Imperial Valley press., 1922-09-26

(This is the third and concluding in
stallment of story by Jeanie Mac
phearson, scenario writer, who commit
ted petty crime and was sent to pris-
son to see for herself how conditions
are in prison. She then wrote the screen
version of Manslaughter," which
will be shown at the Palace airdome
three days beginning today.)
By Jeanie Macpherson
Breakfast over, we marched to the
shops. The squad to which I was at
tached consisted of short term prison
ers and the prison authorities long ago
learned that it is impossible to get real
work out of criminals serving short
sentences. We were set to work MAX
ing cane and reed chair seats. In other
departments Of this same shop brushes
are made and the prison tailoring shop
turns out the prison clothes and linen.
This work is done by the long-termers
during work hours, although most of
them eat and live together with the
short -termers.
At noon we were marched back
across the court yard between the
prison proper and the shop building
for luncheon. White bread to the num-
Der Of two slices, two slim "wenies, -
sloppy cabbage and the unbelievably
bad coffee made up this. repast. The
"wenies were a luxury. Unusually
mealy looking baked beans formed ths
main course for lunch. Meat was al
lowed once about every two days, !
learned,
The shops claimed our attention
throughout the afternoon, although
the total amount of work done was
negligible. Any petty criminal who
works earnestly in the shop is prompt
ly reprimanded by her sisters. 1t sets
bad example and makes the prison
authorities expect more of the other
prisoners.
Late in the afternoon we were herd
ed from the shop back to the cell-block
and the so-called recreation hour. And
once again I was subjected to severe
grilling by my cell-mates.
Except that it had lost some of its
terror, the second night was ropeti-
tion of the first. Sleep was impossible
Through the night I heard the multi
tudinous sounds of many women con
fined in tiny space, quarreling back
and forth or forming discordant quart
cites in an effort to ward off as long
as possible the spectre of the long
dreary night. I was told on good auth
ority that the old-timers long ago had
learned to pick the locks of their in
dividual cells and many of them sur
reptitiouslv visited friends in other
cells for purposes better guessed at
than said.
Two Windows-140 Women
Two tiny windows on the wall op'
posite the cell-block furnished the ven
tilation for this entire structure. I'm
agine 140 women living i'm a space ven
tilated by these two windows anc
over-heated by badly placed steam
pipes and you will be able to conjurC
up mental picture that resembles tho
steam room of 4 turkish bath, peopled
with all the stenches of human exist
ance made nauseating by the persist
ent odor of disinfectant. This combin
alton results in what is known as the
"iail smell an odor that defies de
scription.
During q lull in the noises, l heard
one woman, cell or two away, in
structing a neighbor in the art of Gro
cheting. They could. not see each other
but one had evidently secured crochet
needles and material, ana the other
was explaining how many stitches II
would take per day to finish the col