Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-11

the State. to the end that at last a legisla-
tive investigation was demanded At the
time set for this committee to commence its
work everything was in readiness for it's
appearance at San Quentin For several
days and nights previous to this investiga-
ton the warden and his satellites worked
overtime. All day and all night long they
interviewed, cajoled and threatened
Cwhere eXpedienO those convicts who were
marked as leaders and agitators. Every
method known TO old prison hardened gao-
ers was resorted to, to the end that when
the legislative committee appeared the
prison assumed the dark and sinister air
which one should feel in a beleaguered city
that had been starved into silent submits
sion.
A Prison Riot
OF course the investigation proved a
farce. and after a liberal coat of whitewash
had been applied the public press roundly
herated the unfortunate convicts as a lot of
| chursh unruly dogs, and it was recon-
| mended that the diet be curtailed, privileges
denied and more harsh method of prison
discipline should prevail In other words,
the onus of the burden of all the States
trouble must rest upon the States victims
and not upon the shoulders of the real re-
sponsible culprits who were prostituting,
not alone their oath Of office as servants of
the state, but putting to shame the great
Commonwealth of California.
Immediately the convicts realized that no
| redress could be expected for the terrible
conditions under which they were trying to
exist riots broke out, the most serious Of
which Centered in the large jute mill indus
try Nearly 800 convicts worked in that
place They took possession of the mill and
held the guards and officers as hostages
| until some satisfactory promises could
be made with the officials of the
! state | spoke to the 800 convicts
myself, and pleaded with them TO
| show by their actions and conduct where
! the real cause of the trouble rested
| There was State property involved and in
| jeopardy to the amount of more than half a
/ million dollars. Some of the more irrespon-
| sihle conyicts urged the firing of the mills
| as one or the best means of bringing the
| whole condition before the public. | pleaded
| against this incendiarism, and as a result
| not even one dollars worth of property was
| destroyed, The warden compromised and
instantly the mutiny ended
That night, when we were all locked in
| our cells, the real prison mutiny began. SO
far as the public could judge. Hundreds Of
! the so-called ringleaders were singled out
| for torture. The warden called for State
| help, and companies of militia were dis
! patched to his aid ana the prison was
| placed under a state of siege. Martial law
| prevailed in every respect. No one was
/
| dead line thrown around the institution, All
| information and news leaving or given out
| 10 the public was carefully censored For
my in preventing the loss Of more than
half million Of the States property 1 was
| rewarded by the following treatment: Along
with four other unfortunate convicts I wa
| stripped naked and thrust into a narrow
| httle cell that was supposed to be even
| grudgingy small to hold one convict The
| cell was bare, and after the door was
bolted and locked large fire hose was
thrust through the wicket or narrow aper-
ture in the door. The force of the
| water was strong enough 10 Kin
man II it struck him suuarelv Tbs,,
flooded the cell until we were covered n
| our very chins, We were left in that condi-
| ton while the water slowly filtered throuqb
| the small seam at the bottom OF the door
It was several days before we could dara
tall to the floor and rest our cold, shiyer.
ing urehched bodies. We were left in that
| cell Tor thirteen days before we were car
rled out helpless. All the time the ring
leaders were being reprobated before tba
public by the administration newspapers
have carefully studied so-called nrison
riots and mutinies in various states -,
the Union. And l want to say that v,har-
ever such have occurred the fault mo-,
surely rest with those in charge of such
| places And L can sum up the Toilet tro,,-
BILE in very few words by savins ~.
until we completely divorce our public ins
stltutlons, and more particularly our 90
reotional institutions, from the banefuI a.
nuences OF partisan politics and put tbsn,
"a charse or men who are mentally ana
morally qualified TO hold such resnc,,,sa, ~ ~
positions we may look for such sna.n Sl,s'Sie ?
symptoms 70 name forth a. An ind,eatsaS
tnAt such places are roitenlv oonS,,c,~ - ~, ~
lnoQWpetenW ana ~ the horde A. ~ W ~
t'H.tf'' tnet tttIen a. the public lro,,.,.