Chapter 54
CHAPTER XVI.
A pilgrimage through hell !/—Seven years’ experience in the Seatco contract
bastile.—The kind of a hell and swindle this was.—How I was taken
there.—A three or four days journey by wagon, boat and rail.—How I
was judged by people on the road.—Sympathy.—‘‘Either innocent of
crime, or a very bad man.”—The set questions asked by those who
had suffered likewise.—Description of the bastile—How I was im-
pressed.—The kind of people I found the prisoners to be.—And the
officials. —How they were employed.—What they had done and what
they had not done.—Their complaints, ete.—Jumping away.—The
crooked and rocky road to liberty.—Who got there and how.—The
inquisition of the mind.—How prisonersare driven to the frenzy of des-
pair and death.—What they earned and were worth tothe gang. —Whatit
cost the people.—What they got to eat and wear.—How they were
treated when well and when sick.—The punishments.—How I was en-
gaged while in the midst of flaming desolation.—Crazy prisoners.—
The good and bad qualities and conduct of the officials —The redeem-
ing feature of the institution.-—The different nationalities and occupa-
tions represented and their experiences.—One of the Polaris’ crew; six
months on an ice-floe.—The good, bad and mixed.—The innocent,
guilty, and the victims of circumstances, whiskey and accidents,—In-
equality of sentences and treatment.—Robbing the cradle and the grave
for seventy cents a day.—How the prisoners lived and died.—The cen-
sorship on correspondence, 2nd the real object of the same.—A sevre
prison.—Shanghaied prisoners try to make their cases knowa to t!
public.—How the Governor stood in with the gang.—Letters smugyled
by ministers, members of the Legislature, humane guards, etc.—
Squelching letters of vital importance.—‘‘Damn you, you can’t prove
it!” —Like abuses in the Insane asylum.—The remedy.—A plea tht
any prisoner shall at least be accorded a public hearing and let the Peorir
judge.—The worst criminals not in prison but in office.—Their victims
crushed.—A. pet prisoner turned in with a bottle of whiskey anda
pistol in his pockets.—The visiting preachers.—What they thought of
the prisoners and of thie officials One that was a thorough-bred and
would fight the devil in any guise.—What he did for reform, and how
he was bounced.—Can write to him yourself.—Cruel deception. —False
and cheating hopes.—‘‘ There is France! If he had not! en so anxious
about getting home, he would have been ont lov ago. \[ust keep
still and not bore anybody.”—How the meek languished and
died !—How other prisoners were shan ‘Bad cond :ct.”—My
conduct.”’—Strikes, etc.—How officials nterested against a prison-
ers justice.—How ‘‘heaven is sometimes st a. pays us back in
measures that we mete.’’--How prisoners are rob! ed.—Women prison-
ers, and how they were treated.—Visits of the Legislature, etc.—A
(246)
A ne ee
sontract
is taken
—How I
ocent of
bse who
was im-
And the
nd what
y.—The
w.—The
y of des-
—Whatit
ley were
[ was en-
soners. —
y redeem-
1 occupa-
crew; six
innocent,
nts, —In-
the grave
The cen-
A secre
Vib to th
smugyled
s, ete.—
pn’t prove
plea that
he PEOPLE
ir victims
ey and a
ought of
bred and
and how
n,—T'alse
oO anxious
[ust keep
ished and
et.” —My
a prison-
5 back in
n prison-
ete.—A
?
How to Run a Rerorm Prison.
prisoner makes a great speech and his teeth are pulled out for the
trouble it makes the ofticials.--What the Legislature said, and what
they did.—The pardoning power and how it was exercised.—The lie,
that ‘to hear prisoners talk they are all innocent.”’—Reading matter,
etc, —How to contvol prisoners. —How they get revenge. —How prison-
ers should be treated.—Where they should be kept.—How a prison
should be conducted to be self-supporting and to reform those who
need reforming.—How to enforce the sacred right of petition, and the
sober second thought of the people.
TERRITORIAL prisoners had been kept in the different
county jails(where they should have remained), but at the then
last session of the legislature there was a proposition in the
interest of the people, that the general Government sell to the
territory for $36,000, on time, its prison situated on MeNiels
Island, Puget Sound. The prison cost the United States
$50,000 and was worth with the ground over $100,000,
But a gang of Free Masons wanted to get the prisoners by
contract, and got a committee of their brethren appointed to
examine the property and report it to be “unsafe for keeping
prisoners.” This was a brazen falsehood—it being as safe as
perhaps any other prison in the United States, it being built
of iron, stone and brick, and on the general plan of all United
States prisons, and being on a small island. Moreover, no
prisoner had ever broken out of the prison.
Here the prison could be made self-supporting, and without
any abuse of the prisoners, but as the legislature contained
masons enough to control its proceedings it discarded the
generous offer of the Government, and gave to the aforesaid
brethren a contract for the keeping of all territorial prisoners
for six (6) years, giving them seventy cents per day for each
prisoner, and all their labor, besides paying for their transporta-
tion to the prison. Others would keep the prisoners for much
less pay, but they were ignored.
The contractors built a prison of wood, 40x150 feet, two
stories high, at a cost of about $4,000, in the woods on the N.
P. railroad near a coal mine, in which they expected to utilize
their labor. They also run a cooper shop making fish barrels,
and had a tract of land to clear, grub and cultivate, also a brick-
yard, and were to cut wood for the railroad and build short
branches for the same. A large sash and door factory was also
248 A Prrermace In HELL.
built and rim with the prison labor—and all for the benefit of
the gang.
In two or three weeks after my sentence, one of these con-
tractors (full of gir.) came for me and another prisoner. I was
taken out in the yard, double-ironed by a blacksmith, and we
started by wagon for Walla Walla, where we would go by rail
to the Columbia river, thence by boat to Portland and Kalama,
thence by the N. P. railroad to the Seatco Bastile.
I had often desired to travel over this route, but not as a
desperado and in double irons. But this is the way I was
driven from the country where I had worked so hard and pros-
pered so well.
I, however, expected that my stay at the prison would be
brief, and I could then travel as I pleased.
We were three or four days on the road, and the pas-
sengers and others I met were very friendly, refusing to be-
lieve I was such a bad man though I told them that twelve
men had been found who had sworn it without asking a single
question. One group decided after discussing the matter, that
“he is either entirely innocent of crime, or else a very danger-
ous man,” but they were generally unable to understand how I
could be convicted, having such a strong case of self-defense,
and considered it a great outrage that “the Governor was
sworn to correct.” There were some, however, who had had
like experiences with the courts, and simply asked me a few
questions. ‘“ Was the man you killed or those backing him
masons or odd-fellows?” “ Were they who selected the jury?”
“Was the Judge?” “Were your lawyers?” And when I had
answered “Yes!” toeach question, they understood the matter,
and gave me their like experiences. And there were some who
knew one of my attorneys in Oregon, which was enough for
them ; said “he had conspired to murder a man for his money”
—anyway he had got away with the murdered man’s money.
And we wondered whether the people would ever learn, with-
out flaming experience, to discard their secret sworn enemies
for office or trust. Arriving at the prison we were turned into
a hall, 22x90 feet, up stairs; the dining-room, kitchen, tailor
and shoe shop, and the guards’ quarters being on the same
floor ; the cells being below and generally used only to sleep in.
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250 A PILGRIMAGE IN HELL.
I thought it hard usage to be ironed like a felon, having
prided myself on my good and peaceable character, and know-
ing that a jury’s verdict did not change a fact ; but I thought
this would end at the prison. I was, however, soon undeceived,
for when the prisoners came in from work the sight and clatter
of chains was deafening and damnable, nearly all being in
heavy double irons, riveted to their legs, wearing them day and
night, sick or well—all the time. Here were links and rings
that were true emblems of practical masonry, and solid, livid
proof of its cruel inhumanity to other men.
‘The hunted citizeu his death demands,
Is thus cast into the torturer’s hands.”
“Be not abashed, resign thy fear,
Though weak and small thon art,
"Tyas honest labor brought thee here,
And freedom bids thee part.”
‘Thus spoiled and degraded, they were delivered over without pro-
tection, they and their families, to the insults of hired banditti.”
“Consider the absolutely defenseless condition of the ac-
cused, the whole power of the body politic is marshalled
against the individual, it is the commonwealth against the
citizen. A grand jury has declared his probable guilt without
giving him a hearing; an organized and secret tribunal [of
masons] has furnished the trusted officers of the law [also
masons] the names of the accusers, and the judicial power of
the State has been brought into action to compel their pres-
ence before the bar of Justice (?). If necessary the most
talented and unscrupulous advocates in the land are summoned
to aid the already seemingly invincible combination of power.
In what painful contrast is the position of the prisoner, fre-
quently suffering physically from confinement, and mentally
from the terrible nature of the struggle for life and liberty in
which he is engaged; often with insufficient or treacherous
thieving counsel, and without the opportunity of searching out his
own witnesses, or having others perform this necessary labor for
him. The jury asks the question, “If this man is not guilty
why is he here? Why are all these officials paid by the State
having
| know-
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the Stute
How ro Run A Rerorm Prison. 251
to convict him?” and, when a secret sign is given, answers, “ Of
course he is guilty, or he would not be here.” Thus the prisons
contain so large a proportion of innocent men -a proportion
increasing year by year.
The juror who is false to his duty is worse than any crim-
inal he may condemn. He is false to his citizenship, false to
his duty, false to his oath, false to his God. In violation of his
oath he places upon his fellow-citizen, his fellow-man a brand
of ‘nfimy which shall never be removed, he deprives him of
that greatest of civil rights, liberty! degrades him temporarily
to servitude, and places him within the walls of a house of
torture, whence he shall come forth to be followed by scorn,
relentless and remorseless.”
‘*Go, crucify that slave. For what offense ?
Who the accuser ? Where the evidence ?
For when the life of man is in debate,
No time can be too long, no care too great,
—Hear all, weigh all with caution.”
An offense against the gang is committed, an outsider is
arrested, the whole official system is put in motion to concoct
evidence of his guilt, the wretched man is flung into prison and
is kept there until his health is broken down, his hopes of
justice extinguished, and his means of defense extorted and
wasted away, an accommodating judge and jurors, who are
tools of the gang, are selected by officials who are brother
members of the same to try the case, and the whole secret gang
—their press and all—are let loose with a significant sign of
pillage and revenge, arrogance and spleen.
‘And thou—curst man or friend, what’ere thou art,
Who found’st this burning plague-spot in my heart.”
“ Disguise thyself as thou wilt, still slavery! still thou art
a bitter draught ; and though thousands in all ages have been
made to drink of thee, thou art no less bitter on that account.
I began to figure to myself the miseries of confinement. I was
going to begin with the millions of my fellow-creatures born to
no inheritance but slavery, then I took a single captive, and
having first shut him up in his dungeon, beheld his body half
eae
aida in eee lie
252 A PrItGRIMAGE IN HELL.
wasted away with long expectations and confinement, and felt
what kind of sickness of heart it was which arises from
hope deferred. Upon looking nearer I saw him pale and fever-
ish; in thirty years the western breeze had not once fanned
his blood, nor had the voice of friend or kinsman breathed
through his lattice of iron. His children—but here my heart
began to bleed—and I was forced to go on with another part
of the portrait. He lifted up a hopeless eye towards the door,
than cast it down, shook his head, and went on with his work
of affliction; he gave a deep sigh—I saw the iron enter into hig
soul—I burst into tears.”
I found the prisoners at the Seatco prison to be about an
average lot of men—not any more feloneous on the average
than the same number found at a horse race, a dog fight, or
picked up promiscuously most anywhere. One of the guards,
being an old military and naval officer, frequently said that
“the boys here would average well with those of the army or
navy during the war,” and a prisoner said, he “had left his coat
hanging in the hall several months with several dollars in the
pocket, and no one had stolen it yet.” However, petty thieves
or kleptomaniacs—as they are considered when they have in-
fluence at court—afterwards came and were always with us.
Many of the prisoners were guilty of the crimes charged
against them, and freely confessed it; but knowing of so many
worse criminals who were acquitted with just as strong proof
against them, and others who were not even molested, that they
did not think they had got equal justice, and many of these in-
tended, when released, to join one or more of the secret “ charit-
able” brotherhoods so that they too could commit crimes with
impunity. “For, while they (the brethren) never omitted any
sort of violence, nor any unjust sort of punishment against
outsiders, as they were not to be moved by pity, and are never
satisfied with any degree of gain, they were secret partners
with the worst robbers. For a great many then fell into that
practice without fear, as having their secret influence for their
security, and depending on them that they would save them
harmless in their particular robberies and other crimes, and
would inflict punishment on their enemies on the smallest
occasions, and esteem every man that endeavored to lead a
~ es op
ba
or
gr
a1
he
the
d felt
from
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athed
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d that
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ave in-
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against
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mallest
lead @
How To Run A Rerorm Prison.
253
virtuous life their enemy, and the knowledge of the possession
of property or anything desirable to them, is the signal for
attack.”
Many prisoners also complained of the inequality of sen-
tences, considering the cases and characters of the men, many
having the worst of these, and old offenders, too, getting the
lightest sentences, while others having the best of cases and
characters, and it being their first and only offense, and more
accidental than intentional, would get five, ten and fourteen
years.
‘‘ Who blame, where’er they go from pole to pole,
And for one single blemish damn the whole.”’
Other prisoners were innocent of any crime—they being
simply plundered and thus put out of the way to keep them
from “ making trouble” or being in the way of their midnight
robbers, they were also very profitable to the contractors—
these are not convicts, they being kidnapped, not convicted, they are
the victims of cruel, dastardly persecutions.
‘“‘But oh! what sorrows rend the tender heart,
With home ‘sweet home’ that dearest, darling child to part.”
‘But hear our prayer—the ruffian sword employ ;
Drive us—but spare your efforts to decoy ;
Spare to your victims those heart-rending throes,
Which the poor, cheated self-destroyer knows !
The maddening thought that by your arts enticed,
Our folly drained the bowl which you had spiced,
And closed their suffering by an easy death.”
I found that the prisoners were not ironed on account of
bad conduct, but to save expense in guarding to the contract-
ors and to gratify their personal love of cruelties by thus ag-
gravating the prisoners’ lot. And this aggravation caused many
aman in the rage of despair to jump away—more than it ever
held from it, and they jumped with nothing but bitterness in
their souls.
‘Still our bosoms ne’er at rest,
Thirst for the blood that warms the traitor’s breast
Yet vengeance still survives, than life more dear,
Taunts every groan and prompts the exulting sneer,”
}
(
Dy
a
ui
t
al
254 A PrvGrimace In HELL
I was told how peaceable men were kept ironed for weeks
and months when even confined to their beds with sickness,
and how a dose was forced down one who forthwith died, etc.,
as mere examples of the kind of care and charity accorded the
helpless sick in their gloom of black misfortune and helpless
despair. And they knew whereof they spoke, and could
abundantly justify in details of facts.
“There is an inquisition of the heart more cruel in its
machinery than any ever invented for the body.”
I said that “I did not calculate to stay there but a short
time, as I was innocent of any crime, having only defended my
life and home; and that I could show and prove this so plainly
that none could honestly doubt it; that I was not convicted but
shanghaied ; that I was sold and betrayed and not defended ; that
besides this showing I had some friends left who would get up
a strong petition to the Governor for my restoration.”
But it was prophesied that I “would find it a narrow,
crooked, miry, stumpy and rocky road to liberty, as others
with good cases and many friends had failed to get there ; that
the Governor was evidently secretly interested with the con-
tractors and others, in holding on to men, because they could
not get pardoned as was usual from other prisons, or even get
the abatement of time for good conduct that was common else-
where, and always in the power and province of the Governor to
bestow.
Some also believed that the Judges were likewise interested
against the prisoners’ justice, as they, too, were willing that in-
nocent men should suffer at seventy cents a day besides their
labor.
That these suspicions were reasonable, I also give this
from the Press:
‘*AuBANY, N, Y., June 22, 1886.—Judge Nott announced to-day in
the Albany County Court that he had been approached by Superintendent
, of the Albany penitentiary, with an offer of $50, for each long term
a prisoner was sent there. This attempt at bribery created a profound
sensation.”
It is evident that this Judge and Superintendent did not
belong to the same secret sworn brotherhood, or he would not
have dared to expose the business. And at Seatco the prisoners
mor
brea,
set t]
case;
all t:
weeks
ckness,
dl, ete.,
led the
elpless
. could
l in its
a short
ded my
plainly
ted but
d; that
l get up
narrow,
3 others
re ; that
the con-
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terested
that in-
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rofound
did not
uld not
isoners
How To Run A Rerorm Prison. 255
en
were worth $300 or $400 each per year to the gang, and the
press of the territory, being mostly in the control of the same
brethren, was muzzled as to such outrages, except to deny
their existence.
The following day after my arrival I was taken out to the
blacksmith-shop where the irons I had on were cut off, and a
pair of heavier ones substituted, they being connected with a
chain long enough to step; reports were then sent out that
“this was done because I was such a bad, desperate man.”
‘To impress terror on their feelings by every atrocious cruelty that
could deter them from expressing their disapprobation of these excesses.”
And a censorship was placed on the victims’ correspond-
ence so as to bury the truth and make this a secret prison.
