prisoners from the state peni-
tentiary at Joliet are sleeping tonight
practically unguarded on the banks OF
Rock river. For five or six months
they will enjoy most Of the liberties
afforded working road gangs of free
men.
There is not a happier company OF
men, perhaps, to be found In the Whole
country. II there is gun or loaded
cane or bowie knife in the whole
camp, the fact is unknown outside OF
the actual possessor. There Is no pa
troll, nor Is there anyone to observe
should any prisoner attempt to run for
liberty. The camp is surrounded by
high hills and woodland.
Warden Edmund M. Allen Is deter
mined to put the new honor system
to a thorough test-the first ever at
tempted in Illinois. He asserts MS
confidence that not one Of the prison.
ers will attempt to break his pledge
and seek to escape. The prisoners
themselves are jubilant over the con-
fdence placed in them and have enter
ed into the camp life with high en-
thusiasm.
Part of the men made a sortie
against the great hill through whlcn
they propose to cleave a pathway dur
ing the next few weeks. In spite OF OF
the heat that registered more than 80
degrees, they welded picks and SHOW
els with zeal. And after Supervisor L.
F. Kegan had called the experiment
at and end for the day. they returned to
camp duties, perfecting arrangements
| for their long stay. In the late after
noon they played baseball, went swim
ming, fished. None Of the men look
on the hard work that is confronting
them as other than congenial sum-
mer outing.
A little before a. m, the men
sauntered out of the front door of the
penitentiary. 1t was dark. because OF
clouded sky, and had any wished to
escape it would have been simple
matter to slip away in the darkness.
But no man wants to escape" ].
IR., a former Chicago burglar, said.
| 1--WE think too much Of the new war
| den. Since he came here in April
have gained in weight from 1856 to 18O
pounds. There Is not a man In this
crowd but would fight to the death Tor
him. He has made himself personal
friend to each one of us.
| "Mr. Allen has told us all about
what is expected Of us and we are not
going to let him be disappointed. We
realize we are making more than one
road while we are out here in the
country. We are breaking path for
thousands of other fellows who have
slipped a cog and are sorry and are
anxious to get level In the Worlo
again.
| There Is no more going down the
hole in the penitentiary. If prisoner
| is mean he Is not hung to the bars OF
a cell down the hole and starved foI
punishment. I know of men who died
| in Joliet prison while they were being
punished in that way. Mr.. Allen has
done away with that.
when Mr. Allen came the first
thing he did was to order pork chops
for everybody. 1t was the first time
had seen pork chops for three years
| This is the latest and we are going to
show that we still are human and can
appreciate human treatment
| Some of the prisoners had not been
beyond the prison walls for nearly a
score of years. AS the special electric
| car that brought them to Aurora sped
through the country their eyes were
not removed from the passing land
scape. At one place the car stopped
| for a few moments and policeman In
| uniform stepped from another car.
"Ho, there's Johnny Few Clothes, y
| called half a dozen men. The police
man looked up in blank surprise. He
seemed to be debating whether he
should attempt to place the whole car
under arrest.
Johnny Few Clothes used to be a
guard in the prison" ]. c., a former
| pickpocket. explained. He came to
| the prison with only shirt and pair
of overalls. The men nicknamed him
Johnny Few Clothes. He was very
much disliked and was recently dis
J charged"