United labor bulletin., 1913-01-02

bility-but which we are justified in pun
ishing to the full extent OF our laws.
The Crime Of the City Jail and the Third
Degree.
| In cities where the machine" and the
boss are the ruling power. one of the
most destructive institutions which is to
be found In civilization. the city jail. ex-
lists. In such cities II is an instrument
OF graft for the coroner, as well as "a
stepping stone to the county Jail. which
II usually keeps well filled. In some such
cities the sheriff receives twenty-five or
thirty cents a day per head for the care
of prisoners. whose keep costs him but
three to hve cents a day.
In the city of D., a man confessed
to the local police the murder OF his wife
and child. II was proven afterward that
he was innocent When the Judge asked
him his reason for such a confession, he
answered. why. judge, I thought they
were going TO kill me-"
| During the retired administration of
tn" city OF Seattle, paid conventional
visit to the city jail. was put in the
hands of a-to me-good natured and
garrulous turnkey. He tapped lightly on
the solid steel door OF n solid steel cell.
to which the only means of ingress and
egress of air was a small opening about
half as large an ordinary envelope.
together with a slide which was closed
AS he tapped he remarked. There is
man in there" "A man in there," l re
lpeated almost incredulously Then with
lfelgned Indifference. asked. What is
he there for" They are trying to make
him tell something they think he
knows" was his answer.
few minutes later. down on the
street, | saw what appeared 10 be start
ling commentary on the Incident Be
fore the prison stood a man Of unusual
strength. a mill engineer by trade. as
found out In n loud voice and with
raised arm and clinched fist. he was
heaping bitter curses upon this city pris-
on. and furiously threatening revenge for
some wrong which IL had evidently been
linstrumental In iniicting upon him.
Every day helpless. honest men and
boys. and women and girls as well. are
forced on suspicion into these iniquitous
places, suffering the insults and indigni-
ties usually accorded the lowest Grim
inais, and held for days without hear
ing OF trial. Often 1t is their only shell
ter. One evening l had been directed by
everyone I asked in Houston to the Star
of Hope Mission as shelter for the
night. only to fiEd myself promptly ar
rested MS soon as ! reached that insti-
tuition with six others, honest young
workingmen. l was thrown into the dun
geon OF their wretched. black. old jail.
As soon ms the ponderous door was
changed to. and we were left to ourselves
in the darkness. ! said to them in re-
assuring way: well. boys, cheer up: 1t
might be worse. Suppose we were In
condemned cell. and were TO be put to
death tomorrow.
One Of them promptly replied in a pitt
full voice, but touched with bitterness:
Il wouldn't care II / were. for l have
nothing to live for anyhow"
have found. during these investiga-
tions that Russians who had never been
In prison In their own country. had been
smothered to death in our American
jails.
And have found that what is true of
the city Jail in the respects here men,
toned. is true of the state penitentiar-
les: true. in fact, OF all our correctional
institutions for adults.
The Bloodhound Crime.
Late one afternoon, far out on the bor-
ders of n small village. I approached n
large. comfortable farm house to ask for
work went to the rear door and
knocked. but there was no answer. 1
went to the front door and rang the bell.
There was evidently no one at home.
wearily retraced my steps out through
the gate and on to the village.
What might have happened to me that
day. what may happen to any man who
Is wandering In an unknown section.
looking for work. was forcibly brought
to my attention last December by spe-
cial dispatch to the Chicago Record-Her-
aid. In the little village OF Carrier Mills.
near Mt. Vernon, H.. during the absence
of n family. their house was robbed.
Bloodhounds were put on the track of a
suspect by the authorities. Not far from
the village they caught sight Of a man in
the distance. BY some strange intuition,
the brutes seemed to know that they
were after human being. At the sight
of the man they became uncomfortable
and burst away from their keeper The
man heard their baying ms they APP
preached him, and knowing It's meaning
(although he may have been wholly In
nocent OF the crime), he ran-just as you
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