Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-19

cuffs >~c-c removed from tired wrists
an6 each prisoner was relieved OF all
t-3nkets, valua3les, money, etc, an Of
fee assistant listing the possessions Of
each man. In single file, then, to the
laundry where clothes were turned in
Each of us took a shower and drew
regulation work clothes, underwear,
trousers, shoes, shirt, sox and blue
peaked caps.
Clothes Fit Too Well.
No effort was made to fit the prison.
ers. They were not going on dress
parade. The shoes 1 drew were two
sizes too large and nails in the soles bit
into my feet; the underwear given me
was wooden, despite the warm weather,
and very, very large. My cell mate. who
had broken probation. had been re-
leased from the workhouse only eight
days earlier and the boys gave him
derisive reception. He was not so lucky
with lis bathing. for when he finished
the ards called him out Of line and
sprayed him from head to foot with an
anti-something solution. But. he was
used to it. He didn't care.
We were then lined up for assign
uent to work squads, the captain IN
charge of the day guards filled the
SQuaQS from our IlulllOtl VA ShA% DooS
of the potential proves Of the lndl-
vidual prisoner.
I had given my occupation as clerk
and went to No. squad.
A call at the hospital for physical
examination was next in order ana 10
that department we were escorted by
a guard. In an anteroom placaroea
with signs warning against talking we
were ordered to strip" and after re-
IL 49, tnl iVO
seven colored and five white men sitting
side by side on a plain bench. My
name was the first called.
I entered a room fitted out as clinic
and was ushered to weighing scales by
an assistant to the Workhouse physician,
who was in charge. A prisoner assigned
to Office work sat at a desk few feet
from the scales ready to fill out a caro-
with information given by Grinlsley.
Reply Brings Blow in Face.
Anything wrong with you that you
know OFF, the assistant asked looking
me over.
Nothing" I replied. II am in good
shape"
The assistant tall well proper
toned man, broad of shoulder, square
iawed and apparently able to take care
Of himself in any rough and tumble,
read off my height and weight In dis
interested tone, described my hair ana
ewes and looked at my hands for any
distinguishing mark such as missing
finger, scar or birthmark. He then
intimated that was afflicted with
disease.
"Oh, no; am not" answered.
The next instant I was sWaylng on
my feet, feet, away from the scales on
which I had been standing, my BODY
turned from him, head slightly lowered.
hands clinched, coming out OF daze
much as the prize fighter snaps back to
cover the effect of full blow IN a Vul-
nerable spot.
THE man had swung from the waist
and caught me full on the left side OF
my face with an open palm Nay nose
bied all afternoon and was sore five
Gays Si'm 1as q liar, ann III lie asked rolling
forearm and bracinga his feet as If ex-
pecting charge. oh. no; am not"
he continued, hooking me. well, you
heard what I said. you're prisoner
here and you'd better act like a prs
oner" - -
I had come out of the daze into fight
ing pose uncotlsciously. Instantly re-
Taxed Within reach OF the man was
a heavy hickory stick and the door sep
arating us from the prisoners VINO
waited in the adjoining room was closed
Apology Ends. Attack.
."I beg your pardon" said. Il didn't
mean to say you were lar, SPOKE
quite apologetically and he instantly as
sumed an air Of disinterested unconceLn.
He motioned me to the scales ana SUD-
rnitted me to a more studious examlna-
tion. without comment to the man who
waited with poised pencil at his elbow.
Then he motioned me outside ana the
next prisoner was called.
The men regarded me with interest
when 1 appeared. My face bore req
splotch where the mans mana hao GoliI
nected but otherwise was not MAJ Keo.
Nothing was said about 1t, all OF. US
maintaining silence while each prisoner
went through the routine. When the
last man had been examined, the man
who had been doing the writing an,
nounced that each prisoner VINO Hao
ANYTHING wrong" with nun WouIa re-
port each afternoon at 4:3O O'CLOCK tor
treatment. The doctor would be avail
able at breakfast and at that Time 1or
any injuries, he added.
/ did not report that afternoon nor
the next, nor at any time. 1 was prls-
oner at Occoquan five days ana OLD not
hear from the assistant at the clinic
nor any one in connection with Inc
examination or my failure TO return LOT
treatment"
who had waited in the outer room-a
22-year-old youth sent down for 60
days for vagrancy-asked me II l mao
not got "socked" They heard the
blow, he said.
prisoners do not work after noon on
Saturday, and it being after ! O'CLOCK
when we had gone through the min:
we were directed to the recreation man,
q large. senni-open frame building Wnere
the prisoners are herded when not at
work. Guards, unarmed except LOT
heavy sticks, were stationed about the
Mace. one man on a raised PLATFORM
surveying ~a scene and keeping an eye
on the entranceways. On the pofcn OF
a nearby building guard, snoulueInls
a repeating rife, kept watch. PRISON
ers were allowed TO play base pan IA
tbe afternoon. but for the most part
they. STAYED in the hall, smoking, talk
ing. reading scraps OF week-olo news
papers and coverleSs magazines, playing
with Qrirny cards or stretched out on
plain benches resting.
Brands Food as Unappetizing.
Sunner at 4 O'Clock was an Interrupt
tion. We filed to the dining room,
frame building about 300 yards from
the recreation hall, entering In single
file, white men going to tables on the
left and colored prisoners TO the rlgnI'
A soup, three thick slices OF oreao'
which I maintain was stale, and an
aluminium pan of water, f1ecked with
sand, constituted the meal. could not
touch the food. The rough board tables
were dirty, the soup gave of an un-
pleasant odor and the atmosphere was
not conducive to eating. A youth slt-
ting next me was whispering.
''You lust came in today?