Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-06

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Joseph Diamonds. When he entered
Holmesburs In February, 1914, to- serve
eighteen for larceny he weighed 12S
pounds. when he was taken from
prison to Philadelphia Hospital in DE.
cember. 1915. he weighed eighty .Seven
When Diamonds was sent to jail he
he watts nineteen ~ years .r d cld: ne Z. says .,ys
in Hoimesburs were one continued
course Of iii treatment and torture. n.
"They did their best to Kill! me-"
Diamonds said. "when I arrived in
the prison they shaved my hair Of and
gave me . bath. Then I was taken to
4 cell In b. Block. The keeper who
put me in solitary pointed 70 the
rules hanging on the stone wall and
aid, read them, kid, and obey them.
II you don't We haye . way up here
TSs me SSsa. SSa Odss'f: dss I va. examined b,
DR.. Keiser, the prison physician. He
pronounced my heart and lungs weak
and then they locked me In solitary
There stayed three months, splitting
blood, When I put down for the
doctor I lost my exercise. Finally !
had q hemmorrhage and collapsed.
When I came to I was In the tubercu'
lar hospital.
was called in consultation, said / wal.
In the hrst stages Of tuberculosis and
Of Of, mi,a ..,. and I'd ssS ssSr eggs day. Then
"The second night I was IN the hos:
pital the night keeper came to my bed
and asked me how much Of my milk
allowance I used each day. gmelled
a rat, I knew something was going to
happen, bscause I had been swapping {!
pint Of my milk for i've cent bag Of
smoking tobacco. That 10. ! was to
give up . pint daily each week for the
tobacco and I told the keeper I waa
using al q ny milk; i st.a as ssid to 70 me- me-
ny .d .nf Il: :'sSnsdd oSsd E: sss sss sss
Of tobacco and took IL.
About an hour later 9 convict
nurse, Lloyd. came In and said TO me.
You're In Q hell Of q az. II you don't
agree to give up . quart Of your milk
dailyl they are going to send yeu back
to solitary confinement. You'd better
agree, and not make any squawk, be-
cause the keeper who found the tobaccc
in your bed won't stand for any fool.
ing. You know he can do anything
he wants and II he reports. you fol
|
hospital, that's your finish
! Deprived Of His Milk
II told Lloyd that I was giving up
It would mean my death. Then some
one took Il away from me. DR.. Keisel
noticed that I was getting weaker and
when he asked II I vas getting my
milk and e{gs. ! told him that the
peanut butter and crackers and soup
was put back on the milk and water.
"A week later DR.. Keiser stopped at
my bed again and wanted to know II
the peanut butter and crackers were
satisfactory. I told him that had only
gotten them one meal and when he ques.
toned the convict nurse, this fellow
lied and said that had received the
crackers and peanut butter. When thu
doctor left the nurse smiled at me ant
handed me a cigarette and Lit a mattel
for me. As took puff the nigh
. keeper burst into the room shouting
} Caught you In the act, didn't I. Ther
|, that had another hemmorrhage.
. '"The next day I told Lloyd that
was going to tell the captain every
{ thing. I am afraid they would xii
{ me.
1T was about this time that anothe,
: convict they called Burke, who wa
D doing q nine.year stretch and wht
was the nurse In charge Of the genera
t hospital, tried to have me transferred
. to his place. He told the doctor tha
he would take care Of me II the doctor
, would agree to the transfer. and ex'
planned that they would kill the kid
II he WASN'T novel. l was to be movet
, the next day. bu, that night Lloyd hi
, pitcher at him and was thrown into {
cell.
I "Then I announced that was goini
to get word to Superintendent Cook lS
nsed :;Ifq .s~ sHs' DE- Se Morrson who
substituting for DR.. Keiser. I told DR.
,, Morrison what had been done to me
He said It was an outrage to treat (
. man In my condition as had beer
treated and ordered my removal at ono,
, to the open cells. There I remained
! until my discharge, in December 1915
when I was sent to the Philadelphia
Hospital. Afterward :! managed to g
. to tubercular camp"
The misery Of conditions at tn
secrecy in force there are emphasized
/ by contrast with the Eastern Peniten'
tiary in Fairmount avenue.
, At Holmesburg the cOnvicts complain
, Of the quality and quantity Of theil
food. At the Eastern Penitentiary th'
food is palatable and plentiful.
/ A Study in Contrasts
At Holmesburg most of the prisoners
,, are kent In enforced idieness and soli'
tary confinement is the rule. At th'
Eastern Penitentiary the men are giver
confinement imposed as punishment Ii
rare.
At Holmesburg the use Of tobacco! Il
forbidden. At the Eastern Penitentiar!
tobacco is permitted.
Holmesburg wants no visits IRON
curious inquirers and bars inspection
, by newspapermen. The Eastern Pent'
tentiary welcomes such inspection.
A few days ago a reporter for tn
EVENING PUBLIC LEDGER visited tht
Eastern Penitentiary.
II would like to take a look arount
the penitentiary and talk to the con-
victs," he said to Robert J. Mckenty
the man in charge of the penitentiary
where more than 1000 men are serv'
ing terms ranging from one year Il
. iife.
Nothing IL Concealed
Calling one Of the keepers to ,Cuid'
the reporter, McKenty instructed tht
man to show the visitor everything II
Tks 6,st rlaco visited WAS Block 8