The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-02-01
[ Am Saved From the
Chain Gang

while 1 was working. I received a
sentence of from three to five
years, sending me back to the same
chain gang had left.
ON THE CHAIN GANG
One of the most dreaded instru-
mentS of the most brutal torture
which is used on the chain gang
to punish prisoners is the stock.
I was put in the stock six times.
One day while working in the
quarry a heavy rock fell on my
shoulder. AS a result / was very
sick that night, and being unable
to get out of bed to go to work the
following morning ON account of
fractured shoulder, was put in
the stock When you are let out
you cannot stand up, but the guard
will kick you, urging you to get up.
was put in the stock several times
because / answered the guards
questions. Prisoners are put in the
stock for little OF nothing. I don't
think there is any human as cruel
as these guards.
The only way to escape some Of
this brutal treatment is to spy on
other prisoners, but, if you don't,
these guards will curse and call you
yerything. They will always frame
you up and have you put in the
stock or sweat box or work you at
top speed each day and club you
on the head with pick handle.
Several prisoners were found I'M
conscious when taken out of the
stock. often prisoners are over
come by the heat and fall out on
the ground, or get cramps in the
stomach, caused by eating the rot
ten meals which are given to them.
They are forced to work even i'll
these conditions. The prison doc
tor will always give you pills, no
matter what is wrong with you.
The clothes we wear are always
scanty and very dirty. Those that
work in the quarry are always wet,
summer and winter. Our beds are
always lousy and with bugs in
abundance.
IN the building, where a row of
toilets run from one end to an
other, flies, mosquitoes and the
stencil keeps us awake all night.
The only drinking water available
is in the buckets which hang over
every toilet, around which flies
swarm. The shower baths are To-
Gated in a small corner of the room,
under which about 100 men are
pushing and showing, trying to get
wet. They are allowed only five
minutes to do this, while the guard
curses and abuses us.
Those who are double shackIed
have to, sleep in their pants; if
they did not they would not be able
to get to their feet on time the
next morning. in summer they
were wet with sweat, but we had to
put them on the next morning. 1t
was the same thing for breakfast
every day, sarghum- molasses, thick
sliced fried bacon half done, hot
stuff (chicory coffee and hard
corn bread two days old. If we
complained we would be punished.
Sometimes we were given biscuit
bread, which when broken open
had flies and cocMoaches. We got
black-eye pea, soup for dinner.
which had stones, dirt and worms
floating on top Of the soup, fat
bacon and the same hard corn
bread. For supper we had the
same thing. Every evening there
was some one being put in the
stock because he complained about
the meals.
worked in the stone quarry
with a 40-pound hammer, breaking
rock IL and IA hours day in sum-
mer. A half-inch steel cuff was
put around my neck. A full
length trace chain, nine feet long,
was attached to this collas. At
work, I wrapped this chain around
my waist and tied it with string.
had cuff on each leg with four
teen links Of chain running from
one leg to another. A chain which
is called the upright chain runs
from the middle of the chain be-
tween my legs up to my belt. I
tied this chain to my belt with q
string. Before want to bed
united this chain from around my
waist and let it hang down.
The building chain is q chain
which runs from one end Of the
building to the other and runs
through the rings Of the chains OF
ell HeisneeerzA On fias maykside fHsYx