The Twin Hells: A Thrilling Narrative of Life in the Kansas and Missouri PenitentiariesReynolds, John N. (John Newton)
History
The Twin Hells: A Thrilling Narrative of Life in the Kansas and Missouri Penitentiaries
Reynolds, John N. (John Newton)
Prisons -- Kansas; Prisons -- Missouri
from the presence of prisoners, over whom he is to exert his influence,
there is not to be found a more pleasant and agreeable gentleman. In
came a second official, and, in the same gruff manner, said to me, "Come
along." I followed him out to the wash-house, where I took a bath. A
prisoner took my measure for a suit of clothes. After he had passed the
tape-line around me several times, he informed the officer that I
was the same size of John Robinson, who had been released from the
penitentiary the day before. "Shall I give him John Robinson's clothes?"
asked the convict. In the same gruff manner the officer said, "Yes,
bring on Robinson's old clothes." So I was furnished with a second-hand
suit! The shoes were second-hand. I am positive about this last
statement, judging by the aroma. After I had been in the penitentiary
some four months, I learned that John Robinson, whose clothes I had
secured, was a colored man. Being arrayed in this suit of stripes I was
certainly "a thing of beauty." The coat was a short blouse and striped;
the stripes, white and black, alternated with each other, and passed
around the body in a horizontal way. The pantaloons were striped;
the shirt was striped; the cap was striped. In fine, it seemed that
everything about that penitentiary was striped--even to the cats! Being
dressed, I was next handed an article that proved, on examination, to
be intended for a handkerchief. It was covered with large blue
letters--"Leavenworth Mills. XXX Flour," etc. It was a quarter section
of a flour sack! Nine hundred prisoners very soon empty a great many
flour sacks. After the flour has been consumed the sack is cut up into
quarter sections, washed, hemmed and used for handkerchiefs. No better
handkerchief can be invented. They are stout, stiff and durable! They
will bear all manner of nasal assaults! There is no danger of blowing
them into atoms, and the officials are not afraid to give them out to
convicts sent there charged with the use of dynamite! One of them has
been known to last a prisoner for five years.
After I had donned my suit and taken possession of my handkerchief, I
was ordered to fold my arms. Prisoners marching in ranks, or going to
and fro about the prison enclosure, are required to have their arms in
this position. The object is to prevent them from passing articles. I
was marched to the building known as the south wing of the cell house.
In this building, which is two hundred and fifty feet long, there are
cells for the accommodation of five hundred convicts. The prisoners who
occupy this wing work in the shops located above ground, and within the
prison enclosure.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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