THE PRISONS OF CALIFORNIA

Western Star, Issue 281, 25 January 1879, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE PRISONS OF CALIFORNIA

K->The San Francisco correspondent of the '* N.Z. Herald’ terrible contrast to the palatial residences hero are the prisons, their, cells,, and - their rr inmates. Fimcy a caremous dwellings; ti I running under the City Hall and the ■;*/ * * streets adjacent, to which you ~ s .by a flight of; dirty stairs., .As the door is opened, you entey a long .Irorridprjlit^. by gas—a dim, •■'sickly light, at , that».;n:.i-s From the ceiling to the floor the distance may be ten feet. - .; ' one side. are,.., fiye or sik in.^ujia^cnr^ | the front being* formed' of slight .iron. ,nv ■ bars t in i ; fecti* i dmhgine yohrsell^iiroifitoti j’ whioh is drawn i a wooden t screen, |s de> j voted to the drunken; harridans who < S [ are pickedup ! 'tHniiugh^ : th'e : I .Mixed up with you. may ‘ see a"decently!:dressedv; sober | who has' had: as battle of,vulgar lan- ! guage ’with a neighbor. ■ - She having: no A I;one to take caJb'df ' them alonfe.smd^®*;^l% *'' first impression of life, in company.; / their mother,. I ; the *drunkard and. *h : i its drunken mothers ' bosom* bring! up * ' ! the , T other cells .are.-.-.qeyqted to ,men, apa petty- thief,; the burglar,.the. r ; forger; the murderer; all smelted.to- i gether,. with juvenile pickpockets of ; !l ' tender years crowded in between. ,* j.They. ri Kaveonly; roomto standor-walkabout a few steps; being often packed iiielosa b ni as sardines in a box. At one r end of , , iif>n *• •».'.!!*' c<«rivfifwnuferatMo Ml the celhare.a.few boards ;of a stationary sofa.; Here the wretched j-> M inmates lie down to rest, each havang a . . : blanket ! loaded wi|h vermin given, , to ' him.' At night the rats and, bed-buga , ~; make high.j inks over. - the sleepere» if ' b sM there are any such, and should a man - > • J be druhk enough to have lost the power . of feeling, a hungry rat may safely..,.

nibbles athisfingers’rcnds.; A telephone; , r?in plabed in each, cell, conveys, to. the listliening ear of the;;demon of the slaw> UpiT ] above, any conversation that-tody" be - *-'; used against tbe pboir wretches on their '" iJi trial By baying r five dollars a day, „ | those Who fcan afford hjnay , i with a keeper atshis ’gide. -Qr ;if ; prisoner wants to go out to find bail, - •' He musifc’pay’two dollars'foy the faypr. 1 The floors of these delectable dens are 1 ‘ ; covered with vqnaitand other;filth,iand ih front of the i cages* right. ialoiigj?tha» t , corridor, iS'!i : long' sewer';witH K ifii':^r- !, 7, u ; petual stagnanj|:^bpJ;; J ' ; "‘ : ' , to be washed out. every day, but it is» / i still foul enough to jpoisoh a rhinoceros.’ ! At night the officers fool arbund' with ;V r : .the women, p* drag one in, and throw; ; • her down .if .she is obstreperous! : The •wretches are fed by hiding the food

! thrust between' the wars.® ■ irt- wild • j beast fashion: To dall 'the ' prisons 6! 1 ; I San Franciacq^d^s..infernal ->n<L jto-., j yolting, is not to strong i a term. In vs the Branch Gaol the sen- <-; teheed prisonew to •' serve out. their terms .of different /lengths of time, the scene is‘;equally. : tbjrible. /1 ; speak as sin eye witness,, having token a strong >tond, in ; m \ v h matter.- ; wome# i v. 3 'and bad together,■ into ia;large iroonif,' if I round 'which 5 are thrown: narrow beds >• ‘ blahketrrrato of if £ou?«9- -ns>, ta|>^ Jr ', A no stools. -At day they roll up the beds . j and sit on them: ikn open water-closet i ■ < and little water keeps the airidut r, ' r j& ;; this.roomthey .yriishi aiid. ;d^

miserable tags ;: some of them,.having .fit no! change,' HqddlP tS themselves up?inh!« /tfeeir; 1 blankets till 'the* gafWehtfc i diyV ii?,::J the pmppaUpwpncppf > clotmpg J .b^g: wholly inadequate to the demand; A. or, JFor ahundred- days J dp ; sombofthese-* unfortunates, w;ho ,are u yet , '*wbhi^i^''drag’ 1 out their awfui doptn. They hay®;, no.r employment, nor do thdy f ever /.leave room to walk,' even id the. yard, where a few shrtibs grow/mrif tb mock, VfTr, j»j. f *Tv~ U their misery. The other parts of thiflj ~ prison are kept . pretty, clean, but the prisoners ‘live in* al * horrible -condition. i' Should a woman rebel,‘ ! ® down ihdtied toapostwith, her arms . end ahklea manacled foy houra at r, a stretch* ,‘r iTor the pialeaihey^esoihe- it”" times submitted to‘ the ing the water-hbse turted qhthem,' and ’' J them, put 'into 1 af, s«rjic f<s|i \ 4ry» i As volume- - would, 'inbt. /be: large al enough to contain all the;mtrooitiea of ! ' prison Hfc and rule in' the’Quebn^City 1! J j,fl 11-jh «.* 4.V*' T% >1 j| t* •*/>• .If»TS i|J til 5-* * I lift ir i of tne Sputa Pacific- t . t