The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-09-18

OF VIVA.
n foreman in the workshop. In the
fourth cell was convict S4S2, who Gu,
a fellow convict with a knife while
both were at their labors in the shop.
The man, a giant, was serving his
fourteenth day of q f~ifteen-day SEN
tence in the "bull rings"
Method of Punishment.
Only in cases OF extreme necessity
has this method of punishment in
the dark cell been adopted. 1t has
been considered u means Of deter
ling convicts from wrcaking VEN
geance on each other. 1t mus the un-
derstood that in the workshop there
are opportunities for attacks, and to
safeguard peaceful workers 1t has
been considered necessary to deal rig
crously with vicious inmates such as
those in the dark cells. Pronounce
ment of punishment having been
made, the convict was taken out of
his cell each morning about 8 o'clock,
sometimes earlier, and placed in the
dark" cell. In the ceiling of each of
these was n long staple, to which was
attached rings. A chain with a large
ring at each end was passed through
the staple ring and handouts in turn
raised through the chain rings and
locked on the convict's wrists, leav-
ing his hands free so that he could
stand and grasp the chain. The
length Of the chains was regulated SO
that the %convict's elbows were on a
level with his chin. This position
left him so that he was practically in
a normal standing posture holding
to the chain or staple shank each lay
during working hours. At noon he
was not released, but fed by attend
ants. His wants he made known to
one Of the guards in the corridor. In
the evening his wrists were released,
d bed was placed in the empty cell
and lie was free for the night on the
Inside. His rations during this siege
of punishment were bread and water,
hut a sufficiency of both. The screens
over the dark cells were primarily to
prevent other convicts passing In
ra nks from slipping to the unfortu"
rate within n cigaret or other arti-
cles. Tobacco, the solace Of the con-
Wet, was denied these prisoners in
the dark" cells.
Grows More Tiresome Daily.
AS S4S2 had been in the rings IL
Gays l asked him If the strain of
standing in the center of his cell
grew less irksome MS the days went
by. He replied that he didn't know
haw it went with others, but his own
experience was that it grew more
itiresome each day. This man was
quite cheerful and seemed to accept
his punishment as just r%etribution
for his attack on a fellow convict,
which was really an attempt ut MUIR
der.
Each morning the resident physi-
clan of the penitentiary examines
tho men in the dark cells. II 1t is
shown that physically the strain is
affecting their health said the man
in charge OF these cells, Guard Will
liam Charlton, "they are released
In a cell adjoining a dark" cell
II found d negro life prisoner. he
was not %handcuTed. but over his
steel door was another door covered
with a wire screen. This mar COM
planned bitterly, against the penitcn-
tiary in general. 1t was said this
convict was a hard man to handle,
and since ~incarcerated has killed a
fellow convict. His confinement, 1t
is declared, has been a matter of ne
ccssity, as he is a menace when at
liberty in the shop or the corridors.
The difference in temperament be-
tween n and the other convict is
exhibited in the statement OF anoth-
or negro sentenced for life for MUIR
der, whom 1 found sitting in his
lockout cell" a trusted shop en-
rloye. He has served nine years and
lis probably by this time an expert
WORKMAN in all departments of the
TEGeNtss GE IageLfS - NsIfSyG HtBet-