The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1919-08-29
tBy Edward T. Leech, Editor of the

Memphis Press.)
Memphis, Tenn, Aug. pa news
paper editor in jail-gets no rest.
never worked so hard in my life
as during the ten days of my impris
onment.
When ! entered the jail started
to keep a record of my visitors. But
I gave up in despair and lost count
/ came with a suitcase, but I left
with a phonograph, electric fan, wa
ter cooler, boxes of cigars and can
dy, baskets of fruit, cakes, pies, q
bottle Of disinfectant. cans Of insect
powder, thermos bottle filed with
hot coffee, cans of preserved fruit
Jars OF jam, books, and great stack
Of newspaper clippings, editorials and
letters from every part of the United
States.
Every day the patrol wagon pulls
up TO the Jail to get prisoners who
have been sentenced to the work
house or the penitentiary. A negro
prisoner to whom has been delegated
the honor of calling the prisoners
sings out their names with wall like
Caruso singing the Sob Song. 'Will-i-
um-m-m Br-o-w-n-n, get all you got
and comes on" he cries, in a voice
that runs the whole gamut from basso
10 tenor.
And yet, it hasn't been all pleasure.
] had sadder moments in Jail than
ever knew before. never felt SO
helpless and hopeless in my life.
For on all sides of me were men
and women, boys and girls, to whom
the visit OF an editor in jail, with
friends calling constantly, seemed so
strange that they have come to be-
lieve ! could get them out of the
plight they were in.
Last night in Jail was climbing
the long iron stairs to my room, after
exercising by a nightly walk in the
lobby, when girl slipped me a note
through the bars. She and another
girl were sentenced to one year each
for shoplifting and with four other
charges yet 10 be tried. The jailer-
and he's a thoroughly good man, be-
loved and respected by the prisoners
had told me Of her. He believes
she is the innocent and ignorant vic.
tim Of bad company. And so do l.
When got 10 my room I read the
note. Misspelled and ungrammatical
Il was a plea for assistance from a
girl who has no friends, who say:
her baby is sick and her old mother
in pOverty-alone in Jail without help
or support OF any kind.
And q negro back in the tiers of
cells where scores and scores Of ne
gro prisoners are confined. sent me
out a petition by the guard, peti
tiOn ten pages long and every letter
Of il carefully printed, instead of writ
ten.
A railroad man on q charge Of rob
berry. and others, appealed to me fol
help-yet couldnt hOnorably keeT
oven myself out Of jail Whatever ]
can do for them shall. but am
afraid il will be little. Perhaps il
win be possible to induce the court
and prosecuting witnesses to drop the
cases against the girl and let her go
home 10 her mother and baby. hope
so.
Living in jail and visiting in jail
I have discovered are two different
things. AS a newspaper reporter,
used to go around many jails. But
never stopped to think what a jail
was before. ! never had seen SO
many men and women lolling around
day after day, in absolute idleness
nothing to occupy their hands or their
minds, wasted and sidetracked. II
seems to me that jail can best be
compared to the railroad sidings trav'
elers pass so often. where strings OF
rotting. rusting and dilapidated box
cars stand, seemingly forgotten and
abandoned. It's the same way with
these people. Because of some den
cheney. they, too. have been side
tracked and deserted. left to rot and
rust in idleness--and yet the world
wonders why they're not as good as
new cars when the time finally comes
20 put them back into service again
The day came in-almost at the
same hour-Manus Jones. II. negro