I was then set to work in the cooper-shop—they wanted
to make a cooper of me sol would be a profit to the gang of
$2 or $3 a day. It is evident that they knew in advance, in a
secret way, that the Governor would hold on to me, though
knowing Iwas shanghaied and never convicted. However, I did
not owe the devils anything, and therefore I was no mechanic ;
finding I was no account as a cooper, I was given the job of
sawing off the ends of the staves for the others to cooper ; this
was a good job for the place, and I retained it as long as I
worked in the shop—about a year.
The coopers were given tasks, being about three-quarters
of what would be a Journeymen’s days work at $3 aday. But
it should always be remembered that the inquisition of the
mind that many prisoners suffer on account of their persecu-
tions, is enough for them to endure without being compelled to
labor at all, wherein they can have no possible interest ; “ Doomed
to deal out, forbidden to enjoy.” And then, they suffer for not
having the vacations and recreations, and suitable fare that
others enjoy ; therefore prisoners should not be required to do
more than half a regular days work, unless it be intended to
break them down and drive them to the frenzy of despair and
set them against work the vest of their lives, as was done in many
cases at Seatco, and these too, who had been industrious workers
all their lives,
Influential members of secret charitable brotherhoods,
i aI
A PitarimaGeE In HELL.
256
when in prison for a time, never work much, and their health is
better than other prisoners’ who work hard. There are other
modes of exercise besides that of unpaid, thankless toil, and this
toil is rarely any benefit to the State. Jt is stolen by the gang
who never work themselves, and if they drank less whiskey
would be in pretty good health.
A cooper here kept an account of what he earned for this
secret gang. It amounted to about $3,500, and although he
had never been punished—except as all others in a general
way—and never openly charged with any misconduct, yet he
could not get even the abatement of time provided by law.
How does this “ benefit society ?”
As an example of how they would take the advantage of
one’s ignorance and industry I give this : Prisoners were issued
some tobacco each week, but not enough for those much ad-
dicted to its use, so one of the coopers told the superintendent
that he would make an extra barrel each day for a week if he
would give him twenty-five cents worth of tobacco. “I will do it,
by G-o-a-d,” was the reply, and at the end of the week he paid
it, and then told the victim to “just keep on making four
barrels a day, as that would be his task thereafter, without any
extra tobacco.”
But for the reasons heretofore given this was more than
he could do and do well, and consequently stood siege after
siege of bread and water punishment, he being driven to retali-
ate with bad work, etc., etc, and they had to take him out of
the shop and put him at common work ; and when his time had
rightfully expired, he was kept on several months longer (at
seventy cents a day and his labor) “because of his bad con-
duct.”
This bread and water punishment was to put a man into a
darkened cell without a bed, and starve and in winter freeze
him for from one to twenty days at a time. There should never
and need never be any worse punishment for even real devils
and the worst cases in prison. This ought not to be forgotten.
This was supposed to be the only punishment at Seatco; but
prisoners were tortured there in various other ways also.
culth is
other
id this
e gang
hiskey
or this
ugh he
general
yet he
by law.
tage of
e issued
uch ad-
itendent
ak if he
ill do it,
he paid
ng four
hout any
bre than
ge after
o retali-
n out of
ime had
nger (at
ad con-
m into a
r freeze
Id never
1 devils
lorgotten.
co; but
0.
How To Run Aa Rerorm Prison.
‘Where o’er her shambles,
Torture pants for breath,
And where to look, to think, is death.”’
So grasping were the contractors that they would work
men on the verge of the grave. One being ill and unable to
work was thrust in the bread and water cell, as was frequently
done; when let out he was insane; he lay in his cell a few days
with his clothes on and uncared for, when I helped him up to the
hall and got him into the “hospital” (?) tailor and shoe-shop—
which was all one. He did not know anyone, and was picking
his clothes and begging for water ; be had typhoid-pneumonia.
While in the bread and water cell, for days he drank dirty
water to slake his burning thirst. He finally, by a mere scratch,
recovered, but was unable to walk without crutches for a long
time. He said that I had saved his life. This was when an
ex-Governor was the Doctor.
“We know the savage for what he is, the same every-
where, the same ruthless, cruel, blood-thirsty, treacherous and
tyrannical animal, ruling only by the strong hand, and with no
innate conception of goodness or virtue.”
Others were forced out to work when ill, and soon after-
wards died.
A man was sick for over a year, so that he frequently
had to be assisted to walk; yet he was kept in heavy double
irons all the time. After the prisoners were finally taken
away from the contractors, he got full abatement of time for
“his uniform good conduct” in spite of the abuse tending to
drive a victim to desperation.
As an example of how trifling and aggravating these masons
were, I give this: Every one was expected to furnish his own
comb; but as one prisoner came in they kept his comb. It
was a broken piece, but was all he had, and he wanted it; so
they trifled, lied and humbugged him about it till he re-
fused to “go out to work until he got it;” consequently they
kept him on bread and water (a very little bread) sixty-three
out of sixty-eight days till he was almost dead and could hardly
walk, then they gave him the comb, and he resumed work. He
was a pious man and had been a preacher.
Another was treated the same way over a little tobacco;
17
papas reine
ena ETAT a5 0
258 A PiuarmaceE IN HEL
he finally got his tobacco and resumed work—he had been a
Sheriff.
‘‘Spirits of fire, that brood not long,
But flash resentment back for wrong,
And hearts where, slow but deep, the seeds,
Of vengeance ripen into deeds,”
‘Know their rights and knowing dare maintain.”
Even when prisoners are wrong in such little things, it
should always be considered that they may be in a stress of mind
that makes them morally irresponsible for what they may do, and
are not really themselves. Only tyrants and devils will aggravate
and then torture men when in such a frenzied condition.
A prisoner was keeping a diary of what transpired at
Seatco, but the warden took it from him with a severe warning
to uncover nothing of their evil doings if he valued his liberty.
They were midnight men and they wanted to make this a secret
prison.
I was taken from the cooper-shop and set to clearing land
and farming; the devils not content with ravaging the home I
had made before, they wanted me to build and work another
for them to enjoy. But I was worn down and had also learned
as much as an Indian by this time, and considered home-build-
ing a humbug, so I did not build very well or speedily. There-
fore they cut the irons off, and turned me loose to work in and
have charge of the dining-room, etc., and of the other prisoners
while at their meals. I now ate in the kitchen, and lived as
well as the guards or anybody on the ranch.
I could have run away from the prison almost any day, as
I was given no limits, and could go fishing between meals and
my work. But conscious of my innocence I felt that I must
surely get out without running, and I was doing all I could to
this end, as will hereafter appear; and that the road was in-
deed ‘narrow, crooked, miry, stumpy, rocky,” and ambushed
with mystic devils armed with poisoned arrows that they shot
in the dark.
After being in the dining-room, etc., for about two years, I,
with others, was employed by a sub-contractor at seventy-five
cents a day to build a store and dwelling house by the rail-
bu
po
roc
gre
we
ret
thi:
wit
pea
res]
eng
faul
and
wou
if vb
insti
been a
ings, it
of mind
do, and
spravate
Le
pired at
warning
) liberty.
a secret
‘ing land
> home I
another
» learned
ne-build-
. There-
k in and
byisoners
lived as
y day, as
eals and
I must
could to
was in-
mbushed
ey shot
years, I,
enty-five
he rail-
How To Run A Rerorm Prison, 259
yoad, One day, when this was about completed, while I was
burning a pile of logs in the brush some distance from the
building, one of the prisoners, having about a lifetime sentence,
skipped out, and holding that I knew of his going, and had
seen him pass by without giving an alarm, I must be punished
accordingly, as was usual in such cases; though I had told
them at the outset that “J would not guard a fellow-prisoner
from his liberty.” So, for revenge, J was put in double irons
again, given a nine foot saw to run alone, and was to be con-
sidered and run like a saw-mill rushed with orders—to make
wood for the railroad.
Oh! my countrymen, what a saw-mill! !
The guard-and-chief-worthy-grand-master was drunk and
mad; in fact, he was always drunk and mad ; he drank a quart
of bad whiskey every day, but he could not run that saw-mill
toa profit. So he drank more whiskey and died. And the
escaped prisoner was never caught.
“He neither stayed to soothe or force,
But wisely stole away.”
I was then transferred to the tailor-shop, where I slept;
but I was a poor tailor—then to the kitchen, but I was a very
poor cook. So not being fit for anything else, I was made
room warden—that is I had charge of the big hall, and toa
great extent over the conduct of all the prisoners while they
were in it—about one-third of the daytime—which position I
retained during the last several years at Seatco, and I do not
think that any prisoner thus employed ever got along better
with both prisoners and such officials, as will hereafter ap-
pear.
However, with all of his meanness and thievery in other
respects, the warden was good to work under—that is to those
engaged on the inside. Ido not know of his ever finding any
fault with any of my work, or much with that of others,
and he was my boss the most of the time I was in prison; he
would frequently tell me to tell the guards “ to go to hell,” etc.,
if hey assumed any authority over me.
This hall was the only redeeming feature of the Seatco
institution ; it gave all an opportunity to exchange reading
matter, and to acquaint themselves with the knowledge and
eae ee
260 A PirarmaaceE 1n HEL.
experiences of the others, and many of them had had lots of it
besides their experiences with lawyers and courts that give the
worst characters the lightest sentences, bankrupts and convicts
the innocent, and charges $900 to settle a dispute over a $9
calf, and gives an outsider against a midnight-man no justice
at any price.
Such free association of prisoners (ant newspapers) should be
granted, let it be understood, to enable them to keep up with the
times, so as to hold some ground against the world whose
spotted hands are to be ever raised against them.
Some of them were around-the-world sailors; one was
with the ill-fated Polaris and six months on an ice-floe ; some
had been through the war on either side and that with Mexico,
and wore the scars ; one was wounded as was Garfield, and re-
covered without any fuss or physicians ; one was a brother of
and on the staff of a famed general; another was with Walker
in his expeditions to Mexico and Central America ; nearly every
nationality and country was represented, and a Mohammedan
who wished himself back in India, and there were Indians of
many tribes.
Many of the inmates were ravaged home-builders; then
there were professional sports and criminals, who, when guilty,
stood their imprisonment best; home-builders stood theirs the
worst—they “ wanted to go home!” Men who strike out in a
wilderness to carve out homes with their own hard labor are
not criminals, nor are they cowards or cringing slaves.
One of these had put the proceeds of two farms in the
States, and six years hard labor into a home, and considered
himself worth $50,000, when the masons robbed him of it, and
shanghaied him here to keep him from “making trouble”
about it, and his wife and children had to work out for a living.
He was advised that he would be pardoned (?) if he would not
return to recover his own. His sentence was ten years. He
was held several years till the plunder was secured, and the
thieves could say, “Damn you, you can’t prove that we did it,”
and his friends had delivered up their property too, then
he was granted a new trial, and declared to be “ innocent
of any crime.” And masons say, “ We have a good Judi-
ciary.” Other victims could never get any trial as they
at:
val
enc
san
cen
gui
mai
sely
whi
nati
yts of it
zive the
sonvicts
er a $9
justice
hould be
with the
1 whose
yne was
e; some
Mexico,
, and re-
‘other of
1 Walker
rly every
ymmedan
ndians of
prs; then
en guilty,
heirs the
out in a
labor are
ms in the
bnsidered
of it, and
trouble”
: a living.
ould not
bars. He
, and the
e did it,”
too, then
© innocent
od Judi-
as they
How to Run A Reronm Prison. 261
could “prove that they did i,” and thus “make trouble.”
So these had to suffer prolonged miseries not to be described
in their gloom of black misfortune. Quite a number of mere
boys were also inmates at seventy cents a day and their labor,
and they went out much worse than when they came. One
had honestly made and saved and loaned $200 or $300, which
he wouid lose if not released a short time before his time ex-
pired, and he begged the Governor to allow him to preserve it,
but the Governor being his enemy, held him to the last day, and
though the people (without any daylight opposition) had
strongly petitioned for his release also. But what do black-leg
officials care for the mere will of the people, or the well-being
of outsiders.
“They sneer at pleading virtue’s tearful eye—the ‘cold sneer which speaks
the cankered heart,’
And themselves are guilty of ‘Crimes which load the groaning earth with
shame.’”’
And there were men fifty to sixty, and even seventy years
old who had never been even arrested before, and were inno-
cent yet. But practical masonry in its greed and “ charity ” (?)
robs the cradle and the grave.
And there were insene men who were beaten and kicked ;
one such, however, was not; for he would have killed his tor-
menter too quick and swe.
There ranged from about fifty-five to one hundred prisoners
ata time, but several would come and go nearly every month—as
many as one could be intimately acquainted with and their
various cases. I frequently assisted them in their correspond-
ence as to their cases, etc., and know whereof I write as to the
same,
About two-thirds were native born. About twenty per
cent. were innocent. Over fifty per cent. of those who were
guilty were caused directly or indirectly by whiskey. And
many who were innocent had only dared to defend them-
selves against whiskey.
A majority of the prisoners would vote for prohibition of
whiskey.
About twenty per cent. of those who were guilty were
natural born criminals and generally calculated to join, after
262 A PiuGrmMacE IN HELL.
their release, some secret charitable gang, “so that they too
would have overpowering influence at court, and could commit
crime with impunity.”
{mprisonment will never reform even those who need re-
forming, until the courts and prison officials and Governors are
reformed—they being worse criminals than the worst they
send and hold in prison. Jt is amazing that facts so simple and
vital should not be obvious to all.
“The wise may preach, but wiser nature shows
That half our heroes but from midnight scoundrels rose.”
For the last several years the big hall in the prison, when
all were in, resembled a western saloon except the bar ; card
playing, with Faro and other gambling games, checkers, chess,
etc. ; reading and talking, chewing and smoking, and sometimes
singing and dancing, with an occasional fight. However, but
one man was ever thus laid up for repairs—this being done to
the ‘“ hardest case Ju the prison” by “the most peaceable and
‘meek of all”’—with a knife.
They did their own butchering at Seatco, and so grasping
were these charitable brethren that they did this on Sunday,
and they frequently used stock that had been killed by the
railroad or was suffering from disease.
This prison was different from any other in the world,
there was no discipline, or humanity, or care for reform; but
rather a school for crime; the officials being teachers by pre-
cept and example—the Governor being worthy-grand-high-chief
of villainy. Work and money was all they wanted. They were
& grasping, vulgar, smutty-mouthed, profane, card-playing,
lying, drunken, brutal outfit of masons.
Every means was used to prevent prisoners from getting
out legitimately—-the Governor being a willing tool.
These official gentlemen would alienate prisoners from
their friends in ways that were dark and cruel, and the petty
tricks, juggles, frauds and cold-blooded lying one had to suffer,
was a burning torment to the brain. By preventing them from
writing, by holdin+ back and squelching their letters, by lying
about their conduct and their cases. For example : A prisoner's
folks had written to him in regard to his appealing his case to
|
oF
a
eae
they too
commit
need re-
rors are
yrst_ they
mple and
on, when
yar; card
rs, chess,
ometimes
vever, but
g done to
eable and
) grasping
Sunday,
bd by the
Ihe world,
form; but
s by pre-
iigh-chief
They were
1-playing,
n getting
hers from
the petty
to suffer,
hem from
, by lying
prisoner's
is case to
How to Run a Rerorm Prison. 263
the supreme court, and registered the letter ; this was held back
for over a year till it was too late todo him any good. Another,
on hearing that the Governor was going to a place near where
his folks were, wrote to his wife accordingly, so she could meet
and plead his case to him ; this was held back till the Governor
had returned.
And many letters were never heard from at all.
They took all the writing material they could find from
the prisoners (they robbed them of it) and made it a rule that
none should write more than one letter a mouth.
This I say was evidently done to aliewite them from their
friends and a helping hand ; as though friends at such times
didn’t drop off fast enough anyway, and also to prevent victims
of the gangs from making their cases known and thus “ make
trouble” by exposing their villainy, and as though they
could not squelch and steal letters fast enough as it was.
WILL You JusT THINK of the condition of men who were un-
expectedly convicted? Their bus.ness and family matters un-
settled ; and having been betrayed and sold by their attorneys,
their cases not worked up so as to enable them to properly
present them to the deaf and stony-hearted, gras) ing and high-
priced executive, or higher court; and gangs of robbers left
free-handed and encouraged to ravage their unprotected homes,
property, and families—from whom they have been kidnapped
and torn by prostituting the courts, and with whom they are
now to be cut off from all certain communication.
And then, for the Go vernor to give as a reason for holding
them in such secret bastile, that “they might make trouble ”
with these same court-prostituti: g-home-ravagers and thieves
—his brethren!
And, moreover, although there was a daily mail, it was
only delivered once a week, if at all, and they frequently held
back from mailing for a week or a month that which was handed
out to mail—if they sent it at all.
For example: A prisoner wrote and handed out a letter
March 19; not hearing from it in a month he wrote to the same
person again April 21, he paying for the registering of each.
It transpired that they were mailed together April 29th, thus
holding back the first one about six weeks and the other eight days.
264 A. PrucrmmaGeE IN HEI.
Another letter was written and handed out July 27, mailed
August 18—held back twenty-two days.
Another was written November 23, to a Judge, and held
back till December 5.
