Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-02

tuberculosis. Frank Smith. better
known as "Bucky" IIaig. who was
recently .rnr0led from the county prison
on his honor by one of tho Common
Ileas Judges. SO he could undergo
pneumothorax treatment, was asked to
tell OF bis experience in prison.
smith, who has taken on twenty
pounds IN weight since he was parolcd
and who may recover. declares that
everything that has been said about the
treatment of the sick is true.
was tubcrcnlar when ! was sent
to the county prison TO do seven years."
declared Smith. "They knew / was.
yet they put me in Il cell for three
months until I had wasted away to
almost nothing. then they put mo in the
hospital and finally. through friends.
was parolcd and given ~ chance to
stage comeback.
'.'rhis would have been impossible
under the conditions that existed in the
prison hospital. was in charge Of
convict nurse, negro who is serving
game. This follow did the best he
cou d for ne, but he never had any
training and he used to laugh when
he took my pulse and temperature. but
be was kind to me and that helped.
aTduCu j OOu LOT lODaccO
Il use tobacco and they knew II up
there. When | vas So sick | asked
I for tobacco. but could not get it until
finally arranged to swap my eggs for
u piece of chewing tobacco. This he
did several times. OF course tn" to.
barco was brought in BY the screws
'keepers, anI parceled out to the con-
victs who were doing some personal
service for them.
Il knew case where q screw gave
a convict piece of tobacco. and this
! convict in turn slippP,. some Of it to n
fellow doing II solitary bit. This same
screw who gave out the tobacco saw
the exchange and Immediately reported
the fellow who had managed to get il
into his cell. This man was ordered
punished b. the very man who takes
/ the tobacco into the prison.
"But to get back to tho way the men
are treated. No one wants to believe
what these fellows complain of. They
say, WE'LL he il Il crook and he deserves
all that he gets. That is all right. II
n man commits a crime he should be
punished, but at the same time this
man should be given chance to re.
deem himself.
"If he is unfortunate enough to
draw his bit in the county prison
his chance OF redemption is gone. They
don't think any crook can or will re-
form, and with that idea in mind he
il thrown into n cell and there he STAY.
unless hc il lucky enough to stand in
and get himself job doing something
that will take him ont Of his cell.
OF course. a great many do get out for
n few hours to scrub up. or do some
kind Of work. and there are a number
who are given the 'lrusty' job. These
are the fellows who stand in.
~ have seen men go into the county
prison TO do q stretch of two ycnrs
looking the pictur" Of health. and
have seen these same men when thew
came out and did not know them III,
change was due to the fnct that thew
we're locked in their cells all the tim,
! they were In prison, never given y
, chance, and were half fed.
"Something should he done and don,
quickly to change things up there, The
| men should be given the same chance
} they got in other prisons. Al lens,
| the officials should give Il trial to som,
of the methods adopted in other comn -.
! ty jails and see how they work out
They won't do 1t unless they are forcn,
, TO, because the inspectors seem tn h'
perfectly content with conditions as as
! they exist.