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A Thrilling Narrative of Life in the Kansas and Missouri Penitentiaries
A Thrilling Narrative of Life in the Kansas and Missouri Penitentiaries
CONTENTS PREFACE A KANSAS HELL CHAPTER I. MY INITIATION AND CRIME CHAPTER II. THE COAL MINES CHAPTER III. THE COAL MINES (Continued) CHAPTER IV. THE PUNISHMENTS OF THE PRISON CHAPTER V. SUNDAY IN THE PRISON CHAPTER VI. SCENES IN THE HOSPITAL CHAPTER VII. ESCAPES FROM PRISON CHAPTER VIII. THE PRISONERS CHAPTER IX. FORTY-EIGHT HOURS IN HELL CHAPTER X. STOLEN HORSES CHAPTER XI. CANDIDATE FOR THE STATE SENATE CHAPTER XII. A DARK HOUR CHAPTER XIII. FREEDOM A MISSOURI HELL
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PREFACE
PREFACE
The following pages treat of hell—A Kansas hell and a Missouri hell. Those who desire to peruse works that tell about Heaven only, are urged to drop this book and run. I was an inmate of the Kansas penitentiary for sixteen months, and make mention of what came under my own observation in connection with what I experienced. While an inmate of this prison I occupied cells at various times with convicts who had served terms in the Missouri prison. From these persons I gathered much useful material
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CHAPTER I. MY INITIATION AND CRIME
CHAPTER I. MY INITIATION AND CRIME
Guilty! This word, so replete with sadness and sorrow, fell on my ear on that blackest of all black Fridays, October 14, 1887. Penitentiary lightning struck me in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas. I was tried in the United States District Court; hence, a United States prisoner. The offense for which I was tried and convicted was that of using the mails for fraudulent purposes. My sentence was eighteen months in the penitentiary, and a fine of two hundred dollars. I served sixteen months, at the e
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CHAPTER II. THE COAL MINES
CHAPTER II. THE COAL MINES
I was next taken to the coal mines. These mines are located just outside of the prison enclosure, and are surrounded by high stone walls and stone buildings, which, by their location, take the place of walls. The coal yards are separated from the prison campus by a partition wall, which constitutes the south wall of the coal department and the north wall of the prison. Passing from one of these departments to the other, through a large gateway, the gate being kept by a convict, an old man who mu
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CHAPTER III. THE COAL MINES (Continued)
CHAPTER III. THE COAL MINES (Continued)
After we had mined some twenty-five feet we took down the coal. To do this the wedges are set and driven in at the top of the vein of coal, with the sledge hammer. After my companion had struck the coal several times it began to pop and crack as if it would fall at any moment. I became alarmed. I was never in such a place before, and I said: "George, had I not better get out of this place? I don't want the coal to fall on me the first day." His reply was, that if I wanted to learn how to mine I
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CHAPTER IV. THE PUNISHMENTS OF THE PRISON
CHAPTER IV. THE PUNISHMENTS OF THE PRISON
The discipline of this institution is of the very highest character, and is unequaled in any similar institution of the United States. The officers are very watchful and strict. The inmates who work on the surface are not permitted to converse with each other only within the hearing of an officer, and then only with regard to matters that pertain to work. The convict attends to his duties, observing the strictest silence. When visitors pass about the prison the inmate is not permitted to lift up
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CHAPTER V. SUNDAY IN THE PRISON
CHAPTER V. SUNDAY IN THE PRISON
A prisoner is always thankful for the Sabbath. He has been working hard all week, and Sunday affords the opportunity of resting. On the Sabbath morning, the bell for rising rings at eight o'clock. At its ringing each person must rise and dress; he is not permitted to do so before it rings. If he gets tired of remaining in his bunk so late as eight o'clock, and should wish to get up and dress, it would do him no good; it would be a violation of rules and result in punishment. After the prisoner i
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CHAPTER VI. SCENES IN THE HOSPITAL
CHAPTER VI. SCENES IN THE HOSPITAL
When a prisoner gets sick he reports to the prison physician in the morning, before working hours. As the men march out of their cells to go to their breakfast, those who are sick and desire to see the doctor fall out of the ranks and occupy seats in the cell house. Soon the prison physician, Dr. Nealley, calls and examines them. Many try to deceive the physician and thus get into the hospital, simply to avoid work. But the shirkers are pretty well known, and have to be very sick and give unmist
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CHAPTER VII. ESCAPES FROM PRISON
CHAPTER VII. ESCAPES FROM PRISON
Occasionally there is a man shrewd enough to make his escape from prison. When a convict has almost served out his time he is generally selected to perform the duties of a "trusty," and allowed to go outside the prison enclosure. By good conduct other prisoners gain the confidence of the officials, and there are instances where these men, though they may have several months to serve, are permitted to go beyond the walls, doing duty for the prison. But they are rare. Generally a convict, if he ha
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CHAPTER VIII. THE PRISONERS
CHAPTER VIII. THE PRISONERS
Thinking that it may be interesting to some of my readers, I will now give, in brief form as possible, a history of some of the most noted inmates of the penitentiary. FEMALE CONVICTS He must be of a very unsympathizing nature who does not feel for his brother, who, though sinful and deserving, is imprisoned, and excluded from the society of friends. While we are sad when we behold our fellowmen in chains and bondage, how much sadder do we become when, passing through the prisons, we behold thos
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CHAPTER IX. FORTY-EIGHT HOURS IN HELL
CHAPTER IX. FORTY-EIGHT HOURS IN HELL
One of the most interesting cases of resuscitation that ever came to my knowledge was that of George Lennox, a notorious horse-thief of Jefferson County. He was serving his second term. Sedgwick County sent him to the prison, the first time for a similar offense—stealing horses. During the winter of 1887 and 1888, he worked in the coal mines. The place where he was laboring seemed dangerous to him. He reported the fact to the officer in charge, who made an examination, and deciding that the room
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CHAPTER X. STOLEN HORSES
CHAPTER X. STOLEN HORSES
Justice should be meted out to many who, though guilty, are shrewd enough to evade it. From one of the most notorious horse-thieves in the Kansas penitentiary I learned of the manner in which stolen horses were disposed of. This convict's name is John Watkins. He served a term of three years in the Missouri penitentiary, and is now serving out a ten years' sentence in the Kansas State's prison. He is the chief convict steward in the hospital, and an able assistant of the prison physician, by who
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CHAPTER XI. CANDIDATE FOR THE STATE SENATE
CHAPTER XI. CANDIDATE FOR THE STATE SENATE
The author of this book has been guilty of a great many bad breaks during the course of his earthly pilgrimage up to the present date. Making the race for State senator from the Atchison district while an inmate of the Kansas penitentiary, actually an occupant of a felon's cell, and robed in the livery of disgrace, probably eclipsed anything that maybe charged to my account in the past. One Sunday afternoon, after the usual exercises of the day were over, I was sitting in my little 4x7 of stone.