Just think of the torment—the inquisition of the mind of
men thus treated while languishing im prison, and often in a
dying condition !
A man was held for a cancer to gnaw his lip, face and life
away, His neighbors petitioned in vain for his restoration at
the outset of the cancer, when it could have been cut out. He
finally put up a large sum of money to get out, and after tor-
turing delays was released to die such a death. He was an
old pioneer and a good citizen.
A man complained to a visiting member of the legislature
that he had sent thirteen letters without hearing from any, and
asked him to smuggle one out and mail it for him, which
he willingly did, and it brought a reply.
Frequently guards, ministers and other visitors, and others
intimate with prisoners would do this. ZT'his was real charity tu
the oppressed, and better than armloads of tracts and sermons,
Sometimes letters were thrown onto passing trains, or
dropped on the road—trusting to tramps and Providence.
Asick prisoner whose illness the officials and prison doctor
would not recognize, wrote to an eminent physician to come
and give him a thorough examination and prescribe for him;
this they would not sent. Yet, when they themselves were
sick—as they were with horrible diseases—they discarded t/
prison doctors for others, as more competent to treat them.
Letters were smuggled to wives, brothers, sisters, ete.; and to
judges, ministers, members of the legislatures, editors, ete.
But it was difficult to make even one’s own friends at a dis-
tance understand the horrible condition of affairs, and that the
Governor was so loyal to the gang. One said, that he could
not make “his own mother comprehend this.” And editors,
etc., being generally of the same brotherhood, were therefore
loath to expose its crimes and cruelties ; though occasionally
some of the press had something to say in condemnation of the
Seatco secret hell, clippings of which I have preserved, as wil!
mailed
nd held
mind of
ten in a
and life
ation at
ut. He
iter tor-
was an
rislature
any, an
1, which
d others
tharity tv
ONS.
ains, or
ree,
bn doctor
to come
or him;
es were
rded te
nt them.
; and to
ete.
at a dis-
that the
e could
editors,
herefore
sionally
un of the
, as will
How To Run Aa Rerorm Prison. 265
—
hereafter appear, though such papers were generally squelched
from the prisoners.
Of course, a Governor, with but the pardoning power alone,
can correct any prison abuse, and has opportunities to show the same
to the people.
A prisoner undertook to register his letters; they were of
vital importance and he wanted them to go. This was opposed
on one false pretext after another, until they found that he
could get them out in some other way unknown to them. But
then they would frequently delay mailing them, refuse to give
up receipis, or squelch the letters entirely, or the answers to
them. Anyway, many answers were written and mailed but
not received. He also undertook to send a statement or
epitome of his case toa friend to publish; this the warden
frequently declared he “did mail and register,” and he charged
for it aecordingly ; but he “ forgot (?) the receipt.” No return
receipt came ; he would not permit the matter to be traced up,
and the M. 8. 8. was not received. So he evidently stole it.
had cost the prisoner $5 to get a copy of it to the Executive
‘, I will give this epitome to the reader in due course.
Complaints were made to the Governor of such abuses,
but they might just as well have been made to the devil. He
did not want the true cases of innocent prisoners to be made known
to the public, as this might alleviate their sufferings, compel their
release, and bring condemnation on the gang.
It appeared that the Insane asylum was also run by a gang
of midnight gentry,and that letters of the inmates were treated
in the samse manner as here. But one of the sane persons they
were holding, managed to live to get her liberty in some way,
and by writing a pamphlet and otherwise agitating the masonic
abuses, got, after much opposition and by fighting it through
personally, the following law passed by the legislature.
THE INSANE AsyLUM Act.
The following is the text of the law ‘‘to protect inmates of insane
asylums,”
Sno. 1. Be it enacted, etc., That heneeforth there shall be no censor-
shi) exercised over the correspondence of the inmates of insane asylums,
except as to the letters to them directed, but their other post office rights
shall be as free and wmrestrained as are those of any other resident, or
266 A Pitarmace In HELL
citizen of our Territory, and be under the protection of the same postal
laws, And every inmate shall be allowed to write one letter per week, to
any person he or she may choose. And it is hereby made the duty of the
superintendent to furnish each and every inmate of each and every insane
asylum, both public and private in the Territory of Washington, with suit-
able material for writing, enclosing, sealing, stamping and mailing letters,
sufficient for the writing of one four-page letter a week, provided they re-
quest the same, unless they are otherwise furnished with it; and all these
letters shall be dropped by the writers themselves, accompanied by an at-
tendant when necessary, into a post office box, provided by the Territory
at the institution, in some place easily accessible to all the patients; and
the contents of these boxes shall be collected at least as often as once in
each week, by an authorized post office agent. And it is hereby made the
duty of the superintendent of every insane asylum in the Territory of Wash-
ington both publie and private, to deliver or cause to be delivered to said
person, any letter or writing to him or her directed, provided the physician
in charge does not consider the contents of such letter dangerous to the
mental condition of the patient.
Src. 2. That in the event of the sudden or mysterious death of any
inmate of any insane asylum, either public or private, in the Territory of
Washington, such fact shall be reported by the superintendent thereof to
the coroner of the county in which such death occurs, or to the nearest
justice of the peace therein, and a coroner’s inquest shall be held as pro-
vided by law in other cases, And in allasylum investigations, the testimony
of any person offered as a witness, whether sane or insane, shall be com-
petent, and the court and jury shall be the sole judges of the credibility of
such testimony.
Src. 8. That any person refusing or neglecting to comply with, or
willfully and knowingly violating any of the provisions of this act, shall
upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment in the penitentiary
for a term not exceeding three years, or by fine not exceeding five hundred
dollars, or both at the discretion of the court, and shall be ineligible to any
office in the institution afterward.
If the coroner, or justice of the peace, court, or jury were
sworn secret-brethren to those who had poisoned or otherwise
murdered or abused inmates, then of what avail would be see.
2 of the law, or sec. 1, either?
The sane inmate they had held, endeavored to have the
mail addressed to the inmates, protected in the same way, but
the ring influence was too strong. When thus amended this should
be the law as to all prisons, and “ charitable” (?) brethren should be
disqualified for office.
All reasons and excuses against such a law are flimsy and
same postal
er week, to
duty of the
very insane
1, with suit-
ling letters,
led they re-
nd all these
1 by an at-
he Territory
atients; and
nas once in
by made the
ory of Wash-
vered to said
he physician
erous to the
leath of any
Territory of
it thereof to
o the nearest
held as pro-
he testimony
hall be com-
credibility of
ply with, or
his act, shall
penitentiary
five hundred
igible to any
jury were
+ otherwise
uld be see.
» have the
e way, but
this should
m should be
flimsy and
How To Run a Rerorm Prison. 267
false and against equal justice. No black-leg oficial should be
allowed to touch a letter addressed to or by a prisoner.
Remember that even guilty prisoners are not worse than
other men, whose persons are held sacred against the laws they
violate with impunity !
And whether they are or not, none but a tyrant and thief
would deny them a public hearing, and let the people judge.
And if such a law was universal and enforced, thousands of inno-
cent and sane prisoners would at least be heard from, who have
never yet had a hearing and are languishing in secret prisons in
the agony of despair!
When everybody knows that the courts and other functions
of government, with a servile press, are used as machines to
shield the worst and most dangerous criminals, and to plunder
and ravage for the gang, that they are sinks of prostitution,
rotten with crime and soaked with the hearts’ blood of the in-
nocent, will the people not therefore see to it, that these trnocent vic-
tims shall at least have a hearing ?
Freedom of speech and correspondence are completely an-
nihilated, and their lives are in perpetual danger, while their pre-
carious existence depends upon the fraud or vielence of every-
thing that approaches them. And their mental faculties, that
should aid their individual and corporal weakness, ure wnculti-
vated and neglected for want of communication with their fellow-
creatures.
Do not be too much deafened by the chatter, power and in-
fluence of the gang, to hear the still voice of personal anguish.
At least think of those who are languishing and dying without a
hearing, while you are reading this !
Though secret-ring men are seldom prosecuted for their
crimes, except in a farcical way, for a blind, and to turn the
people’s money into their pockets, yet, when one’s crime has be-
come too notorious, and the people are watching, in spite of
them and their press to hide it or give it another name, they
may apparently permit him to be punished as other men.—As
example: There was one such, who got one year at Seatco
while another man, for the same kind of offense, but who was
less guilty, had four and a half years. The gentieman was turn-
ed into the hall, with the rest of us, to amuse himself for a
268 A PrGriMaGceE IN HELL.
couple of days, with a bottle of whiskey and his pistol in his
pockets; then he was turned out to go about the country and
live and attend to his business as he pleased. There was no
censorship exercised over jis correspondence. He was an
auctioneer and surveyor, and got such employment about the
country while a prisoner.
The people living near the prison became favorably im-
pressed with many of the prisoners, who were frequently en-
gaged to work for them on their release without any prejudice,
and sometines married into their families. One, thus, to his
eternal sliame, became related to one of the prison contractors.
He did his courting while a prisoner.
Another example of a secret ring man who had followed an
unarmed man up while on his way home with some friends,
and shot him dead. The people wanted to lynch him, but he
being one of the gang, he was released on bail, and about a
year afterwards was sentenced to two and a half years; but
belonging to the same brotherhood as the Governor, he soon
pardoned him out, while spurning justice and the expressed
will of the people, to release others who had never been guilty
at all. And he knew it.
For years no mimster preached to the prisoners. I re-
member one calling in to visit them ; the warden let him in the
hall and then stood in the door watching him as tliough afraid
he would steal something, which so annoyed the preacher (as
was intended) that he soon left, saying, that “the warden evi-
dently comsidered him an intruder, and wanted him to leave.”
Another preacher said that he “would come and preach to the
boys if he could get his horse fed and his dinner, but that they
would not thus accommodate him,” so he did not come.
Finally, the legislature provided for two preachers, each to
visit the prison once a month, and under this provision we had
five or six different ones. They were reminded that the ofli-
cials and Govermor needed reforming more than their prisoners
which, after becoming acquainted with both, they found out
themselves and so declared.
Some of them teok a practical interest in the prisoners,
and on learming how their letters were stolen, would take out
letters. for them, and would also write letters in their behalf.
1 in his
try and
was no
was an
out the
bly im-
utly en-
‘ejudice,
3, to his
tractors.
owed an
friends,
, but he
about a
urs ; but
he soon
pressed
n guilty
s. I re-
m inthe
th afraid
sher (as
len evi-
leave.”
h to the
at they
each to
we had
he ofti-
‘jsoners
nd out
isoners,
ake out
half.
(aie
}%
How To Run A Rerorm Prison. 269
One went to see the Governor as to what was required to
secure the release of one of the innocent prisoners (Mr. D )
whose case he (the preacher) had investigated and found to be
so. His Excellency put him off with “Oh, yes; I have seen
Mr. D——~, and he told me all about his case. I am consider-
ing it, good-day.” He had never exchanged a single word with
the prisoner about his case. The fact was, these ring Governors
did rot want to know of a prisoner’s innocence, and would sneer
at and close their ears and eyes to the most positive proof there-
of; and the plaintive wails of their helpless suffering victims
was as music to their little cankered souls. The Judiciary
being a part of the gang, was good to them and “must be up-
held.”
Mr. Parker was the bravest, and most earnest and practi-
cal of any minister that we had, and we were all always soglad
to see him come and visit us; he would condemn the black-
legs as frankly as did any prisoner, and he tried to get the
warden removed, and get some one with some good morals in
his place; said that he “had written several letters to the
Governor making serious charges against the officials, but that
he (the Governor) would not even answer his letters.” Then
he applied to the legislature to reform the albuses, to which his
Excellency (?) replied by bouncing Mr. Parker. I believe that
the Governor was virtually sworn to shield the other officials,
as they belonged to the same oath-bound society.
No evangelist need, however, to expect the confidence, or
even respect, of prisoners who will not openly condemn official
criminals, and advocate justice to their victims.
Mr. Parker had been so prejudiced or rather misinformed
as to these prisoners that he was very timid on his first visit to
them, as though afraid of his life, and was accompanied in the
hall with a guard; he stopped near the door, delivered his
sermon, and got out as quick as one would from a den of lions.
But by the next time he came he had informed himself and
came in alone, and then, as ever afterwards, went the length of
the hall shaking hands in familiar intercourse and getting
acquainted with as many as he could, and did his preaching at
the further end of the hall. He would thus prolong his visits
declaring that “the association of the prisoners as a whole,
sucrose. Seka srense vay
i
gi
ig
5
$
P|
;
270 A PruGrRm™aceE In HEtr1.
was much move congenial to him than that of the officials who
would rather play cards and talk smut than to hear him or the
others preach morality and justice,’ and they did so at the
same time in an adjoining room. The other ministers were
also very good and sociable and all that; but they were afraid
to oppose and fight the devil where he had any power, and were
therefore of little practical use.
There was a board of prison directors, including the Gov-
ernor, but as they were brother masons to the contractors,
they played a very silly and cruel farce. Such boards of breth-
ren are a useless expense to the people; they are worse than useless,
for they can screen and whitewash abuses and blind the people.
I remember a picnic party visiting the prisonon a 4th of
July; their sociability, the songs they and the prisoners sang, and
the kindly feeling they manifested to them on seeing and learn-
ing some of the cruelties practiced here by secret villainy—
some weeping; the superintendent growled out that he
“wished they would stay away and not be slinging their snot
around here.” He was pretty drunk, but drunk or sober, this
expressed his style and feeling.
A sick prisoner pleading to him to be excused from work,
using the names of the doctor and Governor, weuld get in re-
ply, ‘‘ By G-o-a-d, Jam the doctor! Jam the Governor, and J
am the law, too, by G-o-a-d!” And so he was. A whole
community would earnestly petition the Governor to justly
restore a prisoner to them, but in vain, against the crook of this
animal’s little finger.
He would promise prisoners to assist them in getting re-
leased, and then evidently oppose it. He promised one that
“if he would keep quiet and work faithfully for two years he
would then take hold and assist him to get released,” and poor
Ben believed it. No man was more “ quiet” or worked more
faithfully than he; so when the two long, weary years were
thus worked and suffered out, he suggested to the gentleman
that he make the promised effort, and got this in return,
“Oh! if I was in your place, Ben, I wouldn’t bother the Gov-
ernor about it—there is France! if he had not been so
anxious about it he would have been out l-o-n-g ago.” France
had then been in about two and a half years, and poor, honest
uy
—
GIP 1 tt SRE EE:
at
and the law too!”’
ty
)
dq
bl
o>
S
ZO
Bs
a+.
h st
a 3
A, 2
ss i
oO
ta
Witz 2
“o>
FY,
a
ite slat POOLS ag ILE LED Eee! 2.
Se
“You goto work! for Jam the Do
. «1 6 o>
wwe ~ 1 o n At et DOE DO t R
Coonan Oo (gt oo ST 4g 25-4 442 Soa eeanoSeegseho* ae
ities Saree ) Ces eS SS po oe EP es aeG ws 3
Eee ee 2 So SS Sa fF ss n> S94 2s su coor 2A OS wom oS
PTS ES? SEEESS Ge Te2, Fa2F AS PbS ee eee
mM we SS a Sa ES oO; = eee ee ere) a Pa ;
so, eaeasigen sable enn Seca D ia eleh- a
272 A Pinermace in HE.
Ben is not released yet. He was a peaceable, hard-working,
honest man all of his life, is a cripple, and in repelling a bad
assault shot his assailant and he died. He was told that “ if
he would swear that his assailant was reaching behind him (as
others do) he would probably come clear, otherwise they might
hang him;” he replied that “they might hang him but he
would not lie,” and he got fourteen years in prison accordingly.
This, while other men had killed their man in cold blood and
were acquitted, or not even tried at all. He had the same
shyster lawyers that did me up, and they were a curse to him
also, They took all of his property except $50, which one of
them was to collect and send to him; but he could never get
even a reply to any one of a dozen letters ; and when he even
begged for enough to buy a few postage stamps. Now, if a
black-leg Governor thought he would want to collect that $50,
he would hold him till the last minute to keep him from “ be-
ing troublesome ”’ to a brother thief.
An inexperienced man is easily convicted when his lawyers
are traitors, and they so often are. For example I give this : An
old, hard-working, prosperous settler was jerked up and thrown
into the grasp of the “law,” and was told by his lawyer—“ an
honored member of the bar” —at “trial” that he “could not
be sworn in his own behalf,” and was likewise kept from prov-
ing an alibi; so there was no evidence in his own behalf, and he
got twelve years at Seatco. Just because two of the gang
swore that he had assaulted one of them with a shot gun;
when, in fact, he was at a place six miles away at the time the
assault was said to have been made (though there was no
wound) which alibi was afterwards established. Yet the ring
Governor replied that “ we have a good Judiciary which must
be upheld.”
If the Judiciary was good, it would not be run by black-
leg shysters ; nor would the testimony of midnight conspirators
be taken as evidence against other men; nor would members
of the gang select the jury.
“The law is a sort of hocus-pocus science, that smiles in
your face while it picks your pocket, and the glorious uncer-
tainty of it is of more use to the professors, than the justice of
it.”
orking,
+ a bad
hat ‘if
him (as
y might
but he
rdingly.
