El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-02-23

tat night by individual ankle chains
attached to continuous gang
chain" In the daytime they are under
supervision by guards armed with
for each ten convicts. Exceptionally
desperate characters carry about
with them a heavy ball and chain
while at work
In North Carolina, and Louisiana
however, the cages are replaced by
eollapsible and transportable jalls-
small "knockdOWn" houses on wheels.
with barred windows. in which the
convicts are confined at night
Honor Camp Tried.
Impressed with the idea that this
system might be wholly a mistake,
not only from a humanitarian stand
point. but also as an economic propo-
sition. the federal government re-
Gently undertook to run convict
labor camp in Georgia on radically
different principles II called the
camp an honor camp"
The personnel Of the camp was far
from promising 1t comprised 40
negroes convicted OF crimes which
mostly indicated a total lack of
honesty or sense Of honor. These in
cluded larcency, robbery. burglary.
vagrancy. wife beating, the abandon
ing of children and other Offensss
even more serious.
The camp was operated for ten
months There were no cages: 10
prisons Of any kind; no armed guards.
Whipping sometimes very cruelty in
flieted in the ordinary camps) was
forbidden. No special rewards or
other inducements TO good behavior
were offered. The policy was merely
one OF kindness and good treatment
misdoing might involve transfer TO
some other camp, operated by the
state, where conditions las the con-
viets well knew would be sadly diff
ferant
No man was shackled. The only
building locked by night or day was
the commisSary. Plain gray cloth
ing was substituted for stripes. Order.
security and obedience were obtained
by attra active food and quarters. clean
and comfortable beds, kindly and
considerate treatment and reasonable
privileges. particularly as regards re-
creation
Menace of Gun Removed.
During the day the eonsts nee
menace Of the gun was removed. au1
the men worked under a foreman as
free men work Whereas. il ether
camps the practice has been 10 tut
the convicts "on the chain" immed-
lately after the evening meal. in the
honor camp" they were permitted to
remain at liberty. reading. smoking
and playing baseball.
Minor infractions OF rules. iisobei-
ience. or unsatisfactory work was
punished by dement's. When the
number Of such dement's exceeded a
certain limit, the convict was e
turned to the county headquarters
camp. 20 be placed under more rigid
discipline elsewhere Attempted es-
cape would have been punished in a
similar manner, but in ten months
not one such attempt was made.
though a trolley line was close by.
and Atlanta (the home Of most OF
the negroes) only II miles distant
To house the convicts, buildings Of
special type were designed hy the
office Of public roads.
They were IS feet square. and so ron
structed that any number Of them
might be Joined together end u ea5,
to form a dwelling Is feet wide and
OF any desirable length Designed
to combine strength. durability. port
ability. and sightliness they made
provision for abundant light and air.
These houses were built at q cost
only little more than that Of the
unsanitary shacks COM
monty used for convicts in the south
In place OF the usual filthy. and often
insufficient bed clothes. plenty Of
good. clean sheets and blankets were
provided, with comfortable mattresses
and pillows. The beds were double
deck cots of steel
Are Given Good Food.
The ordinary. monotonous prison