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CHAPTER XII. A DARK HOUR
CHAPTER XII. A DARK HOUR
It was a bright Sabbath morning. I had been detailed to assist the prison choir in their preparation for the religious services of the day. While engaged in this duty, the deputy warden sent for me. Meeting this official, he said to me, "John, I have sad news for you. Governor Martin has just telephoned from Atchison that your wife is dead, and that it was his wish to have you sent home at once." This was a great surprise to me. I had heard from my wife only two days before this. At that time sh
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CHAPTER XIII. FREEDOM
CHAPTER XIII. FREEDOM
To all things earthly there comes an end. Sixteen long, dreary months of imprisonment finally passed away. The dark clouds of sadness and gloom that for so long hung above me now parted, and folding themselves together rolled away in the distance. The large iron doors swung upon their hinges, and once more I breathed the air of freedom. Drowsy Nature was just being aroused from her wintry slumber by the gentle touch of Spring, as I began life anew. On that, to me, eventful morning the sky appear
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CHAPTER XIV. THE CONVICT'S HOME
CHAPTER XIV. THE CONVICT'S HOME
"Jefferson City is the next station," called out the train man as the Missouri Pacific rolled into the capital of the great commonwealth of Missouri. It was two o'clock in the morning. From an easy reclining chair, to an omnibus, and to a cozy room in the Madison House, was the work of but a few moments. It being rather an unseasonable hour to begin the investigation of a large penal institution, I made a brief journey to the land of dreams, and there remained until a noisy porter knocked at my
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CHAPTER XV. THE WORK OF THE CONVICT
CHAPTER XV. THE WORK OF THE CONVICT
It is a great blessing to the convict that he can have the privilege of working. When prisons were first started in this country it was thought best to keep the prisoner in solitary confinement; have him visited daily by a spiritual teacher, place the Bible and other good books in his hands, and in this manner reform him, and send him out into the world a better man than he was on entering the prison. The great penal institution of Auburn, New York, was for a time conducted in this manner. The p
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CHAPTER XVI. THE MISSOURI PRISONERS
CHAPTER XVI. THE MISSOURI PRISONERS
The Missouri penitentiary contains 1,894 convicts. This is the most populous penal institution in the United States. Crime is on the increase. The number of prisoners is gradually becoming larger. Reformation is not the success that it should be. A great many of the prisoners return a second, third and many the fourth time. There is one old convict now an inmate who has served nine different terms in this prison. The highest number that was ever at any prior time in this penitentiary, was reache
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CHAPTER XVII. THE MISSOURI PRISONERS—(Continued)
CHAPTER XVII. THE MISSOURI PRISONERS—(Continued)
During the years 1887 and 1888, 1,523 prisoners were received into the Missouri penitentiary. Of this number 1,082 were white males, 398 colored males, 17 white females, and 26 colored females. These figures show that the women of Missouri are a great deal better than the men, or they do not get their share of justice. There is nothing that should interest the good people of Missouri more than the foregoing table. These appalling figures I copied from the prison records. Of the 1,523 criminals r
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CHAPTER XVIII. PRISON DISCIPLINE
CHAPTER XVIII. PRISON DISCIPLINE
The Missouri penitentiary ranks among the leading penal institutions of the country in matter of discipline. The rules and regulations are placed in the hands of the prisoner as soon as he enters. If an inmate obeys these rules and regulations he will be let alone, and will go through his term of service without being punished. If he becomes unruly and disobedient he will be punished, and that, too, very severely. Each prisoner is allowed one pound of tobacco a month for chewing and smoking purp
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CHAPTER XIX. NOTED CONVICTS
CHAPTER XIX. NOTED CONVICTS
At the present time there are fifty-six females who find homes in this living tomb. Two-thirds of them are colored. The greater portion are kept busy making underclothing for the prisoners. They are detained, during working hours, in a room, seated at tables, with a lady guard watching them. They are not allowed to converse with each other, only as they get permission from this officer. They are not permitted to see the male prisoners. In fact there is no way of entering the female prison from t
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CHAPTER XX. THE EX-CONVICT
CHAPTER XX. THE EX-CONVICT
Heavy are the burdens which men in prison must bear. They are deprived of liberty, separated from friends, no social intercourse, and constantly maintaining an unnatural position. The convict's place is lower than the most degraded menial; he must ask for permission even to get a drink of water. No serf of earth, no slave, however wretched, has a sadder lot. These unhappy mortals have yielded to temptation, have fallen, and are paying the penalty of violated law. Who can think of these degraded
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