0d and
e same
to him
.one of
ver get
he even
ow, if a
hat $50,
ym ‘ be-
lawyers
his : An
thrown
er—‘‘ an
buld not
m prov-
, and he
le gang
t gun;
ime the
Was no
he ring
hh must
black-
irators
embers
iles in
uncer-
. tice of
How 'ro Run A Rerorm Prison. 273
‘*And, indeed, the greatest part of mankind areso far from living ac-
cording to the laws, that they hardly know them; but when they have
sinned, they learn from others that they have transgressed the law. Those
also who are in the highest and principal posts of the Government confess
they are not acquainted with those laws, and are obliged to take such
persons for their assessors in public administrations as profess to have
skill in those laws.”
“Tf any Judges take bribes, their punishment isdeath. And he that
overlooks one that offers him a petition, and this when lc is able to relieve
him, he is a guilty person.—Laws of Moses.”
As to Seatco fare: They would kill beef and salt it down
a year ahead, using too much saltpetre ; and then it would
often be spoiled. Some spoiled meat was shown to the Gov-
ernor who declared “that it was good!” right in the face of
seventy-five men who knew he lied, and he knew that they
knew he lied. Should the testimony of such men be taken as
evidence in or out of court ?
The cook told the superintendent that “the men would
not eat that meat.” “ Well,” he replied, “ send it back again.”
“But suppose they don’t eat it then?” “ Well, by G-o-a-d,
you just send it back till they do eat it.”
They had plenty of ground, and plenty of labor that the
people paid them seventy cents a day for using, so they had
plenty of common vegetables ; but with little or nothing to
cook with them it was like hog feed, and old potatoes were
sometimes used two or three months after their season.
Sometimes a part of the men would refuse to work on ac-
count of the poor grub, and consequently go on bread and
water—which they would say was “ about all they were getting
anyway.” But this not being as profitable as their labor, the
fare would improve a little. And then on account of such
“misconduct” their abatement of time rightfully earned, would
be denied them. But they did not thus lose very much, for
nobody got such abatement of time, with very rare exceptions— just
enough to swear by, and create false hopes in others.
Here is an example or two of “ bad conduct,” reports: A
couple of boys had come for five years; had put inthe most of
the time; had never been punished or charged with any bad
conduct, and were trustees—could go where they liked so they
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274 A PILGRIMAGE IN HELL.
did not neglect their work ; their friends got a good petition for
their pardon—including the injured party—and one of them
took it to the Governor. The Governor told him if he would
get a certificate from the prison superintendent - (always one
of the contractors)—of their good conduct there, he “ would let
them go.” So the friend proceeded to the prison, where he
saw for himself how the boys were trusted, etc.; he then made
his request to the superintendent who was thus forced to admit
the good conduct of the boys ; but instead of giving the friend
a certificate in accordance with the same, he promised to
“forthwith write and mail it to the Governor.” The boys not
being released, the friend made another visit to the Governor,
and there found their conduct certified to be “uniformly bad.”
This everybody thereabouts and the Governor himself knew to
be false ; but it was “ official” and done for a pretext to stab
justice and the expressed will of the people. The boys were then
told that “it was useless to bother the Governor any more about
it for he would not let them go,” and he didn’t; though they
got some abatement of time on account of their conduct being
“uniformly good.”
The friends of a prisoner who was working in the sash
and door factory, on applying for his release, got from the
Governor, as a reason for denying their petition, “that he had
broken some machinery,” this was the first that he or any of his
associates had heard of any such thing. It was false, but it was
“official,” and being from a secret brother, it was “ lawful,” and
a lie. A prisoner paid a lawyer $10, and in various other ways
tried to get 1 brief of whatever was on file at the executive oftice
concerning him, but wterly failed to get it done. The Governor
would squelch petitions and other documents that were favorable to
a prisoner.
Prisoners were promised (by the officials) certificates of
good conduct and also recommendations for pardon, and in
some cuses it was declared that this “had been done,” and yet
the Governor would declare to their friends that “ their con-
duct was bad,” as an excuse for holding them against the sober
second thought of the people.
“Tn whatever manner governments insensibly grow among
mankind, the power consists in the aggregate mass of the
awa
ion for
f them
» would
WSs one
puld let
here he
n made
to admit
e friend
1ised to
boys not
overnor,
nly bad.”
knew to
t to stab
rere then
ye about
ugh they
ict. being
the sash
from the
t he had
ny of his
yut it was
ful,” and
her ways
ive office
Governor
vorable to
ficates of
1, and in
>and yet
heir con-
the sober
yw among
bg of the
How to Run a Rerorm Prison. 275
people, though it is exercised by the few who are trusted with
it, and who would cease to have any power at all to exercise, if
the people should refuse to obey and to enforce their authority.
It is clear, therefore, that the Governors were made for the
governed, and that it is an abuse of the Institution whenever the
happiness of the governed is made subservient to that of the Gov-
ernors.”
The chief officer of the Bastile being always interested
against a prisoner’s justice, and considering the kind of creat-
ures they were anyway, it was outrageous and masonry to
allow him to be “ Governor, Doctor, and the Law, by G-o-a-d!”
The Governor and company were thus the most cruel, relent-
less enemies in advance to a prisoner ; he did not make them so, re-
member ; they were already made so, and thirsting for his
heart’s blood !
The Governor could easily know the true conduct of any
man there, if he cared to know, and he generally did knov it in
spite of himself.
However, their conduct as citizens at home, and justice,
which whole communities knew, and frequently testified to,
would interest and govern him more if he was a good citizen
himself and an honest official.
Many of the guards, from first to last, were pretty good
men and some were first class; but such did not often remain
long; while the worst were never discharged and never quit.
They, however, sometimes died—drinking themselves to death.
They would take a quart bottle of whiskey with them every
day, and for months at a time did not draw a sober breath.
The “Governor-doctor-and-law” gentleman finally got
down also; his toes rotting off, and his legs were cut off just
where he had riveted heavy irons on so many innocent suffer-
ing victims, who now felt that ‘‘ Heaven is sometimes just, and
pays us back in measures that we mete.”
‘*Though the mills of God grind slowly,
Yet they grind exceedingly small ;
Though with patience he stands waiting,
With exactness grinds he all.”
If honestly dealt with, half of the prisoners would not run
away, were they not guarded at all. I give an example. A
et eee
satyalepneginincn £2
- .
sk cpohanlminterenets
er ee hes
perp aneimeleliaea albepseynnnieenon ie yo S
ego Ty rere emessnat ener siecetnoscmentin
? Se ah
= wae eT ce phicenantadiaes Ke .
pigta nia eee
276 A PILGRIMAGE IN HELL.
guard, who was always good to the boys, while working a gang
of eight or ten in the woods, fell asleep, and thus slept till the
superintendent was seen approaching, when one of the men
woke him up “for Old Shead is coming.” There was but two
in the gang that wanted to run away, but they would not do so
from Lon, but did afterwards from other guards. One of the
superintendents refused to give men who were working hardin
his hay field a drink of buttermilk, “because he wanted it for
his hogs.”
The secretary of the prison said that it “cost the con-
tractors less than twenty cents each per day to keep the pris-
oners,” and sometimes, when drunk, would say that he kept
two sets of books, one set being private and that “this was cor-
rect.” It was said also, that “there was never a credit mark
for any prisoners, but plenty of black ones.”
A prisoner’s mother finding that the Governor spurned
the judgment and expressed will of the people most interested,
as to releasing her son, came and placed $100 in his hand, and
told him to “jump away,” and he did.
A prisoner loaned to one of the contractors over $1,000 in
gold “for a few days only,” and could never recover it. The
court gave a judgment foi the amount, but the law would work
no further against the secret brother. Many years afterwards,
when the victim was finally released, it was on condition that
he leave and stay away trom the country, so as not to be
“troublesome” tc. the thieves who had looted him. And it
was whispered that he had to receipt in full for the $2,100
which was then due him. He, however, returned to his home,
and when the Governor had him arrested to be re-imprisoned,
Judge Wingard turned him loose. He complained of attempts
being made to poison him, and he often regretted his not ac-
cepting an offer to buy his liberty years before for a large sum
of coin in bank; but, being ignorant of the men he had to deal
with, he expected to get out on the merits of his cause.
From Josephus. - “ Nor was there any sort of wickedness
that could be named, but Albinus had a hand in it, he did not
only steal and plunder every one’s substance, nor did he only
burden the whole nation with taxes, but he permitted the re-
lations of such as were in prison for robbery to redeem them
“TuvOY) Naw -" i
K) NUNNNU(] —“MUOAA OL PNION) ATLISVG AHL LV SuaNosiag
Sp a Cg ne
S55 EH
"3 Fadia:
and
The
yuld work
terwards,
ition that
kept
And it
he $2,100
his home,
000 in
attempts
spurned
iterested,
is not ac-
ickedness
he did not
d he only
bd the re-
eem them
it.
he
was cor-
he men
but two
e of the
y a gang
; till the
ot do so
x hardin
ed it for
the con-
the pris-
dit mark
1and
$1,
hot to be
nprisoned,
large sum
hd to deal
Be
278 A PinGcrimaGe IN HELL
with money, and nobody remained in the prisons but he who
gave him nothing. The principal men among them purchasing
leave of Albinus to go on with their evil practice, while that
part of the people who delighted in disturbances joined them-
selves to such as had fellowship with Albinus, and every one
of those wicked wretches was encompassed with his own band
~ of robbers, while himself, like an arch robber or a tyrant made
wu figure among his company, and abused his authority over
those about him, in order to plunder those that lived quietly.
The effect of which was this, that those who lost their goods
were forced to hold their peace, when they had reason to show
great indignation at what they had suffered ; but those who had
escaped, were forced to flatter him that deserved to be pun-
ished, out of the fear they were in of suffering equally with the
others. Upon the whole, nobody durst speak their minds, for
tyranny was generally tolerated, and at this time were these
seeds sown which brought Jerusalem to destruction.
And though such was the character of Albinus, yet did
Gessius Florus, who succeeded him [as Roman Governor—
A.D. 66] demonstrate him to have been a most excellent person
upon the comparison, he omitted no sort of rapine or of vexa-
ation. Where the case was really pitiable, he was most bar-
barous, and in things of the greatest turpitude, he was most
impudent. Nor could anyone outdo him in disguising the
truth, nor could anyone contrive more subtle ways of deceit
than he did. He, indeed, thought it but a petty offense to get
money out of single persons, and did almost publicly proclaim
it all the country over, that they had liberty given them to
turn robbers, on this condition that he might go shares with
them in the spoils they got.”
There was a room, 20x20 feet, in the gang’s bastile that was
used for a shoe-making shop, tailor-shop, and hospital, except
when there were women prisoners, when it was occupied by
them; the tailor and shoemaker going up to the unfinished
garret, and the sick—well, nobody was supposed to be sick.
An invalid lay on his back on a table in the big hall for seven
or eight months with a hip disease, and the sick, when able,
frequently bought their own medicine. This hall was as much
dee etait on An
he who
chasing
ile that
1 them-
ery one
wn band
nt made
ity over
quietly.
ir goods
to show
who had
be pun-
with the
inds, for
re these
, yet did
yvernor—
nt person
of vexa-
10st bar-
as most
sing the
of deceit
se to get
proclaim
them to
res with
that was
1, except
npied by
nfinished
be sick.
or seven
en able,
as much
How to Run a Rerorm Prison.
“the hospital ” as was the tailor and shoe shop—and there was
no other.
However. one woman prisner occupied a shanty in the
yard for two and a half yeare. This was an Indian woman,
who, being jealous of her husband, a white man, at a dance
waylaid and shot him dead while he was returning home ; and
he not being a secret brotherhood man, it was not considered
much of a crime to thus kill him. She was also allowed to
bring her three children with her, the gang getting sixty
cents each per day for them, besides the seventy cents for
their mother.
One of the contractors was married to an Indian woman—
does any one suppose that had she killed him in a like manner
she would have got off so light ?
An Indian boy was sick with a scrofula disease, and begged
and cried to be let “go home to his mother,” who, he was
“sure, would cure him,’ and other Indians declared that “ just
such cases were cured by them.” But he begged and cried in
vain; he being held to die by inches without suitable food or
care and crying to “go home!” His chum, who had come
with him, wanted to wheel him to the station and see him
home ; their time by this time having nearly expired—but the
last drop of blood must be wrung out.
They were convicted of stealing a little grub from a wood-
man’s cabin —while white men who loot whole ranches are run
for office. This is but a sample case where hapless prisoners
were thus held on to, to miserably die by inches ; when an un-
tamed cannibal would have let them go home and be cured.
The treatment of this boy drove his Indian chum to despera-
tion; though having but a few days to stay, he jumped the
place, procured a gun, and declared for vengeance —though
having been peaceably disposed always before.
** Dreadful it was to see the ghastly stare,
The stony look of horror and despair,
Which some of these expiring victims cast,
Upon their soul's tormentor to the last.
Upon that mocking fiend, whose veil now raised,
Showed them as in death’s agony they gazed.—Moore”
A white woman, with a large family of small children, told
280 A PinGcrimace In HELL
her boy to defend their home which they had dug out of the
woods, against a secret ring jumper who was then tearing
down their fence, and the boy did so effectually as to him; there-
fore the mother was sent to Seatco for five years, and with
never a child to comfort ier. Her aggravated agony and heart-
rending moanings for her little children, left in sore disiress,
as she walked the floor night and day in a frenzy of grief and
despair, would make any honest man curse the court that
desolates, loots and murders honest, hard earned homes, in-
stead of at least lending a hand—without eating up the place—
for their protection.
One morning, this virtuous, home-loving mother of a large
family of helpless children, was found hanging to a post in her
cell, dead. Did she do it? or was she horribly murdered ?
An executive or other prison official, who spurns every
crumb of justice or of charity, and even decent usage, to one of
these luckless looted victims—whose shrieks of torture is to
them the essence of delight—should be made to suffer in kind.
I was present when the Governor’s attention was called to
this event and the friendly post—he manifested no move feel-
iny than had the victim been a rat.
Another woman, to repel an indecent assault, threw a
lamp at her assailant, and he died. This was also made a
crime and she was sent to the bastile with promises of aspeedy
release—as is so common with the deceivers. She soon found
these promises to be a delusion and lie, and after an illness
died. It was the prison talk that for months she did not go to
bed at night on account of fear; and that during her illness
one of the officials gave her frequent doses of medicine. She
had no female attendant, indeed, none had.
There were several different doctors at different times, but
they hardly ever exercised any authority. One, however, told
a prisoner with much feeling, that he was getting the heart
disease from his troubles and sufferings, and to “just look out
and care for himself, for nobody else would, and called him back
when he had been called out to work, telling him not to work, ex-
cept ashe felt able if he valued his life!” This doctor, however,
soon got bounced, but the sick prisoner was held on to with a
vicious, craving desire to wring out and lap his heart’s blood.
of the
earing
; there-
id with
-heart-
iscress,
ief and
rt that
aes, in-
place—
a large
t in her
1d?
$ every
o one of
ire is to
in kind.
called to
ye feel-
hrew a
made a
speedy
nm found
nm illness
ot go to
y illness
e. She
mes, but
yer, told
he heart
ook out
mo back
rork, ex-
owever,
| with a
5 blood.
How to Run a Rerorm Prison. 281
_—
After along time a few newspapers were got to condemn
the eruelties at Seatco (Seatco is Indian for “the devil's
home”). One paper (Seattle Chronicle) demanded a change, or
it would expose the whole brutal swindle. This had a good
effect, so that even the Governor recommended that the legisla-
ture buy movable irons and do away with the others, and it
authorized him to do so forthwith Yet it was about a year
before he got them, and two and a half years before the others
were done away with, which displayed how earnest he was to
lessen the misery of better men.
Those permanent irons broke down many a good man, and
caused more to jump away than they kept from it. Some,
while striking for their hberty, were shot. One was shot
through the heart, it was said, after he had stopped, turned
round, and thrown up his hands; and another was shot after
he had surrendered. Even guards would frequently say that
they “did not blame men from jumping away from such a
hell.”
When the legislature convened, it would send out a com-
mittee to investigate matters; but, as they were brother masons,
they did little or nothing against the gang. The prisoners
represented and complained that the warden should be an in-
dependent and responsible moral man; appointed and paid by the
Territory, to stand between the rights of the prisoners and the
Territory, and the cruel greed of contractors, instead of being
as he then was, one of their servile hands. This they agreed
to, and the legislature appropriated $600 a year to pay such a
warden, but they left it to the Governor to appoint the man,
which his excellency (?) did, in the person of the very same servile
hand the contractors then had employed, thus simply making them a
present of $600 a year of the people’s money, and doing the
prisoners no good.
At one session of the legislature, the members came out in
2 body, and in freely mingling and conversing with the prison-
ers in the hall, were quite fully informed as to the abuses they
suffered. One prisoner addressed them at length, showing up
the cruelties and corruptions in an able and interesting man-
ner, and with plenty of proof at hand to establish, beyond dis-
pute, every charge. The chief contractor was called in to face
282 A PivermMaGE IN HELL.
and refute, if he could, charges, that if true, should have hung
the whole gang. And /e did not even deny a single accusation, It
was also shown that the Governor’s message was false as to
the prison. For example: That he had credited the con-
tractors with keeping six more prisoners than were there, and
that the people were deceived and robbed in various other
ways also, as will hereafter appear.
