The Ocala banner., 1917-10-12


and false accusation made agains'
the management of the state prison
farm at Raiford, in SOM, parts oi the
state by Rev MIR. 14aRCwe. who ad
mits himself being an ex-convict and
safe blower, | would be glad if you
would publish for the benefit OF the
general public the following state
ment. which is a true one. The writ
er, who has been an inmate under the
present management for nearly five
years, knows that the charges attrib-
uted by Mr. LaRowe are gross mis-
representations
The man who we are in charge of,
and who is the superintendent, is
humanitarian as we'll as a business
man. and who looks after the well
fare of his charges no doubt better
than some of their own fathers did
at home.
There have been no punishments
here that any sane or truthful man
would or could call brutal.
As a matter OF fact smoking Gig
arettes has been prohibited here for
the past two years, ard this was
only done after two or three serious
conhagratiOns had been narrowly
averted by the inmates setting the
beds on fire with cigarettes during
the night time These buildings are
all constructed of pine lumber, and
IL one was to burn they would all
burn. for they are so near each other
So far as Mr. LaRowe seeing the
warden lay a lighted cigarette down
while administering punishment to
five or six for smoking is ridiculous
and is without one scintilla of truth,
for Captain Purvis. the superintend-
ent, does not allow anyone to smoke
cigarettes inside of the prison walls.
And the turkey story is equally alb
surd for there has not been $50 tur-
keys grown here since the place open
ed They take some kind of disease
and die while young. So is his "bru-
tai kind of stocks" stories What he
calls stocks is nothing more than
closed chairs, made of thin dressed
lumber. and about all the punishment
there is in it is for the occupant sit
ting alone and having to look upon
a blank wall before him, and perhaps
another convict will pass along and
ask him: What are you doing in
there?"
Many of the cOnvicts mere are like
Brother LaRowe-have done time in
other prisons. and seem to take spe
cial delight in breaking the rules and
causing all the trouble they can.
Not so very long ago five or six of
the inmates succeeded in slipping an
augur. supply of oil and other high
~ infiammable material inside of the
walls, and had been boring beneath
they could crawl out. saturate the
building from undeIneath with oil
and fire it, and then make their get
away during the confusion resulting
from the fire.
This plot. oil, augur and holes was
discovered by Captain Purvis him
self just in the nick of time to pre-
vent the plans being carried out, and
had not this discovery been made
when it was, the holocaust at the re-
form school some years ago would
have been small in comparison, so
far as the number of lives that would
have been sacrificed. IL there was
not some kind of discipline here it
would be a horror. for the stronger
would destroy the weaker ones-for
there are men here that do not regard
human life any more than that of a
snake.
There has been no undue punish
ment here; the truth is there has
not been enough.
There are 100 or $50 men here who
go to and come from their duties at
will, and some of them wear citizens
clothes.
If conditions were as pictured by
this reformed" evangelist these men
would not stay here, trusted as they
are. AS it is, few of them ever give
the management any trouble The
better class of convicts did not want
Mr. LaRowe for their chaplain, and
told him so during one of his recitals
here. They were sick and tired of
having him rehearse his prison expe-
rience and sights in other states ev-
cry time he came 10 preach to them,
and we feel grateful to those who
are in control for not having this