Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1925-07-17

June IL, 1897
To the Editor of the Nation:
Sir: | am sending you short ar
ticle setting forth few facts about
this prison. Ii YOU are interested IN
such things, and care to publish II,
you may rest assured that II Is the
plain truth, not exaggerated. IL
might be made tough for me here II
il was discovered that | had written
this, SO ! ask that my name be with
held.
This will be sent underground"
and | hope it is not damaged IN the
process,
San Quentin Is CALIFORNIA; leading
penitentiary. 1t has fairly sanitary
accommodations for 500 prisoners,
but contains $500 at present. Since
the first of January it has had ne"
warden, Mr.. Smith, who spreads
himself in the newspapers as being a
student of "anthropological Samoo-
logy"; also as an efficiency expert who
is going To put the prison on paying
basis. Although am convict IN
San Quentin have no personal
quarrel with Mr.. Smith. | believe
that the warden is just an average
politician.
On February Is hot occurred in
which an inmate, Tony Hernandez,
was killed. At once the wordeh
caused about 10 men TO be locked IN
the dungeon. They have been there
now 80 days ON bread and water
There is no evidence against them.
On March 3 some of the men so con
fined were taken to battle. One OF
them, Wendell Dollar, stopped over
to pick up a cigarette butt and a
guard shot him through the back,
killing him. The officer excused HIM
self by saying that he thought Dol
lar was trying to pick up CLUB Oh
rock, and the coroner's jury eNonef-
ated him. There was nothing within
reach of the prisoner that he coull
possibly have used as a weapon, sno
the guard must have observed TINS
as he was only about 80 fees DIS
tant. Men undergoing punishment are
not allowed tobacco, and in reachlne
for a cigarette stub Dollar was break
ling A prison rude. Murder, however
was not justified, even under CAN,
fornia prison rule. The guard stu
occupies his post, so Mr.. Smith EVIL
IDENTIFY did not disapprove very
strongly. +,
The new warden revided the prison
bulletin, convict publication, anu
promised that it should be. shining
example of free press. Prisoners are
not allowed certain radical papers
which are granted second-ciass man
ing privileges by the United States
post office department, so apparently
there are varieties of free press III
this prison. r .
To make a good citizen out OF a
bad one, you must feed MN goou'
wholesome food and teach him use,
full trade, says the warden. Inc 1000
in San Quentin was poor uhaer e.e
former administration, but IL IL
worse now. The diet is mostly stareh
and lacking in vitamines and otltr
ingredients necessary to good heallh;
The prison has much-adVertlsed
vegetable garden, and it keeps chlck-
ems. hogs, and mich cows. The Vege-
table garden covers about five acres
and is highly cultivated and cafeiui'y
tended. For months at time no
fresh vegetable appears upon the con-
victs' table, and when one does APP
near. il is always single, an onion or
a stalk of celery, unwashed ana touen-
The only trade 1t y posslple 70
learn is the manufacture OF gum!
sacks, and anyone who Is forced 10
follow this occupation for a year VI
two will have had enough OF " TOT
one life time. There is Jute mill III
Oakland. Calf, but it will not en-
ploy ex-convicts. II :.
Perhaps the saddest thing of all Is
San Ouentin's crazy alley" where
those mentally deranged, or that 'ne
doctor does not like, are kept. IL Is
what the name implies, an alley, 10
Gated between two three-stofy cen
houses, and has a high picket renee
at each end. The place Is damn, anu
dairy. alive with stink and SHINE
There is no warmth in 1t, no KIND
ness: no sunlight ever penetrates us
Gloom. If you peed through tne
oicLats Won can see the Miserable
Ones" walking up and down IN 'he
shadows. Some old and gray arg
broken, only a little way from uedth
and freedom. Some young ana TO,
bust. How long will they De 50
Nothing to do but go mad. One Is an
old Chinaman tottering on a broom
handle cane. He has been there 10
wears. Tomorrow or the next day OF
a month from now they viii bury
him on the wind-blOwn hill above san
Quentin and Justice will have been
satisfied. ,I.
Sodomy flourishes almost unheeded'
men with syphilis are not even s.egte-
GATED and young boys mingle indis-
criminately with the most "hard-
boiled" of men. Those who have
money are able to procure all sorts