If there was a single member of that body who was not
convinced that this was a most brutal swindle of a prison, he
did not manifest it there, or encourage further proof, while they
mostly freely condemned it as such a hell. And some of them
earnestly requested Mr. Strong’s speech to use openly in the
legislature and to have it published also, and he gave it to
them accordingly.
One of the contractors, declining to face the flaming
charges against him, and who, like the rest, was opposed to
giving a victim a hearing anyway, slipped up into the garret,
and with his ear to the floor, listened insidiously to the prison-
er’s great speech, which he had written on brown paper—the
only kind he could procure.
I asked a conple of members, who sat by me during its de-
livery, as I did others also, whether they “believed those
charges to be true?” And they replied that they “ believed
every one of them, for—they said—they were evidently true
by the proof they heard and saw for themselves, and that men
in such a situation should be considered more trustworthy when
testifying against officials over them than others not in duress,” and
that “ besides, if any charges were not true, this was the time and
pluce to refute it, but which was not attempted.”
They also pledged themselves earnestly (as we thought) to
do all they could to rectify the abuses, and end the fraudulent
contract.
“Then,” I said, “ you do not believe the Governor?” “No,”
one said, “and I never did.” They aiso said that Mr. Strong
should be protected from punishment “ for so bravely exposing
the cruelties and corruptions and pleading for right and
justice.” Some appeared to bg horrified and infuriated at these
teachers of crime, these human serpents, who, when challenged
to meet the charges against them of heinous crime, had crawled
ive hung
ition. It
Ise as to
the con-
ere, and
us other
was not
rison, he
rile they
of them
ly in the
ave it to
flaming
posed to
e garret,
e prison-
jper—the
ng its de-
ed those
believed
ntly true
hat men
‘thy when
ess,” and
time and
ught) to
audulent
” 66 No,”
r. Strong
exposing
ght and
P at these
allenged
l crawled
A
SS
sem
SS
Fron a Sheteh —= br ater la :
Bh é, Srreng
His Penarry ror Maina A SPEECH.
Exposing the tortures of the secret Bastile.
283)
eS ee ee ee eer Sareea SS
284 A Picarmace In HELL
out of sight, to strike their victims in the dark with secret
power and obligation, And many of the members made a second
visit, and left apparently more confirmed and determined to break
up the brutal swindle.
Yet when the legislature had adjourned, the contractors
had got an extension of two years, and Mr. Strong’s speech—
which contained more vital information to the people than all
the messages and other writings of all the Governors of the
Territory, before, at the time, or since--had been squelched. Nor
had he been protected from abuse for his earnest honesty, and
was therefore punished by pulling out nine of his teeth, and
in various other ways also—this was hitting virtue with a club.
And when the people had petitioned very strongly, and
without any open opposition, for his restoration, it was denied
by the Governor on the ground, that “he had thus caused the
contractors much trouble.” “Then,” replied his very aged
mother who had come from the States, to work for his liverty,
“he has been driven to it by abuse! for I have successfully
raised a large family of boys and girls, and this one has will-
ingly given me less trouble than any of the rest.”
Such is the practical workings of Masonry and its like,
which sets good men to studying the philosophy of anarchy
and of socialism, if the gang cannot be killed; there being no
security for liberty, for property, or for life, as it is.
‘While every tear his [looted] children shed
Fell on his soul like drops of flame:
And as a lover hails the dawn
Of a first smile, so welcomed he
The sparkle of the first sword drawn
For vengeance and for liberty.” — Moore.
This legislature, and the succeeding one, however, provided
for the building of a territorial prison at Walla Walla; but in-
stead of utilizing the labor of the prisoners in its construction,
which was entirely practicable, they were left with the con-
tractors, at 70 cents a day, till it was slowly built. And even
then the Governor and contractors would hardly permit their
removal, notwithstanding that it had been provided for by the
legislature, and would be a large daily saving to the territory
and a measure of justice to the prisoners.
h secret
second
o break
tractors
veech—
than all
. of the
el, Nor
sty, and
th, and
a club.
sly, and
; denied
sed the
ry aged
liberty,
essfully
as will-
its like,
anarchy
eing no
ovided
but in-
uction,
he con-
hd even
t their
by the
rritory
How tro Run a Rerorm Prison. 285
Indeed, the gang thus held on to them for the money there
was in it, in direct violation of the law, till the Governor was
compelled by the people of Walla Walla and the notoriety of the
swindle, to let them go.
The legislature had appropriated $50,000 for the main-
tainance of the prisoners, wherever they might be, and $1,000
for their removal to the new prison “ whenever it was suitable
for occupancy.” Yet, the gang could get blackleg shysters to
declare, that “while it was legal to pay 70 cents each and their
labor per day to such a gang, it was illegal to pay out 25 cents
each per day direct for their maintainance, and retain the labor
besides.” They practically held, that “no money should be paid
out of the treasury unless 65 PER CENT. SHOULD BE CLEAR TO THE
Gana.” The Walla Walla brethren were willing to take a less
per cent., which did not please the Governor; but by their ad-
vancing the means necessary to maintain the prisoners—thus
leaving the Governor withort iis flimsy pretext —he finally and
reluctantly complied with the law to remove them.
An eminent Masou came to see a man who had been robbed
and shanghaied here, telling him that he would get him releas-
ed for what money he had left; he accepted the proposition
but on the positive condition, that the former was not to get any
money until his release was secured. This was the distinct
agreement in the presence of the superintendent. The gentle-
man wrote an order, supposed and said to be in accordance
with the agreement, and in the excitement, flurry, stress and
hurry — made for the purpose—the victim was got to sign the
paper, without knowing anything to the contrary. The “Hon.
leading-light-in-the-profession-and-head-of-the-bar” forthwit):
struck out and got the money, kept it, and dropped his victim,
who went crazy immediately. This victim was undoubtedly in-
nocent of any crime, and this case is given as a mere specimen of
others.
‘*What mighty mischief glads him now,
Who never smiles but to destroy.”
Months afterwards the eminent gentleman of the “ bar”
died, and though he was a notorious thief for twenty yerrs, yet
the ring papers were filled with glowing eulogies of the depart-
ed brother, but had never a word to say for his hundreds of
Pena
ater owe ape
. peer > ;
srr se engetgipimetene omen ee
ee pot emp me
5 :
mae
nat ane nes
286 A PivarimaGeE IN HEL.
suffering victims. But of the brutal, grasping, cowardly thief
they said, that “he was bright, shrewd and ambitious, stood at
the head of the bar, was repeatedly elected to the legislature,
nominated for delegate to Congress, he invested [what he stole}
in real estate, and, in the constant rise, made money fast. He
built two of the most elegant residences on the Sound....the
people of Pierce county have lost their most able advocate,
most loyal citizen and best friend.”
Now, is this “charity,” or is it an outrage on justice, to
make cowardly pillage respectable and aggravate the wounds of
his bleeding, dying victims ?
It was the prison talk that it took money to get a pardon.
And as men with the worst cases and characters, and with
slight, if any, petitions, were pardoned, while others whose in-
nocence, good character and conduct were known to all who
cared to know, and with very strong petitions withal, were left
to languish ; this talk therefore was but reasonable. And some
whispered how much their release would cost. For example—
that his “ was bargained for $1000.” (And he went, too, though
he had plead guilty to highway robbery, was an old offender,
had run away and been extradited from British Columbia and
made a second attempt, and had served but a fifth of his sen-
tence.)
Another said that his pardon would cost his folks about
$700, (and he went also, having served but a small portion of
his time.)
The ring papers said, that a “numerously signed petition
did the business.” When the truth was, the Governor would
scarcely look at a “numerously signed petition.”
For example.—A “numerously signed petition” was sent in
to the Governor for the release of a prisoner who was guilty of
no crime ; he said that “as others had become impatient and
begged and urged the Governor to act on their petitions with-
out avail, he would let him take his own time and way without
pressing him, and see if he would not be more successful.” So
he and his family waited and suffered, as patiently as they
could, for six long, miserable, anxious months; and then, the
Governor being at the bastile, he mentioned the matter to him,
who finally remembered that there was a petition in his office
wardly thief
ous, stood at
» legislature,
hat he stole}
vy fast. He
ound....the
le advocate,
n justice, to
1e wounds of
yet a pardon.
rs, and with
rs whose in-
yn to all who
.al, were left
», And some
or example—
, too, though
old offender,
olumbia and
h of his sen-
8 folks about
1 portion of
ned petition
rernor would
’ was sent in
as guilty of
patient and
titions with-
way without
assful.”” So
tly as they
hd then, the
tter to him,
in his office
How To Run a ReEForm Prison. 287
in this prisoner’s behalf, “but,” said his excellency, “J have not
looked at it yet.”
But he declared that he would “look at it” as soon as he
returned. Whether he ever did or not “look at it”? made no
difference, for the victim served out his five years.
I have lately talked with an old neighbor of this victim
and he declares that “everybody ” knows, and did at the time,
that it was a put-up job against him by an enemy for unjust re-
venge and plunder ; and he had relied on one of the blackleg
shysters that sold and betrayed me.
In such cases the judge and jury may know little or nothing
about a man’s real case, even if diey are not fixed against him.
It is only necessary to fix his lawyer, which is a very common
thing todo. Surely, such devilish treason should be killed out on
sight! In this case the victim believed that he knew, that he
was thus sold for $150; and there are brethren in the gang, who
have cried up this traitorous thief for a judge in “our good
Judiciary.”
One of my jurymen said that he learned more of my real
case a day or two after the so-called trial, than he did at that
corrupt performance, and that “now all he blamed me for was
that I did not kill the devil sooner than I did;” and which is
the general sentiment of my neighbors. Another juryman said,
that “a majority of the jury were fixed against me anyway.”
Therefore, in such cases as these, a Governor who rejects
and spits upon the earnest prayers of good citizens who are
uncorrupted and who do know the real case, and who further—
with a grin—spits in the face of the victim, “we have a good
Judiciary,” is a damned, perjured, cowardly thief, a cringing
tool of the gang, and a traitor to his country.
The intent of the pardoning power, the world over, is to
correct any miscarriage or perversion or prostitution of the
courts and of justice, and protect tie defenceless, It is not
intended to be a mere personal privilege to trade on in the
dark; but is a sworn public trust, above and independent of
the courts and their machinery and blackleg “bar.” And a Gov-
ernor is just as much sworn to attend to and exercise this oath-
bound trust, and to do so honestly, as that of any other
function of his office. Indeed, it is the most vital and importay!
:
ql
|
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:
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{
;
288 A PrveRimacE IN HELL.
charge of the ofice. And what a villain one must be to squelch
and prostitute it!
When a victim is gagged and railroaded through a court
in charge of black leg shysters, who have betrayed and sold
him, WHERE! OH, WHERE! Is :iI8 RECOURSE ?
A sane man was shanghaied to the insane asylum, to rob
him of his property (quite a common thing). A friend set to
work and got him out, and was exposing the job when /e
was made a victim of a put-up job and shanghaied to the
Seatco Bastile. He was informed that he would be released if
he would agree to cease from “ making such trouble.”
Another sane man was charged about $2,000 by court
lawyers for defending him against one of these jobs. He had
valuable property that the gang wanted, and he declared that
a@ man—who was afterwards made Governor—and “ other
masons” were in a conspiracy to rob him of it. His insanity
consisted only in “ getting on to the gang,” and thus defeating
the job. So they made several attempts to put him out of the
way. But the peopie of Seattle would wake up and get mad
when these job trials were being waged against him; conse-
quently the “good judiciary” would weaken and let him off,
except that he must pay the shysters $2,000 per job, and the
people of the county also paid about the same amount in
court expenses to the brethren.
During one of these jobs a brother (who was a minister in
the States) had to come cat and help protect this victim
against the “ good judiciary.” He was willing to defend him-
self and his property against the masons, and armed himself
accordingly. But secret thieves being cowards, forced him
into the good-to-them-judiciary, where they could rob him at
the expense of the people and without danger to themselves.
A mason plead guilty to grand larceny, forgery and rob-
bery, and was indicted on several other charges also; the
extent of which in the aggregate amounted to fifty-three years
in the penitentiary, and was sentenced to Seatco for two yeas.
And, moreover, he was secretly pardoned before he arrived at
the prison. The brotherly press stated that he “ was serving
out his time” there, and while the press was lying for the
squelch
. a court
and sold
n, to rob
nd set to
when He
d to the
eleased if
by court
He had
ared that
1 “other
s insanity
defeating
out of the
1 get mad
m ; conse-
bt him off,
, and the
mount in
ninister in
is victim
fend him-
d himself
brced him
ob him at
and rob-
also; the
hree years
two years.
arrived at
hs servilg
ng for the
How To Run a Rerorm Prison. 289
guilty brother, it was also lying against good citizens who were
left to languish unheard and undefended.
Two other old offenders were convicted of an attempt to
wreck a passenger train. They got two and two and a half
years, and were soon pardoned out. One of them was con-
victed twice afterward, and was soon pardoned each time; his
father was a mason.
Another who had been arrested nineteen (19) times for
grand larceny, and had stolen stock, by his word, “ ever since
he was big enough to ride a horse,” got two years and was
pardoned ; was convicted again and again pardoned—his father
was a mason.
Another old offender plead guilty to horse-stealing, got
one year and was pardoned before coming to the prison—his
father was a mason.
A ring official plead guilty to embezzlement, and was
pardoned before he saw the prison—he being a mason.
Indeed, the masons and odd-fellows have plundered the
treasuries of many of the counties of the territory with impunity
—the judiciary being very good to them.
Meanwhile, others of them were murdering people in cold
blood, and committing all manner of other crimes, but the
judiciary and ring press being “good” to them they went un-
punished.
As example in point—in brief from the press.
*““MurpER Most Foun.”
[Blank] slays his brewer Adam ( Two pistol shots, The murderer
in custody.
“Going into the brewery yard we found Adam G lying on his
back ; the blood was streaming from a pistol wound between the shoulders ;
and the right eye had been pierced with another bullet. The assistant
brewer said, ‘‘I heard two pistol shots, and ran up and found [Blank] had
shot his head brewer.”
**Adam G—- threatened to attack and sue [Blank] if he would not
pay him the $50 due him ; Adam G quit a week ago.”
The Sheriff proceeded to [Blanks] residence accompanied by the
editor. As they reached the portico [Blank] was sitting in a chair, and
extended his hand to the editor and greeted him with the usual salutation,
‘Hello! how is de round-up.”
Soon after the sheriff took [Blank] to the hotel. The dying man was
19
asoyeannagg: ipmemn snes tse sasn mentee eute a
18
Pt ie
|
eS
e
PY
i
fl
i}
290 A PinarimacE In HEL.
unconscious from the first and died soon after. His appearance as he lay
there with wet socks and drawers which he had just washed, and still
clutched in his hand, showed plainly that he was not in a hostile attitude
when slain [and he was unarmed].
We suppose that the hope of [Blank] is the plea of craziness, but his
only craziness was long protracted drinking. ‘‘He has recently been very
abusive to his family, and drove his son away, threatening to kill him if
he returned.” ‘‘The probate Judge refused the murderer bail, and he
was committed to the care of the sheriff.” But he is virtually at large
without bail. The people are talking very wicked about this thing. They
fail to see why a man who sells a drink of liquor to an Indian should be
incarcerated in a cell, and one who slays his fellow-man should be allowed
his liberty.
Considering the popular feeling in this case, it would be best, even as
a matter of policy, and regardless of duty of officers to enforce the law,
or else worse may come. Later. ‘Judge [Blank] has granted Blank bail
on the showing of his attorneys that he is sick, with the sheriff to approve
of his bonds.”
Acarp. To the Public.—Recently, while on a visit to town, I got into
an argument on the merits and demerits of the [Blank] case, and freely
asserted that if Blank received an honest trial he would probably pay the
penalty of life. A short time afterwards I received a card addressed :
Charles Wendler, North Yakima, W. T., I. O. O. F., A. F. and A. M.
With the following in ha .d-writing evidently disguised :
‘“ We have you spotted, keep quiet, danger ahead, 0008 A. F. and A. M.”
‘‘With regard to this I will simply say that I have expressed my
honest opinion like a free man, and that I cannot be bull-dozed by any
anonymous and threatening cards, and if the writer becomes known to me
I will prosecute him to the extent of the law. Respectfully,
CHARLES WENDLER.”
It is evident that Mr. Wendler did not know that the
“good judiciary ” is made up from these gangs, or he would not
talk about “ prosecuting them” therein, where he would stand
no more show for justice, than does a Gentile in Utah, in a
Mormon court.
