The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-04-30

ing in the camp. The men are given
to understand they must work and
they are treated so well in all ways
that they do it with comparative or
entire willingness. The Superintend-
ent gives them in a body an address
once a week to inform them what the
laws are and the Importance of obey
ing them for their own safety and
comfort, and also because it is the
right. absolutely necessary thing that
each one of them should do. For
der, with harmony and peace in the
Camp there is a daily court presided
over by the convicts themselves. In
il they are tried for any rules of the
camp they have broken. An offend
er may appeal from the decision of
this court to Superintendent Fetch
er, who acts as higher court. His
o X on the case is final and settles it.
Caut Fletchers idea is that every
| law breaker has a better side and
that his evel doing (or law-breaking)
| is most always from ignorance of
law or evil surrounding influences.
He believes that by making the con-
vict feel that he is still a man, that
the officer of the aw considers him
so, wishes and is trying to make him
better, will work the reform and inn
provement in him he himself needs
and society needs for its safety its
uplift. and its advance on the higher
plane of human life.
The respectful and cordial manner
in which the men greeted Superin-
tendent Fletcher and answered his
/ questions when he came into the
camp on his return from Lakeland
showed to me clearly and strongly
, that the superintendent attitude to-
ward the men and his treatment of
them is thoroughly to accomlish his
reformative purposes, namely, to
make the men in his care better, in
knowledge. morals and health, when
they are discharged than when they
were sent to him from the county
court
You can't reform a man or WON
an by force, or by treating them as
dehumanized being. 1t must be done
by kindness and putting the erring
! one on his or her intelligence as to
what is good, right and wrong, lawful
and unlawful.
The convict who was tried before
the convicts' (Kangaroo) court was
/ shown no mercy on sentimental
grounds because he kissed the cook
Sentence that was thought fair and
equitable was pronounced upon him
and confirmed by the upper court
SUPERINTENDENT
Following are the officers of the
Kangaroo Court of Polk County
Prison Camp"
Judge. Capt. George; State Attorn-
ey, Poor Boy; Sheriff, John Davis;
Treasurer, James White; Clerk,
Capt. Dick. Superior Court, Supt.
c. G. Fletcher, commander of Polk
County Prison Camps.
| was particular to ask convicts in
the camp how they were treated and
getting along-not in the presence of
the superintendent, but off each one
by himself | questioned both white
and black. They all answered they
were treated first-cass, all the time.
Said the single white prisoner:
Were treated mighty well, mighty
well; couldn't be treated better. 1t
doesn't seem to me like a chain gang
here at ALL"
In the matter of food the men are
given as good as the superintendent
fees he is justified in supplying and
no waste is permitted. II waste
should be practlsed by a convict he
is tried before the Kangaroo Court.
Everyone in the Camp eats the same
food
Saturday afternoon the men are
allowed-when the weeks work is
done-to go swimming in the lake
a few rods from the camp. They can
stay in the sport as long as an hour
if they desire.
| was much impressed with all |
saw to make me believe the camp is
an unfit for the reform and building
up of character among erring men,
leading them to better lives here and
after they shall go away.
Continued every other day.