Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-29
MISS wINsoRs LETTER


Solitary Confinement, the District Jail,
Washington, d. C.
Dearest Mother:
Here 1 am in solitary confinement in a
cell so small that 1 can touch both sides
with my fingertips. 1t has no furniture
but washbowl and spigot, a small chair
without a back and an iron bed swung
from the wall on chains on this is laid "A
thin straw mattress; so 1 now resemble
Margery Daw. The cell is not very clean
and / have Just killed eleven bedbugs with
my own fair hands, or rather with a hair
pin, which makes a splendid weapon to
pursue them.
We are in solitary" which means that
no one can leave her cell at all, but is
locked up here day and night Apparently
we are not to have any physical exercise
whatever-a right which is not refused
even to murderers. This is done by order
of the Commissioners of the District of
Columbia I don't know by what law
these gentlemen are given unlimited power
to tamper with my health. We can't find
out what legal rights prisoners have. as
they will not let us see our lawyers How
ever, with all its disadvantages we prefer
the jail to Occoquan. as the officials here
seem more like human beings and show
some kindness toward us.
There are twenty suffragists here, in
| cluding Alice Paul Our cells are side by
side and we are as gay as larks. Some
| times we while away the time with sweet
| music on the prisoners harp" l. e., a
| comb with tissue paper over it. Sometimes
we sing in chorus the Occoquan Song, set
to Russian music for us by Miss Nina
| Samaradin.
The first verse:
PPemSSttSTy Pc vctSGy our solGen Sanners fSa{ your
| Thrust from the White House gates with our
To ocooquaH. shorn of liberty.
Free in our souls. worlds enfranchIsed
Come hold a banner. swell our strong demand
And crush Injustice by your spirits power;
So free our voices forward to victory!
The author is Miss Lucy Branham. of
| Baltimore. We are going to sing 1t at
| the dinner TO be given in Cameron House,
| Sunday evening. November 4, when we
shall tell our story and where we hope
| that a large delegation of Pennsylvania men
and women will be present
| We expect to be set free Saturday, No
vember 3. 1t seems rather long time, as
| we have not been permitted TO receive any
| letters or papers since Saturday October
ia All this is a punishment because we
| refused to work and asked to be treated
| as political prisoners! We stated our posi-
| tion IN a letter TO the District of Columbia
| Commissioners. The right of peaceful nett
| tion Is legal in the District OF Columbia
| hv the clayton act. We were. therefore
| strictly within our rights in holding ban.
4 ners before the White House to remind
| president Wilson of his prediction prom
,ses--and therefore entitled to receive the
treatment accorded political prisoners~
| which would include our own clothes. books
papers writing materials and visitors and
| friends.
| OF course, there are many precedept,
| Cor this. Parnell in Kilmainham iaiI anJ
Tolstoy were better treated by the British
and Russian Governments, respectively,
hv our own Government But we hons So,.
better things for future political prisonsrs
/ ~ not for ourselves
n was not possible 20 begin this retor,,,
| "a soon as we arrived at occoouan m.
living conditions there were SO dresdt,I
that before we could institute the mora ~
| vanced reforms We felt II only right to do
our utmost 10 obtain decent food ana b,,1
| name treatment for all the Inmates when
the investigation from which we had hoped
30 much resulted IA . whitewash. we. for