Mr. Blank’s case was put off for about a year by the
“good judiciary,” while the people were being blinded and
bull-dozed into submission, and after a change or two of venue
the brethren indicted him with a sham or “ imperfectly
drawn” indictment for manslaughter; then the “good judici-
ary” went through the farce of a trial (?) on this flawed indict-
ment, and the verdict was guilty. So now the “imperfect”
af
the
sto)
bui
con
seel
stro
bur
coat
and
trigy
vine
barr
the |
the «
as h
cove:
from
ing t
Kleb
will |
Wwoun
drop)
Was 8
s he lay
nd still
attitude
but his
een very
‘him if
, and he
at large
g. They
hould be
e allowed
t, even as
. the law,
3lank bail
) approve
I gotinto
nd freely
ly pay the
\ddressed :
.M.
nd A. M.”
ressed my
ed by any
lown to me
NDLER.””
that the
ould not
ld stand
ah, in a
by the
ded and
of venue
perfectly
d judici-
d indict-
perfect "
How To Run a Rerorm Prison. 291
indictment having been good enough for a so-called trial, and
its necessary expense to the people and profit to the gang, it
was discovered (?) to be “imperfectly drawn,” and the “good
judiciary "quashed it and the verdict accordingly, and reduced
the brother’s bail. I quote from a paper: “ The case will again be
presented to the grand jury at the October term of court, and
unless another change of venue is granted the trial will take
place at ——.”
The ‘good judiciary” played another farce or two at the
expense of the people and profit to itself. Of course, Mr. Blank
was “acquitted ”—this having been fixed in the dark at the very
beginning. Indeed, it was done in advance when brethren were
made officials of the court.
In a similar case it was stated by the press that “the case
from the beginning will cost the people $35,000. It should not
have cost $1,000.”
Oh! What a good (?) judiciary!
ANOTHER SAMPLE CASE.—‘‘ Mr. Kleburn was walking along, with or
after Mr. [Blank] on the street, Kleburn talking rapidly and excitedly,
though making no demonstration to fight ; presently the two parties
stopped in front of the office—Kleburn with his back to the
building and Blank facing him—they being about two feet apart. They
conversed in this position probably three minutes, when Kleburn was
seen to tap Blank on the front of the shoulder—as if emphasizing
strongly. Blank pushed Kleburn back and made some remark, but Kle-
burn advanced to his old position, and took hold of the lapel of Blank’s
coat with one hand. With astonishing rapidity Blank drew a revolver,
and placing the muzzle directly against Kleburn’s left breast, pulled the
trigger. The report was so weak that those standing around felt con-
vinced that it was a blank cartridge. This can be accounted for by the
barrel of the pistol being pressed against Kleburn’s ,erson. Instantly as
the shot was fired, Blank pu pistol in his pocket, and started around
the corner. Kleburn stood siock siill, just turning to watch his assailant
as he passed around the corner; and it was then that the reporter dis-
covered the man was wounded, and his vest was burning. Running down
from his position he took hold of Kleburn’s arm with one hand, and strik-
ing the blaze on his vest with the other evtingwished the fire. At that time
Kleburn was as pale as a sheet, and said, ‘‘ Yes; [Blank] shot me.” I
will go with you to a doctor; when in front of the book bindery, the
wounded man commenced to stagger, and despite all his assistant could do
dropped heavily at the corner of the alley about 100 feet from where he
was shot, saying, ‘I’m dying.’ ”
292 A Pinermace IN HEL.
Other witnesses swore that Kleburn ‘‘ was emphatic, nothing like a
blow though, more aggressive in manner than in action; there was no
motion on his part to draw a weapon.” And he was unarmed while Blank
had armed himself to shoot him. At preliminary (and only) examination a
couple of brethren plead and argued his case as much and as long as they
wanted to, and so did Blank himself; but ‘‘the prosecuting attorney [a
secret brother also] stated that he would not argue the case ; the court (?)
had heard the testimony and could judge whether or not it was a case.”
And the ‘ good judiciary announced as its decision that ‘‘ no offence had
been committed.”
But it was really good enough not to play any more silly
farces at the expense of the people as to this case. And the
brotherly press all joined in songs of praises to Blank —de-
claring it to have been “ 4 clear case of self-defence.” When, had
Kleburn shot Blank in a like manner, they would have howled
him down as a “ Cold-blooded, cowardly murderer,” and the
“good judiciary” would have treated him accordingly. This
none but a thief will deny.
I could fill a book with similar cases, of which I have cut-
tings, but as they are transpiring every day, in one place or an-
other, every voter should read and watch them critically, each
for himself, and by his vote say whether or not a member of
any secret oath-bound order showd hold any office of profit or trust
wherein good citizens are concerned.
The proceedings in such cases were watched critically by the
prisoners, and many could tell at the beginning just how they would
end, by considering the relationship and obligations of the gang as to
the same, and their intense feelings at the unequal justice (which
is not justice) that is practiced, I have no words to describe; nor
can anyone fully imagine who has never unjustly miserably
suffered.
Men differ as to which works the most corruption, money
or masonry. The fact is, it is dangerous to pay out or receive
money corruptly, unless it is done through the dark, lurking
secrecy of masonry, etc. If a blackleg official should receive
money corruptly direct from an outsider he might expose it;
while a brother in the gang would not dare to do so. This is
believed to be the reason that a prisoner’s common and honest
friends, and the people who knew the man and the case to be
ng like a
2 was no
hile Blank
lination a
ig as they
ttorney [a
2» court (?)
4s a case.”
iffence had
ore silly
And the
ank — de-
Then, had
re howled
and the
rly. Thais
have cut-
ace or an-
sally, each
nember of
bfit or trust
ally by the
they would
gang as to
ice (which
ribe; nor
miserably
bn, money
lor receive
k, lurking
ld receive
expose it;
This is
nd honest
ase to be
How To Run a Rerorm Prison. 293
good, had no influence with the Governor, while a single heavily
paid brother in the gang had all the influence he wanted.
Though members of an oath-bound gang have influence
enough to shanghai and hold innocent men in prison, as they
did me, by perhaps dividing the plunder, and even without, yet
if a few of them should a‘‘empt his release, they must evident-
ly be well provided with cash to succeed. Some prisoners who
had no enemies in the Territory, and whom the people wanted
released, were yet required by the Governor to leave the
country forthwith, as though afraid of some secret being di-
vulged.
And I—George W. France—had several offers to get me
out for large sums of money. One member of the gang wanted
my homestead (which was what I had left of my fortune) as the
price of my liberty—as will hereafter more fully appear. A
brazen, mid-night, blackleg Governor, might say, “ Damn yon,
you cannot prove to the satisfaction of the “ good judiciary”
that J got or would get such money.” I answer, “Damn you,
it is immaterial to the victim who of the gang gets it, or don’t
get it, if he has to pay it all the same, or languish.” And, sir,
if you would hold a man in prison to be plundered and ravaged
and looted of all that is valuable, near and dear to him, know-
ing him to be innocent, or refuse to know it, you are a most
damnable, cowardly thief anyway. And so you are, if only high
priced agents have any influence with you, while one’s common
friends and neighbors, and the mass of the people are spurned
as so many rats! If you were honest, sir, you would choose to
know and deal direct with the principal and his common
friends, and the public; and receive the truth whereever found,
and spurn the secret lurking enemy, who dare not be known ! If
you were not a servile lackey of corruption and Masonry, sir,
you would not spit in the face of a ravaged victim the brazen
lie, that “we have a good judiciary,” when you know that he
knows, that as between outsiders, justice is sold to the highest
bidder for cash or mortgages——which is not justice—and that he
has no more show against your secret midnight brethren, than
he would have in the Mormon courts of Utah—your brethren
also.
Prisoners, being denied mail facilities and more direci
Yen RNR ETE 7 Ane Berane A
Bt i
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294 ; A Pivarmace IN HELL
means of attending to their business, were, therefore, often
compelled to trust business matters to blacklegs who were at
hand. In thus trusting a prison doctor—living at Chehalis—
he robbed his victim of, to him a large sum of money, in such
a cowardly, villainous manner; yet there was no recourse
against the thief.
Tt is often said by blackleg officials that “to hear prison-
ers talk, they are all innocent.” This is false, for after their
conviction they most always admit their guilt, if they are
guilty; especially to their companions. One reason is, it re-
lieves the mind ; another, because most men would rather be
considered a criminal than a fool; and another, because they
generally fare better while in prison, and stand a better show
for release—officials knowing how to sympathize with their
kind,
It was widely published in the press that one of the Gov-
ernors skipped his native State in the night, to dodge the
sheriff who had a warrant for his arrest for (as administrator)
robbing an estate of his own people; so he would naturally
hate fire-arms, as knowing his just deserts like other burglars,
and how to sympathize with nocturnal thieves.
Another prison official was reported to have served a term
in the Idaho penitentiary for robbing sluice-boxes.
Another, admitted having been guilty of frequently selling
whiskey to Indians, and declared that he “would steal before
he would work.”
Another, and his court, had robbed a paralized man in a
cold-blooded, cowardly way of about $2,000 in gold coin. Two
had been publicly shown to be perjurers, and several of them
are accessory to cowardly, torturing murder !
What show has an honest man for justice with such a
gang? Linked together in a secret oath-bound brotherhood!
With their chief preaching temperance to the blinded, ignorant
multitude, and getting drunk on the sly! And publicly por-
traying in glowing terms and silver tones the beauties and
loveliness of truth, which in his practice he spurns, detests and
spits upon, and declares to be evil! And all parading the Bible
through the streets, to make careless people think they are
honest ! !
*_ eee Se
‘e, often
were at
ehalis—
in such
recourse
: prison-
ter their
they are
is, it re-
‘ather be
use they
ter show
vith their
the Gov-
lodge the
inistrator)
naturally
burglars,
red a term
tly selling
eal before
man in a
oin. Two
bl of them
h such a
therhood!
l, ignorant
licly por-
uties and
etests and
the Bible
they are
How To Run Aa Rerorm Prison. 295
Well may they love the judiciary, that they, by midnight
intrigue, control and own, and which is, therefore, ‘so good to
them’, and hate their victims’ only effectual means of defence, as
they do equality before the law!
The legislature appropriated $25, per year, for newspapers
of the territory, which was highly appreciated ; but this, I be-
lieve, was the only means spent for the benefit of the prisoners.
Those having any friends left, would generally be sent reading
matter (also boxes of food, etc.), and many were newspapers
subscribers and would also buy books. The W. C. T. U. would
sometimes send in tracts, flowers, etc., which, however, was
considered very cold comfort to those whose bodies were being
cruelly starved and torn, and virtue made a bleeding slave to
depravity, with none to stand up for the right.
This toying with the devil because he is in power, made men
forget their prayers, discard their bibles, curse the cringing
slaves and question God.
There was only one outside door to the bastile, and it was
in the upper story ; so in case of fire all were in danger of being
burned alive—this one door being the only way of escape. And
by it was where all the lamps were filled, etc., so that the oil-
soaked bench and floor and can of oil added to the danger.
One night a fire in the guards’ sitting room by this door and oil
burned through the six inch floor into a prisoner’s cell below,
who gave the alarm. It was a whiskey fire; so some of the
officials might have perished also.
The prison directors and others would always admit and
promise to the prisoners, that other means of escape from fire
should be provided; but, as the governor-doctor-and-the-law-
brother crooked his little finger against it, this was never done.
And the W. C. T. U. and others sent more tracts and flowers.
The clothing was of the cheapest and flimsiest sort, but
some were allowed to wear their own, or partly so. Yet, in
other cases, even under-clothing, sent by friends and mothers,
were denied and said to be appropriated by officials, as was the
case with other clothing also. The prison pants—for all the
seasons—were sometimes worn by other men as overalls ; and
they were usually patched and torn. And prisoners thus thin-
ly clad and heavily ironed, could be seen by the W. ©. T. U.
296 A PILGRiMacE IN HELL.
and others working out in the coldest weather and snow,
guarded by officials bundled up in overcoats and boots and
glowing with whiskey.
Nor had the worst of these prisoners ever been more sinful
than the men with influence at court who stone them down.
Did Jesus only fling a tract or flower at tortured and looted
humanity? Or did he not criticise the State, agitate and stir up
the peuple, ‘‘ blaspheme” the authorities, and DO something for the
afflicted !
The bastile cells were 8x 10 feet, with two and three single
beds in each. The beds were a straw tick and a 50 lbs. flour
sack filled with straw for a pillow, one sheet (too narrow to be
much good), and two pair of light cheap blank-ts—which were
never washed. However, if a prisoner was able, he could add
to his bedding, which many did; while others suffered in cold
weather, sleeping in double irons. But, on the whole, there
were but few complaints as to the sleeping accommodations.
The prisoners were expected to shave themselves, or each
other ; but some were excused from shaving.
Whenever a prisoner or two ran away, the rest must have
their hair cut close; though some did so anyway.
One of the most quiet and peaceable men in the prison—
or the world—who had worked hard and honestly for a living
all of his life and was not now guilty of any crime, had picked
up the shoe-making trade here and done all the prison work in
that line, besides much outside work, which had required two
other men to do before. His health being poor, so to enable
him to stand so much work, he was trusted to walk about out-
side of the prison every day without any guarding; and was
being promised assistance by the prison officials to get pardon-
ed, or—more properly speaking—released, as he was guilty of
no crime. However, he found that he was being humbugged
and lied to in a cruel, brutal, cowardly manner-—as is usual in
such cases—-so he thought he would pay them back just a little,
which he did one day by extending his walk into the woods and
remaining away for 9 or 10 days, when he returned alone and
resumed his job. The contractors were so pleased to re-possess
such a profitable hand, that they accorded him his old out-
an
1 snow,
ots and
re sinful
own.
d looted
d stir up
g for the
6 single
bs. flour
ow to be
ich were
uld add
in cold
le, there
tions.
or each
ust have
prison—
a living
’ picked
work in
red two
o enable
out out-
and was
pardon-
ruilty of
nbugged
usual in
a little,
bods and
one and
- possess
old out-
How To Run A Rerorm Prison. 297
door privileges, etc. Yet, when he left, this is the kind of a
send-off the gentlemen had given him :—
From the Press. —‘‘Escapep From Seatco, The authorities in this
city have been notified of the escape from the territorial penitentiary at
Seatco, last Saturday, of one of the most desnerate criminals ever confined
within its walls, The desperado’s name [ete., ete.] The super-
intendent of the Seatco prison offers a reward of $75 for his capture and
return.”
So, if their testimony was any proof of anything, it could
be thus proven by themselves, that neither guards or irons of
any kind were necessary to hold even the worst and “ most des-
perate”’ of the prisoners from running away, and, accordingly,
they could not have been a very bad lot.
One of the innocent prisoners is in for life. He was sen-
tenced to be hung, and the scaffold was built under his nose to
hang him on. Had he been an American citizen, outside of
the gang, he would have been executed, notwithstanding every-
body who cared to know his case, knew him to be innocent.
And so many did know it, that the people were talking bitterly
about the proposed murder. Still the Governor and Judge
persisted in having the victim thus to die! As the “good
Judiciary ” was held to be infallible (as against outsiders), no
matter how infamous it be in faci.
The people were so horrified at the proposed murder, that
it was thought safer to do the job up secretly, in the dark, as it
were. Indeed, it is doubtful whether the people, in their
might, would have allowed such a cold-blooded murder to be
done in open day. So the Governor would do it privately and
out of the people’s sight.
Here is a clipping in point:
“Governor [Blank] and Judge [Blank] have joined in a special re-
quest to the Sheriff, to have the execution of Gionini conducted in the most
private manner possible. Strenuous efforts have been made to secure com-
mutation to imprisonment for life, without avail, as the Governor considers
him to be guilty and sane, and so responsible to the law for his crime
against mankind and his maker. The execution will take place on Tuesday,
the 11th of March.”
Let the people put a stop to private executions! It is Masonry
and means murder !
DS ya PU TS eee cr
eared em eE e eoe es aeL ae a -
298 A Pirarmace in HELL
This victim was a citizen of little Switzerland, and the
Swiss consuls in Portland, Oreg., and San Francisco, and the
Swiss Minister at Washington, interested themselves in his
behalf, and secured a commutation of his sentence.
A man had killed another for his money, and then got a
couple of Italian fishermen to swear the job on Gionini, and by
buying his lawyer, as it is supposed was done, this was easily
accomplished. These court witnesses swore that they were at
a certain place when the shooting was done, and “ saw Gionini
do it.” But it afterwards transpired that it was an utter phy-
sical impossibility for a person to see another at all, from one
of these places to the other on account of obstructions that in-
tervened. And such was the evidence (?) on which the man
was, and is to-day, robbed of his life.
His treatment nearly drove him crazy; he was kept in
suspense as to his fate for about a year, and this was such an
agony to him that he told them to “go ahead and hang him
rather than thus prolong his misery ;” when any one could
have known his casein a week. He could neither understand
nor speak English at the time of his “ trial,” and no interpreter
was allowed him. He is a civil engineer by profession, and
had held positions of trust under his Government.
From the Press.—‘‘ Father Cesari has just returned from Olympia,
where he has been to see the Governor in the interest of the condemned
murderer Gionini. Father Cesari says that he knows Gionini is innocent
of the crime for which he is convicted.”
The Mayor of the town where he was “convicted,” de-
clared:
‘I most solemnly believe that the man is innocent.” The Sheriff
wrote: ‘‘On Sunday morning I went to see him to see how he was con-
ducting himself, believing that he had but a ft v more hours to hve. I
said to him that I had ordered lumber, and nex day would have an en-
closure put up so that the public would not see! mdie. He said he did
not care how many people were there, that he _s going to die an inno-
cent man. He then explained, and I am fully ersuaded that the real
culprit is not now in irons.”
