The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-08-23
Prison Officials Favor Friends

ETlSOn O1IlCldlS EHVOT
There were certain big business men
who solicited the prison trade, When
the bids were called for, these men
would send in prices far in excess Of
the market values, The bids were, of
lowest mar was presumably given the
deal. In practice, however, the letting
OF the bids was an empty formaltty.
The state and prison officials had
friends. The bids would be opened and
II the friend had not guessed right he
would be tipped off and allowed to
submit another bid just q fraction less
| than the lowest. He would then send
to the pen the inferior products, charg-
ing an Incredibly exorbitant price,
The state paid enough to run the
prison as a first-class hotel. The. food
down the health and ruined the diges-
ton OF the most robust, It was the
same with every other commodity pur-
chased for prison use.
do you know what happened?' Por-
ter repeated. There was a grating
%harshness in the low voice, The BIDS
came in today. The prices were outra-
geous. | had made a study Of the mar
ket values. wished to refer the bids
back to the contractors and demand n
fair rate. The suggestion was ignored
Porter Rejects Wine.
"That was not the worst Of II. The
contract was not given to the lowest
bidder. but to another, He was In:
formed Of his competitors figure and
| allowed to underbid IL by one cent. IL
means that the taxpayers Of this com
munity are deliberately robbed Of thou
sands and thousands OF dollars on this
one contract alone. And a convict who
is here on q charge Of taking a paltry
S 1000, not one cent of which he ever
got. must be a party to the scandal
you know OF these things, AlR' II
seemed to prick Porter that~l was not
greatly impressed.
sure, Al. Here, take a gulp for your
misery, | poured hun a Biass of tine
old burgundy. Pretty good, isn't IL?
1t came from the fellow who got the
last bean contract NY predecessor left
II here for me, Like as not wen bs-in
line now for all manner OF presents from
the thieves whose purses we help TO
line
Porter pushed the wine from him
do you mean to say, Al, that you will
wink at such outrageous crime? Why,
the convicts doing life here are stainless
compared to these ~highwaymen?'
"Blll, you're up against It, You might
as we'll be graceful about It. II would
he easier for you to tear down the 80
stone walls with your naked hands than
to overthrow the iron masonry OF polit-
ical corruption, What can your pro-
mate stealing from the government was
here long before we arrived, II will sur
vive our puny opposition.
Not a Thief, He Says.
"a should prefer then to leave the
stewards office. shall hand in my
resignation tomorrow" Porter Sot up
TO leave. He was Just rash and inn
pulsIve enough to do the mad thing. !
knew where he would end II he did. !
didn't like the vision Of the we'll
groomed n immaculate Bill heapsd
into q loathsome cell In solitary, Still
less did | like the thought OF him
strapped over the trough and beaten to
insensibility.
"sIt down, Bill. you damn fool. and
listen to reason" caught his arm and
pulled him back, The government
knows these criminals are at large. 1t
likes them, 1t gives them wealth and
homage. They're the big fellows OF the
state. They speak at all public meet
ings. They're the pillars Of society ="
Porter looked at me with an expression
.. What DO y9Cvu, propose TO do about
II shall go 70 the officials Of this in
stitution. ] will tell them / am not a
thief, though | am q convict. / will defy
them to sign up these infamous con-
tracts. | will tell them to get another
secretary"
and the next day You will find your
| self back In a mean little cell and in
a week or so you'll be IN solitary on q
trumped-up charge. Ard then Vou'll be
! torn IN ,iEe Ira Marr'Ntt Thnf'1 i'"t
about what your foolhardy honor will
bring you" 2
over Bills handsome face. He drew in
his lips In disgust,
"By God, that would finish me"
He stood up, the panther In him ready
10 srrino i,,s' ~ i ND iaanod ono"
before at the throat OF the Spanish don.
had suddenly found himself covered
with odious we'ts from a guards blows.
"I'd wiring their damn necks dry. Let
anyone use me SO"
You're nobody In particular except to
Yourself. Yon might as well look out for
that self, Your whole future Is abso-
| luteiy ruined II you protest. The men
YOU would balk are the biggest bugs
in the country. They'd grind you right
down to the dirt"
pnrtcp sat there 10 thorph y eIdan-
chill silence had frozen speech In him
forever. The nine oeocK gong Iounu q
II was the signal for lights out. He
started n~ervousiy toward the door and
then came back, laughing bitterly.
Il thought ! would get locked out.
But / have a midnight key to the
stewards office"
Locked out? No such luck, Bill;
we're just locked in
He nodded Body and sou'l' He
took up the glass Of the grafter's wine,
held II q momrnt to fhe light and with
one gulp tossed II off.
-
CHAPTER XLVL.
It was the end Of the struggle. The
pulsing. clamorous silence that holds
the tongue while thoughts shout from
mind to mind was between us. Porter
seemed exha listed by the defeat, The
Joy in his promotion was d~issipated. He
became more aloof than ever.