The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-09-13
Wells Statement

Wells is haggard from three weeks confinement in the
da CELL apparently ne not III ne Is mo, %sE TU
'When here felt that had done nothing deserv
ing punishment and mental attitude doubtless an
tagonstc." said Wells.
Il worked months getting wood out Of the slash
ing camp and understood that rushed there so we
could finish in time for the sashing to be burned before
wet weather
Il did not expect that the work would continue be
hard But when finished there and moved to the woods
camp the work harder than
"Every night would come in so tired that could hardly
Sleep The food bad pancakes mush for breakfast
two things that do not like. And cannot work in
the woods that sort Of food
''Then did not like the guard had to work for and
also felt that political prisoners should be chosen to do
the hardest work of the prison.
Il did not know whether the warden would not
you how he was-brusque stern-but wrote him
note saying wanted to see him about change Of work
waited four days and had reply so decided could be
off, matter what they did to me, and refused
you will from the prison rules what they allowed
to do; they gave me all they had
For two weeks chained to my cell door for eight
hours every day.
Il had nothing slice of bread and times
day.
Il have been in this cell for than three weeks.
will do work in the prison except in the wood camp
"My understanding when I came here was that the
men on the outside jobs were given an easy time of it. only
worked four hours day and did not pretend to
work hard.
yesterday the doctor gave stool before that had to
sit or lie on the hard floor.
81 waited four days for the warden to see me after
wrote that first note and then wrote and told him that
refused to work in the wood and that he could start
in with his brutality. not very diplomatic guess
IF my card gives only farming and woodsman my
cupaton it is not fair for told them that for years
had been doing inside work. and that though had recently
been in the shipyards it light job They only got
that farming and woodsman data when they pried into
ancient history, years back.
Warden Whole Thing
THE deputy warden is decent enough fellow and kind
hearted but the deputy in this prison is nobody the warden
Is the whole thing and the warden anybody
sizes him up, believes in the old brutal system of breaking
men,"
There's the story as told by those involved
The remarkable thing that struck the correspond.
elt was that in no essential particular did the state
:sent of the warden differ from that of Wells
The only difference was regarding the data on
Wells card which was what according to the war
den, determined his being chosen for the wood camp
Wells asserts that he gave various occupations aside from
farming and woodscraft
The warden, asked about this says: IT didn't mako ont
the card the clerk takes that with the the prisoner
data and have nothing to do with it, 1t evidently was
given as written the card. believe Mrs Wells how
said that he gave his occupation that way because
he wanted to work outside and afraid of inside confne
ment"
mat statement, coupled with Wells statement that he
understood the wood work for four hours dav
and was not onerous, probably explains the card being
made up it appears
Gloomy, Not Black
Now, to the solitary dark CELL
1t is neither solitary dark as od-tme prison cells
Were 1t is in cell house, along with of other cells
the door of heavy iron that doubtless on RAINY
day. shuts out most of the light the correspondent was con-