Say? is it equal, just, or fair, to condem any man who is un-
heard and undefended? A YEAR AFTER “fRIAL” this accused
happens to be allowed to briefly “ explain,” and behold the Mayor
and Sheriff declare him to be innocent!
pe a ~
fe io ee a ee — ee eee ee ee ee eee ee a
and the
, and the
33 in his
1en got a
1i,and by
was easily
y were at
y Gionini
itter phy-
from one
s that in-
the man
3 kept in
3 such an
hang him
yne could
nderstand
nterpreter
ssion, and
h Olympia,
ondemned
s innocent
ted,” de-
The Sheriff
e was con-
to hve. I
ave an en-
said he did
ie an inno-
at the real
vho is un-
accused
he Mayor
How to Run a Rerorm Prison. 299
EEE
The Mayor continues,—‘‘T firmly believe that another did the deed.”
“‘T refer you [the Governor] to ex-chief Justice—and Judge—who have
always doubted his quill. Both were present at the trial, and followed the
entire case, and declared that the man should not be executed, that Gionini
is not the murderer.” ** Gionini had no defense.”
Now, if Gionini had been released when it was found he
was innocent, he might have brought to justice, or at least ex-
posure, the real criminals in the case—but the Governor was
bitterly opposed to thus being “troublesome” to the gang,
and would therefore hold me to evidently screen th m from
justice, and this may be one of the reasons that Gionini is
being held. The real criminals may belong te the gang.
A company, composed partly of the prison contractors,
built a large sash and door factovy at the prison. The prison-
ers were pleased at this—thinking they would then have an
opportunity to do over-work, and thus make something for
themselves, as is usual in such cases.
When it started up they were given tasks about equal to
what would be expected of journeymen, and were to be paid by
the piece for the over-work they might do. A lot of prisoners
were thus set to work, and it was remarked by outsiders, and
even Officials, that they “never before saw a lot of inexperi-
enced men take hold of such work and machines with such
good will, ability and effect.
The works were thus manned with the exception of a fore-
man and a machinist. The company gave the contractors fifty
cents a day for each hand (the contractors getting seventy
cents besides from the Territory). But the prisoners were to
be humbugged and abused like the case of the cooper given
heretofore. They did their tasks and earned as much as
seventy-five cents a day besides. Therefore they were screwed
down and finally not allowed to exceed fifteen cents a day for
any amount of work, and this must be taken in grub, etc., out
of a little store that was higher-priced than others where they
wanted to buy. This ten to fifteen cents, however, added to
the regular prison fare, made the eating good enough for those
working in the factory. But they thought they ought to get
more than just suitable grub, inasmuch as the contractors were
getting seventy cents per day from the Territory, and they
ae
300 A PinarmaceE In HELL.
were earning $2 or $3 besides. And, moreover, they were often
forced out to work when ill, and some of the work was danger-
ous, so that several got mutilated, three loosing three and four
of their fingers, and never being in the least recompensed
therefor in time or otherwise, and were cruelly and poorly
treated and cared for, so that they suffered terribly. For ex-
ample: The doctor (?) in trimming what was left of a mutilated
hand, sawed off the finger bones with a wood saw /
One or two foremen did all they could to have the men
treated right, but failing, quit the job—cursing the outfit as
earnestly as did the victims. A guard thus had a row with the
prison superintendent, and so earnest was he that he used his
pistol, firing several shots, but as he did not kill him, it did
but little good.
For various reasons there is no class of people as easily con-
trolled todo right as prisoners. Therefore, whenever trouble
occurs with them it is safe to those who love the truth, to con-
sider their keepers as in the fault till the prisoners are given a fair
hearing in the matter. And when a keeper is killed by a pris-
oner, it is safe to those who love the truth, to consider that he
only got a small portion of the justice due such a cowardly
tyrant.
These factory hands went to work as before shown with a
good will to do good work, and as much of it as they could;
and they required no more over-seeing or watching than the
same number of free journeymen; yet the officials were not
willing to treat them accordingly, because this would not
satisfy their infernal passions of cruelty, torture, and greed ;
which, of course, kindled a desire on the other hand to resent
and get even; I will give a few examples of how they would do
this: A man working an intricate machine said to a chum
near by, “I have been sick for two or three days, and ought
to lay off and take some medicine, but it is no use to ask the
devil of a warden, only to be insulted.” Whereupon the chum
takes the butt of a spike, drives it into a piece of the others
material, and says: “Damn them, run that stick through your
machine and break it up, so you can lay off while they are gei-
ting it fixed.” And when the foreman and chum come running
up to see what the ra-ket was, the sick-but-happy-man was
were often
is danger-
» and four
ompensed
nd poorly
For ex-
mutilated
» the men
e outfit as
vw with the
> used his
im, it did
easily con-
ar trouble
th, to con-
yiven a fair
by a pris-
er that he
cowardly
wn with a
1ey could ;
than the
were not
ould not
nd greed ;
to resent
would do
b a chum
bnd ought
o ask the
the chum
he others
bugh your
y are get-
B running
man wa3
How To Run a Rerorm Prison. 301
cursing—with his mouth—“some one unknown to him who
must have a grudge against him,” and “spiked the stick to get
him into trouble.” And then, as he is laying off with me in
the hall, he mutters—from way down deep in his heart--
“ G@—d d—m them ! they would work ME Too into the grave, wouid
they ?”
And he was perfectly willing for the works to be burne:
into smoke and a train was laid to send it sailing to the sky.
When the prisoners were moved from Seatco, this man was
pardoned, and knowing him to be a good hand if treated right,
he was induced to remain in the factory (which was then
being run with free labor) as assistant foreman of the works,
Pause and consider how, that it is often circumstances more
than the man, that makes the baleful criminal, or the success-
ful man.
Machine bearings were oiled (?) with sand and burnt.
Cans of oil, ete., etc., would have holes punched in them and
thus emptied. Light tools of all sorts and material were
thrown away and destroyed. A man, in marking out work,
would make little mistakes (?) of a quarter or a half inch—
enough to practically spoil the work—like prosecuting attorneys
and court clerks who thus make “errors” in an indictment or
bill of costs, to be used as a pretext for a new trial for one of
the gang, who says to his opponent: “ If you follow me through
the courts, it will break you up;” and it does. Who ever heard
of such errors (?) in favor of a Christian against a Mason or Odd
Fellow ?
Men loading the finished work into cars would give glazec
doors and windows a farewell kick, and smash them.
The cedar dust was disagreeable to all, and to some it was
very ‘njurious ; and the boys wanted all of the windows opened,
but, for some pretext or another, this was refused. Con-
sequently when the foreman was out of sight, some one would
hurl a club and crash! goes « window ; the foreman goes to-
wards the racket and crash / goes another behind him, which is
repeated at intervals, until there was not a whole pane of glass
in the building to throw at, and they remained open until
winter.
ee | 1 }
Pp , €) V j é ed
itin N,\, History Dapt
IN| \BRARY
VICTORIA, 8B.
0.
302 A Piue@rmaGceE IN HELL
Sometimes they would strike, that is more or less of them,
and take a siege of bread and water.
One morning there was a row at the factory; a man had
been put on bread and water for refusing to run a certain
machine, unless his irons were removed, he having to use his
feet, and it was dangerous. So a part of the boys were refusing
to go to work, unless he was released. The warden was sent
for and started to take down the names of those who had struck
—telling them to separate from the others, for him to “put
them below” (on bread and water).
There was a new comer present, who was not taking any
action, so the warden said, “are you into this.” ‘“I don’t know
what the trouble is about, but you can count me in with the
boys that are striking, I guess they are right and I will stand
in with them.” And he did.
Finally, after several attempts were made to burn the
business down, and finding that they were bound to succeed,
the company nearly dispensed with their services and they
were soon to be moved away.
Wherever the pardoning power is vested in the Governor,
he can always prevent or atone for any abuse of prisoners, and
he has other powers also, to protect them, and also the people
at large. But when he belongs to the gang, he need not be
expected to exercise the office honestly.
A prisoner should never be removed from the county wherein he
was living and known; then he would continue to be known—
favorably or unfavorably, as the case might be—but he and his
conduct could then be TrRuLY known. And when .e did not get
justice or was abused, he could make this known also to the people,
WHO SHOULD HAVE THE POWER by written expression of two-thirds
of the voters in the county, to release a prisoner at any time; thus
making EFFECTIVE the right of petition, which blackleg Governors
spurn and over-ride, to enable secret midnight influences to prevail.
Surely, there should be a security, THAT THE SOBER SECOND
THOUGHT OF THE PEOPLE SHALL BE LAW!
And that this shall not be over-ridden by any little secret
gang, or a servile official.
f them,
an had
certain
use his
efusing
as sent
1 struck
to “put
ing any
’t know
vith the
ill stand
yurn the
succeed,
md they
overnor,
hers, and
e people
not be
herein he
known—
b and his
1 not get
he people,
bvo-thirds
ne; thus
overnors
b prevail.
R SECOND
e secret
How To Run a Kerorm Prison. 303
Oh, Ye ‘*Prison Reformers !”
Look ye here and learn something! ! from one who knows
whereof he speaks.
When in prison, the prisoners should be provided with
shop room to work in, and allowed to buy and use such hand
machinery and stock as they may desire, and to work for them-
selves and attend to their own business. All such to pay the
necessary expense of their keeping from the proceeds of their
work,
Tradesmen would take in as partners those who were in-
experienced, but could furnish stock or outfit, and would em-
ploy as journeymen those who were both inexperienced and
poor.
And by attending to their own business, they would get
about full prices for their work.
To assist them in doing so, would encourage honest in-
dustry and be a practical, honest, Christian charity; then they
could buy their ‘tracts and flowers,’ and even suitable food, care
for their families and have something to do with, and defend
themselves against the gang on their release.
They would establish brands and business reputations,
that would be as reliable and should be as much sought after
and patronized, as that of other business firms. And an inter-
est in such a name and business would sell better to the new-
comer or the old stayer, whose interest it would be to keep it
good.
It should be seen to that honest industry pays und that honesty
is made respectable.
The prisoner’s rights should be precisely like those of
other men, except as to their confinement.
Punishment should be awarded only by a justice of the
peace, or higher court (who should not belong to any secret, sworn
brotherhood), in open, public court ; and punishment not to ex-
ceed close confinement with bread and water diet.
Such a system, I Know, is entirely practicable, and means re-
form to such prisoners as need reforming half as much as do
the courts, and also means a saving and security to the people.
However, be it known, that to reform most men, who need
reforming, it is first necessary that they be convinced that they
304 A PILGRIMAGE IN HELL
are worse than other men, who are considered good enough for
governors, judges, senators and even presidents, that are loaded
down with praises and power, and their false names and their
persons held sacred against justice, as meted out to better men,
when they are known to be venal, cruel and corrupt.
They reason that if honor depends only on success, and
dishonor only on failure to cucceed, and the worst devils are the
most successful, then why should they reform?
Men, who are really bad, are often so after much study and
consideration and experience in the world, and while some have
gotten to be governors, judges and senators, others are quite as
successful in villainy with a sandbag ; while others again, not so
bold, cunning or lucky, get into prison. Still these have hopes
that they will yet be as cunning, bold or lucky as the others,
who are enjoying success, and frequently declare that “ there
are men working and saving up stakes for them to take when
they get out.”
Now don’t you see, that, to change their course in life,
there must be an outspoken, active voting sentiment and power
that shall make virtue, industry and honesty respectable and
successful—even in the courts !—and that will make vice, idle-
ness aad dishonesty disgraceful and a failure—even in the
courts and at the polls?
That they must be assured, that, if they honestly labor,
they can reap and enjoy the just fruits thereof themselves!
And that, what they may win by honest toil, they shall have a
right to defend, and shall not be pillaged of it; nor of their
liberty !
But this cannot be done, while they know that so few
wholly escape from the gangs of midnight conspirators, that
have a den in nearly every county, to prostitute the courts and
other functions of government, to over-ride the will of the
people and pillage all they can throw down in the way; and
when they can put their fingers on so many victims who have
earned and won so much by hard and persistent toil, only to
be robbed and ravaged and looted, and held to languish in
prison with no one “ working and saving up stakes ” for them
when they get out. For these there is nothing but bitter deso-
lation !
es
an
ough for
‘e loaded
nd their
tter men,
cess, and
s are the
study and
ome have
3 quite as
in, not so
uve hopes
1e others,
at ‘“ there
ake when
se in life,
ind power
ctable and
vice, idle-
bn in the
tly labor,
bmselves !
ll have a
of their
ht so few
tors, that
ourts and
1 of the
ay; and
ho have
, only to
nguish in
for them
er deso-
How to Run a Rerorm Prison. 305 —
There are some who would practice virtue and live the
golden rule only because it is right to do so, whether they
“succeed or fail,” live or languish. But they are unsought,
undefended and unsung.
Nothing desired by prisoners need be excluded from a
prisoner except whiskey, opium and cards, Steel and iron and
the opening of letters does not keep prisoners from breaking away.
A phial of acid andan old case knife will let a prisoner out of
any cell; and any one having practical friends on the outside
can, in one way or another, get these. Guards are all that
holds prisoners who want to break away. And a single night-
watchman prevented any such escape for over eight years at the
Seatco Bastile, and he slept so much that his snoring was a
nuisance. The prison was of wood, and all the tools of a
blacksmith shop, a farm and a factory were accessible to the prison-
ers, and any one could have a case knife that wanted it.
Not more than fifty per cent. of prisoners need any guarding
at all, and if dealt with honestly and generously, not more than
twenty-five per cent. would break away if they could. Not that
they are willing slaves and satisfied, but because they dread
being fugitives, and want to get out right.
October 1, 1883, Washington Territory legislature assem-
bled. And this from the Governor’s message :
“The penitentiary at Seatco contains seventy-three per-
sons.
The cost of their maintenance for the past two years has
been thirty-three thousand dollars.”
[The number of prisoners at that time was not seventy-
three but sixty-seven. But it is reasonable to suppose that the
brother contractors were drawing pay for the six extra that the
brother Governor allowed them, which would amount to $1,533
a year, and for nine years $13,797. If there was no censorship
over a prisoner’s correspondence, such errors (?) would never
occur. There were men in prison for long terms for stealing
only a few dollars. |
His Excellency continues.—‘ The management is judicious
and firm, very properly tempered with kindness.” [ Kindness /]
“The prisoners have general good health, and but few
20
806 A Priarmace IN HEL.
—_—
deaths have occurred.” [He does not tell how some of them
died, or the number. |]
“When seriously sick they are placed in t].e hospital, have
good accommodations, nursing, and excellent medical atten-
tion.” [I have heretofore described the hospital (?), and given
examples of the “ nursing” and “excellent medical attention ”
that the sick in reality did get.]
“They are provided with abundant food in suitable variety,
ample clothing and ordinary sleeping cells.”
[He ought to be fed on such grub the rest of his life, and
wear light cotton clothing all the year round, which he says is
“ample.” |
“They [the prisoners] are generally well disposed in con-
duct.” [Then why did he not give them “generally” the
rebatement of time provided by law on account of the same ?]
“And not a few of them give evidence of a desire to be-
come good citizens.” [How could thev help it with such “ vir-
tuous ” examples before them ?]
“Moveable shuckles have been introduced and used in
many cases to the comfort, benefit and satisfaction of the con-
victs, who remove them at meal time, at night, and on Sun-
days.” [That is many who had not been wearing any irons
before were now made “comfortable,” satisfied,” and ‘“ bene-
fitted,” by their use. ]
“In the out of door system of labor [which he favored] it
is considered unsafe to dispense with the riveted shackles
in view of the additional temptation and facilities for escape
incident to the new irons, but in any cases where they can be
safely used they are always applied.”
[The law in regard to this matter of the preceding legis-
lature, meaning to “forthwith do away with the riveted irons,”
and which himself recommended with his mouth and pen, and
official seal, had been practically ignored, and the foregoing is
the Governor’s excuse for the crime of torturing better men to
pvt money into the contractors’ pockets. They were getting
«| vates for keeping the prisoners without their labor ; yet
(sovernor ignored, violated the law, and favored their keep-
iag their victims in heavy doulle irons, night and day, all the
time, and so they had to sleep i their clothes for years! And this
su)
int
wa
pri
saic
goo
of them
tal, have
il atten-
nd given
fention ”
» variety,
life, and
e says is
1in con-
lly” the
same ? |
re to be-
uch “ vir-
| used in
t the con-
on Sun-
any irons
d “ bene-
vored] it
shackles
lor escape
py can be
ng legis-
d irons,”
pen, and
egoing 18
men to
e getting
bor ; yet
eir keep-
y, all. the
And this
Eow To Run a Rerorm Prison. 307
to enable the contractors to more securely and with less guards
coin their heart’s blood into money!
And, moreover, did the irons on the men with the guard
who fell asleep, hold them from escaping (?): Certainly not.
It was the little humanity exercised by the guard. These
prisoners had axes in their hands to cut and break off their
irons, and a rifle and pistol at their feet to defend themselves ;
they were in the woods and the guard was asleep! Yet his
Excellency says officially in his message, that “in any cases
where they can be safely used they [the moveable irons] are
always applied.” Say! would any one but a tyrant iron such
prisoners at all ?
