American Fork citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979, 1914-04-11

~ h0o III thls court, In the center |
oil the court Is band-stand, where the
Prison band plays Sunday afternoons
ana holidays The band is made up of
prisoners and the guard informs us
that 1t ranks among the best I'm the
country The prisoners seem to take
great pleasure In listening to the melo-
dious strains
i we walk through the inner court
ana enter the jute mill Here Is where
9VV prisoners are employed making
Jute grain sacks and burlap mating.
me factory is strictly up-to-date. Each
prisoner is required to do certain
amount OF work during the day. For
example, the men working on the
weaving machines are required TO
weave 800 feet of burlap each day.
and, as soon as they have II woven
they are at liberty to leave the mill
BESIDES The men that work In the jutc
mill large number are kept busy
manufacturing shoes. shirts, clothing,
furniture and machinery
From the jute mill we are conducted
10 the gallows-room, over the same
route the fated prisoners go from the
row OF condemned cells to their doom.
we pass over bridge between two
high buildings. The bridge In appear
ance reminds one of the famous
bridge Of signs" I'm Venice between
the old Palace Court building and the
dungeon building. Z.
At the door of the gallows-room n
tall, intelligent looking prisoner ap-
pears to explain the details of the In
struments whereby the state gains its
vengeance upon those that refuse to
comply with its laws. We are first
shown the hangman's moose. The rope
Is an inch and one-half I'm diameter.
Just three feet OF the rope Is required
to tie the fatal knot. The knot being
tied is six inches long and two and
one-half inches thick When the knot
Is tied the rope is ready for stretching
II is tied fast TO the beams I'm the cell
Ing and a 300-pound weight Is fastened
to IT, 1t is then left for a period OF
eighteen months. When the rope Is
taken down II is just like steel rod
After inspecting the ropes we pass
to the death chambers" two I'm mum.
Der. This is In case of a double ex'
ecution. These are high rooms bull
OF. twO-inch boards with an inch an,
one-half space between each board
Over the outside Of the boards 4
stretched fine screen. This il TO fol
any attempt Of the prisoners obtainin
anything not inspected by the authori
ties, Around the death chambers
runs mat over which none are al
lowed to pass, not even the guards
Inside is placed small table, chai
and cot. The cot is 80 placed that IN
guard can see the prisoner every min
ute during his last night.
We now ascend the thirteen step
that lead up to the scaffold This
a very unique structure with It's trap
door. When an execution takes plac
II Is very Interesting to note how tn
trap-door Is sprung. In a small box
like room at the top Of the scaffol
stairs there are three small stole
before "a table. with three small hole
In II. Threaded through these hole
are three cords. long one. a medium
one and short one. 10 each one O
, these cords lead ball Is attached, OH
, OF which fips the trap-door.
n The evening before the execution til
prisoner Is taken from his cell in tn
condemned row OF the prison TO tn
measuring room. Here his height an
weight are taken for the purpose q
estimating how far he Is to be droppe
/ at the scaffold. II under one hundre
and thirty pounds he Is dropped ful
, length, six feet one inch. He is give
y "A CIVILIAN suit of clothes, which h
I puts on. lie Is then lead to tn
. death chamber" over the accustome
o route. While In the death chamber
: he Is allowed to have anything to eat
! drink or smoke he desires On tn
Z morning of the execution the stat
3 witnesses, six In number, with tn
2 prison physician, assemble I'm the scnl
4 fold room The three appointed OH
. GERS take their places In the smal
. box-like room. Everything is IN readl
: ness. A spiritual advisor and gnar
a accompany the prisoner TO tie seal
n fold, the former leading and the latte
. following Immediately behind. Sine
g the establishment of the prison slAiy
: nine of these professions have clmbe
q the scaffold stairs. The minute I'll
n condemned person steps on the doc
- of the scaffold the guard buckles
n strap about his ankles. He Is thel
# given a chance to utter his last words
n When he has finished the black cap
drawn over his head. The steel-llk
q rope Is placed around his neck vii
n the knot Just behind the right ear Tn
n signal is given, the three cords ar
IS cut and the Inflated mortal Is droppe
70 into space No one, not even the thre
% officers In the boX-likc room. know VIII
n cut the fatal cord. After each excel
# ton the cap and rope are burned
At From these grucsOmc quarters we
~ into the prison kitchen. The sigh
4 here are more familiar to our eyes
m wish TO state here that for the Val'
10 able information | have obtained
in the commissary department ! am II
n, debtcd TO Mr.. william J, Duffy, priso
Ne steward When first entering the gre'
,r kitchen one is surprised at It's eNtel
e. 81, encss. We see numerous COOK
4. helpers aud walters, all busy prepa
~ ing their fellow prisoners Sunday dil
No nor. Before uB are great ovens, nus
pots and griddles, that are used on
at for the cooking of meats ana veg
he tables. The kitchen is a very bu'
ne place-perhaps you viii agree to IN
statement upon learning that eve
ri day a ton of beef, fifteen sacks OF p
no tatoes and other vegetables are co
mi Iy,r toll