Even men confined to their beds with sickness were in
double irons, and when the prisoners were moved away from
this secret hell, these very ones were accorded all of their
short time, as no bad conduct had ever been charged against
them. Such was the real “kindness ” and “nursing” (?) of the
Governor and company. And the victims who so horribly suf-
fered have a right that the truth be known.
The message continues.—‘“ Moral instructors have been
appointed, and have discharged the duties imposed faithfully,
and with decidedly satisfactory effect.”
[Yet they had no influence to reform any of the abuses or to
liberate prisoners whom they knew to be innocent.
‘* Those lives which you have labored to destroy.””|
“T have,” says the Governor, “issued but few pardons
save under the statute allowing rebate of five days to each
month for good behavior upon the recommendation of the
superintendent.” [Now, instead of his stating that the super-
intendent was always one of the contractors or their hand, and
was loth to recommend seventy cents a day besides the labor
out of their pockets, and that the law was therefore a humbug,
needing to be changed as according to it, nearly all of the
prisoners’ conduct was bad, as he chose to be governed by the
superintendent who was “ the doctor, Governor, and the law,” he
said the following stuff: “This law is most salutary, inspiring
good conduct with hope of reward which is always recognized
by the pardoning power.”
aa)
eh,
tan
Salil
ee
Beit
at
Bl
i
808 A Pirarmace In HELL
[Other States had laws securing a rebatement of about
one-third of the time for good conduct; and after the prisoners
were finally taken from the contractors such a law was passed
for them. But while the gang were getting big pay or rather
plunder —out of the prisoners and people, the Governors were
satisfied with the old law which was no benefit at all to the
prisoners and people, as the prisoners got no more short time
after its passage than before. Most Governors can give as
much short time as they please, with or without any special
law. Sometimes prisoners are released by the Governor before
they reach the prison at all,as has been seen. I thus call at-
tention to the mere gabble and deceit, and rot of “ great (?)
state papers.” “ What fools we mortals be?’ |
The “State paper” continues. “ The present contract for
confining, guarding, and boarding of the prisoners will expire
on the first day of August, 1884, and before your successors
assemble ; it will be necessary for you to provide for future
contingencies at this session. The present contractor has ful-
filled his obligation to the Territory honorably and efficiently, has
been at much expense in building the prison [with but one
door], and stockade [of wood that the prisoners did] and pro-
viding other necessary appliances [what were they ?], has valu-
able experience and is worthy of your considerate attention, if
he presents a proposition to renew the contract.”
[Could any contract slave-trader plead his own case any
better than this? The prison, etc., cost about $4,000; and
those six paper prisoners alone would amount to $13,797!
It is a wonder that he did not recommend that the “ hon-
orable” contractors be paid $15,000 for the loss (?) of the work
of those absent or paper men. |
“A law of Congress provides that all Territories, except
Washington, shall have as a donation the United States pris-
ons located within their respective domains, upon their admis-
sion, as States. In view of this remarkable exception against
us, I suggest that you petition Congress to give us the prison
at McNeil’s Island at the proper time, which, if secured, will
afford an economical solution of the subject for the future.”
[This could have been gotten for $36,000 at the outset;
thus effecting a saving to the Territory of over $125,000 while
of about
prisoners
as passed
or rather
nors were
all to the
short time
in give as
ny special
nor before
is call at-
“great (?)
ontract for
vill expire
successors
for future
or has ful-
ciently, has
th but one
] and pro-
|, has valu-
ttention, if
h case any
000; and
B, 797 |
the “ hon-
bf the work
ies, except
ates pris-
eir admis-
n against
he prison
ured, will
ture.”
he outset ;
,000 while
How To Run a Rerorm Prison. 3809
these contracts were running, and over $125,000 more expended
in the prison at Walla Walla, as the prison on the island could
be easily self-supporting and without using a single iron of
any description or any other brutality. But the masonic com-
mittee of the legislature roported, on examination, that “ it was
unsafe to keep prisoners.” So they paid their brethren, with the
people’s money, hotel rates and their labor, to board and guard
the prisoners, and furnish such a safer (?) place that they kept
them in double ions night and day, all the time to hold them !
Is it not a burning outrage that such a gang of traitors and
bribe-takers should be in office, and so fixed with the “good
judiciary,” that under the shadow of official authority they can
murder, ravage and suck the heart’s blood of their victims with
impunity, and go pic-nicking with their plunder—these conquer-
ing and crowned criminals! And they have passed a law vir-
tually making it a “crime” for anyone to show up their crimes
to the people. And the courts virtually hold that their “ per-
sons and feelings are sacred,” and that they “ cannot be guilty
in law of crime to be punished as other men,” and that “ out-
siders have no rights or feelings that they must respect.”
From the Press: ‘* The Seattle Herald recently accused the Argus of
purchased silence in the matter of the penitentiary at Seatco, but makes
amends honorable editorially in the following language:” ‘‘Our state-
ment made in a recent issue of the silence of the Argus on the question of
the necessity of investigation of the officers of the penitentiary is with-
drawn. The Argus, as its rule is, gives itsindorsation (at least to the extent
of quotation) to our efforts to expose an abuse of authority which is simply
a disgrace to our coast, and a reflection on the civilization which we are
proud to think characteristic of this country—even if we are far west.”
‘*CruEL.’’—‘‘ From members of the legislature the Seattle Chronicle
learns of a state of affa‘:s at the penitentiary that demands immediate and
full investigation. The prisoners are clothed in the lightest sort of apparel.
Their pants are usually dungeree, and they have but thesingle pair. One
man stated that he had had but one pair of pants in thirteen months—the
time he had been there. When they work out and get wet, their clothes
dried on them in bed. The heaviest irons are used—one man wearing
twenty-five pound shackles for a number of years, but now they are seven-
teen pounds. These shackles are never taken off—are worn night and day
until the men step out free.”
The Tacoma Ledger said: ‘‘It is not at all surprising that [the gang]
is opposed tothe construction of a Territorial penitentiary ....The failure to
baild one might mean much money in thie pocket of [the gang]... .China-
REGENT. Leases
Row AT
sealed Soc ee
810 A Pivermace IN HELL
men worked for ninety cents a day and were driven from the country,
[The gang] hire out their slaves for fifty centsaday, and persons claiming
to be enemies of cheap labor would aid in the perpetuation of this sys-
tem.”
‘The Penitentiary.”—‘‘From time to time reports have oozed out
from the penitentiary at Seatco. They have not varied much. The testi-
mony coming from that sequestered place of confinement has swept in
general scope the same field, and laid practically the same charges at the
door of the management of that institution. Two years ago the members
of the legislature visited Seatco, and at that time, here and there, it was
said that the treatment of the inmates was of a sort better adapted for the
care of animals than human beings. It is a system wrong in principle,
and doubly so in practice. It opens the door for the entrance of personal
greed of gain, cruelty, and neglect of men so kept... .Against the manage-
ment at Seatco the charge is made that the prisoners are not properly fed,
are miserably clothed, and are often punished when there is not the slight-
est reason for it. It is natural that a contractor should desire to ma)ie all
he can out of his contract [but it is always in the power aad province of
the Governor to prevent any abuse]. They form sufficient basis for a far
more rigid examination of the manner in which the institution is con-
ducted. Hitherto ‘he inspection has been no better than none—not so good
in fact, The members of the legislature visiting Seatco have simply com-
plied with the letter and not the spirit of the laws—abuse and criminal
neglect should be prevented. Let the legislature make a careful examina-
tion of the treatment of the prisoners at Seatco, and know from practical
observation that the cupidity of contractors, and the natural thirst for
cruelty, which is the usual result of absolute power, do not over-leap the
line of simple justice.”’
As to tHE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE AT STEILACOOM,
WASH.—His Excellency (?) in his message says: ‘‘ Personal observation
and astudy of the reports satisfy me that the affairs of the Hospital for the
Insane have been managed in an intelligent, humane and economical man-
ner, by the Board of Trustees, also that the medical and hygienic treat-
ment have been eminently skillful and successful, and the general super-
vision careful and thorough.”
An INMATE AT THE TIME WRITES.—‘‘....The patients are not guilty of
crime but are often over-worked. Brutal treatment is not the kind of
usage which the government intended, this institution is conducted by
brute force. The government of this institution isa failure. Profane and
obscene language, that I never before heard of a parallel, is used by the
wardens with one single exception. In conclusion I would state that the
tax payers of Washington territory have a right to know of the dark and
dreadful scenes that I have witnessed—the beating of patients for no just
cause, that the heart sickens when we reflect that the records of barbarism
fail to produce a parallel to this infamous treatment of innocent men,
country,
3 claiming
this sys-
oozed out
The testi-
} swept in
ges at the
. members
ere, it was
ed for the
principle,
f personal
1e manage-
operly fed,
;the slight-
to ma).e all
province of
is for a far
ion is con-
not so good
imply com-
1d criminal
i] examina-
m practical
hl thirst for
er-leap the
TLACOOM,
observation
ital for the
mical man-
enic treat-
eral super-
t guilty of
he kind of
hducted by
Profane and
sed by the
te that the
e dark and
for no just
barbarism
bcent me2,
How To Rwun a Rerorm Prison. 811
guilty of no crime, and left without redress, who are threatened with sudden
and terrible penalties if they reveal the facts in any case whaterer, I believe
in an almighty and merciful providence ; I resorted to that source, and
from that I received courage to divulge the base conduct of those en-
trusted with the care of those unfortunate patients. I am only doing
what my conscience dictates. The fear of man is not worthy of a serious
and candid thought.”
Gro. W. Sioan.
From the Press.—** Adjudged Insane”. ‘Two inquests in lunacy
were held in the Probate court yesterday. [Blank] and Geo, White were
adjudged insane, and committed to the Asylum. In the case of the latter
a trial was demanded and granted. In the course of the evidence ‘‘it
came out” that White was laboring under the delusion that a conspiracy
had been formed against his life, and he accordingly went armed to the
teeth, and kept a constant lookout for his supposed enemies. A bowie
knife and revolver were taken from his person. Judge |Blank] considered
him an unsafe man to be at large, and gave judgment accordingly.”
[Reriect ! that with control of the courts, press, and secret
“asylums” (?), how easy it would be for the gang to thus put
a victim out of the way, when, after conspiring against his life
and property, they find that he is aware of their job and has
armed himself accordingly for his defense. Such conspiracies
are often real and not a “delusion” at all—as the remains of so
many victims secreily murdered, and the wrecks of many homes
ure witnesses. And this Judge most likely had a pistol in his own
pocket at the time, to kill somebody.
As example of how victims are shanghaied from other
States, to be buried alive in living tombs where the “ manage-
ment is so ‘ humane! and careful’ (?) to keep them from ‘ making
trouble.’”
I give the following from the Press:—‘‘V.... B.... is thrice more
sane than her tormentors, and she is unjustly held in the Steilacoom
asylum. The idea that she should be held there in solitary confinement to
prevent her from exposing a villain, while he is allowed to run at large in
this State. is preposterous. Every disinterested person who has visited
V.... B.... willingly states that they believe her to be sane. A physician
who was called expressly to see her, scorns the idea that she is not in her
right mind, and if her friends desire te do her justice, let them comply
with the demands of the poor girl, and have her examined thoroughly by
two or three physicians, and not entice her away into a strange land, havea
secret examination, and then, beforeshe knows whatis the matter, have her
locked in a cell.”
312 A Piiarimace IN Hein
‘*., Why was it, thatin establishing her insanity, two common laboring
men, whom V.... B.... never saw in her life before—as she states—were
brought forward to testify, when she was examined in Washington
Territory as to her sanity; and who was the physician who conducted that
examination ? It would be interesting to the people to know. If they
were to go to Steilacoom and there see the tears course down the cheeks of
a poor girl, hear her supplications for deliverance from her enemies, and
listen to her sensible talk on all subjects, a visitor might suggest, they
would perhaps change their opinion in relation to the matter. V....
B.... asks only for an honest examination, and a public one ; at the hands
of physicians selected by disinterested parties, and she should have it. It
will do no harm to her, and will satisfy the public mind.”
Were it not for the law (heretofore given) forbidding cen-
sorship as to her out-going letters, how would the “ public mind”
become interested to care about her fate; she was thus enabled to
make her case known, to gain friends, when the press outside of
the territory (and gang) agitated and plead her cause. And so
the paper (Portland Mercury, of September 16, 1883) continues:
‘‘ As the case now stands, the girl has friends, and is getting them by
the score every day, and if Lawyer [Blank] does not want a hornet’s nest
of public opinion around his ears, he will come to the front, and not only
enlighten the people as to how he managed to get her into the insane
asylum, but who paid the bills and who gave the medical examination.
V.... B.... from the appearance of things is unjustly detained at the
Steilacoom asylum [with its “humane and careful and thorough” manage-
ment !] and if those she is calling on, do not come to her assistance, she
will go wild with grief and become a maniac to a certainty.” [Many are
thus MADE INSANE. |
{When the legislature met, one of the members, disregard-
ing the Governor’s message as to the “humane and careful »
management” of the institution, was instrumental in having
the girl released, and she went forthwith to work, sutting type
in a printing office—so she was not very insane; the “ good
judiciary ” and Governor to the contrary notwithstanding.
No prison should ever be entrusted to men who love dark-
ness and mystery better than light and truth.
No doubt there were, and are at this very time, when you are
reading this, many innocent and sane victims there, as well as
elsewhere; for brutal keepers could prevent them from making
their cases known in spite of the law to the contrary. And even
a aboring
tes—were
ashington
ected that
If they
cheeks of
mies, and
gest, they
1 oN aaa
the hands
aveit. It
ling cen-
ic mind”
abled to
outsicle of
And so
ontinues:
g them by
rnet’s nest
1 not only
he insane
amination.
ed at the
manage-
tance, she
Many are
isregard-
l careful -
nh having
ing type
e “ good
ing.
ve dark-
you are
well as
» making
And even
How to Run A Rerorm Prison. 313
this Governor was, by a successor, recommended to the legis-
lature, for A TRUSTEE TO THIS VERY INSTITUTION.
It should be made by law DEATH ON SIGHT, to any official
squelching any prisoner’s case from the public. And a majori-
ty of the voters of any county should be empowered by law to re-
lease a prisoner from an asylum ; and two-thirds from any other
prison.
There are societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals;
will not the plaintive wails of human suffering find any willing
and earnest ears ?
Says the Portland, Oregon, News :—-‘‘A prominent man of Chihalis,
Washington Territory, who is in the city, says that many persons are sent
to the insane asylum at Steilacoom who are assane as those who commit
them, An investigation would be justice to those who are evidently victims
of official ignorance.”
[Ignorance (?) is it? Then let the people judge !]
Once again :—‘‘ James Balch was discharged from the asylum at
Steilacoom on the 18th inst. [1888] on a writ of habeas corpus. He has been
an inmate of the asylum for five years, and claims to have been perfectly
sane all the time.”’
Expert TESTIMONY.—‘‘In the case of a woman, who had been confined
two years in the asylum, five experts testified that she was perfectly sane,
and that her confinement as a lunatic was an outrage; but those who were
interested in keeping her shut up brought forward five other experts who
swore that she was crazy and unfit to be at large. This illustrates the
usual effect of expert testimony by which courts and juries are bewildered
and rendered incapable of rendering just decisions.
Under the practice which commonly prevails in the trial of insanity
and patent cases, and suits fordamages for bodily injury, experts are hired
to give an opinion for the side on which they are employed. They are
advocates rather than witnesses, and their employment as such is one of
the most notorious abuses that now flourish in our courts.”
As TO THE TERRITORIAL Untversiry, the Governor, in his
message, has never a word to say 28 to the wholesale stealing
by the Masons, of the lands belonging to it, though he asks that
the legislature appropriate the people’s money to run this
looted institution ; and looted with impunity! And he says,
“Five thousand and fifty-seven acres of University lands, as
donated by Congress, have not yet been selected.”
814 A Pinarmace In HELL.
From the Press :—‘‘ The number of acres (of University lands) still
remaining waselected is only 500 or 600, instead of 5,000, as reported by
Governor [Links]. Some years ago 75,000 acres of choice timber land
were picked outby a commission, and setaside for the benefit of a Univer.
sity. The land is all gone with the exception of some 500 acres, and
nothing to show for it, but a modern structure that cost about $10,000;
and the land on which it stands goes to other parties should the Uni-
versity ever be moved. Would it not be well for the people of the Queen
City to investigate this matter and see where the $250,000, now due said
Territorial University, have gone ? And yet, in the face of all this, Seattle
[and the Governor] persists in asking the legislature for an appropriation
each session, to keep it from being rented out for a lodging house. There
has been a mystery hanging over our Territorial University since its found-
ation, and it has never been a credit to our people and Territory. No
doubt, the time will come when an investigation will be called, and the true
inwardness and condition be known.”’
[The ring press called this Governor’s message a ‘‘ Great State Paper.”
And the secret brethren could afford to do so. |
sity lands) still
as reported by
ice timber land
efit of a Univer-
500 acres, and
about $10,000;
should the Uni-
le of the Queen
), now due said
all this, Seattle
\n appropriation
x house. There
since its found-
Territory. No
led, and the true
sat State Paper.”