Part 1

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BEHIND THE PRISON BARS.

_A REMINDER OF OUR DUTIES TOWARD THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN SO UNFORTUNATE AS TO BE CAST INTO PRISON._

By E. E. BYRUM,

Author of “The Secret of Salvation,” “Divine Healing of Soul and Body,” “The Great Physician,” “The Boy’s Companion,” Etc.

“_Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them._”—_Heb. 13:3._

GOSPEL TRUMPET PUBLISHING CO.,

MOUNDSVILLE, W. VA.

1901.

COPYRIGHT, 1901, BY E. E. BYRUM.

AUTHOR’S PREFACE.

Help a man who is in trouble and manifest a care for his soul, even though he is an enemy; it touches a tender chord of his hardened heart, tends to loose the binding powers of sin, causing him to look up with hope. Realizing the great neglect of duty toward them who are behind the prison-bars, unable to help themselves in many respects, inspired the writing of this volume. It was not the intention of the author to write a thorough work on this subject, but to call attention to a few facts concerning the prisons and jails, also the treatment and privileges of the inmates, and thus awaken the people to a sense of duty and the manifestation of a feeling of sympathy. The majority of people have never visited a jail or state prison, consequently know but little about them, and feel little, if any, responsibility on that line.

About two years ago the Gospel Trumpet Publishing Company of Moundsville, W. Va., established a fund for sending out literature free to the poor, to jails, prisons, and wherever most needed. As much as ten thousand dollars’ worth of books, tracts, and papers have in this way been sent out during one year to various parts of the United States, Canada, Europe, and other foreign countries. Yet it seems only a drop in the bucket, as it were, in consideration of what should be done. It is our earnest prayer that the readers of this little volume will at once put forth the greatest possible effort to properly supply the prisoners and thus aid in bringing about a reformation in their lives.

In order to show the result of some of the efforts put forth to supply the prisoners with good literature and their appreciation of the same, quite a number of letters from prisoners and prison officials have been inserted. While these letters have quite a similarity, yet it is hoped that their sameness will not destroy their interest in consideration of the fact that thereby the prisoners from a broad scope of territory have the privilege of giving expression to their feeling of gratitude toward those who have thus manifested their friendship.

The names have been omitted of those who have written letters and testimonies; however, they appear in full in the original manuscript and are genuine. Only the serial numbers are given to those whose biographies appear in the book. We are grateful for the kind assistance of prison officials and prisoners who have kindly contributed. Further communications, or letters, from prisoners or any one interested in this line of work will be gladly received by the author. With an earnest prayer for the salvation of every prisoner, I remain,

Yours in Him, E. E. BYRUM.

Moundsville, W. Va., July 4, 1901.

_CONTENTS._

PAGE.

In Prison. 9

Make the Best of It. 12

Punishment. 14

Capital Punishment. 22

Life Imprisonment. 26

The Dungeon. 28

Cat-o’-nine-tails. 33

Buck and Gagged. 34

Lock-step March. 34

Literary Privileges. 37

Tobacco Allowance. 46

The Prisoner’s Work. 47

The Stockades. 48

The Chain Gang. 49

The Felon’s Cell. 53

The Library. 56

The Chapel. 58

Scaling the Prison Walls. 60

A Prison Reform. 64

History of West Virginia Penitentiary. 73 (As Written by a Prisoner.)

Letters from Prison Officials. 107

Testimonies of Convicts. 121

Released from Prison. 141

_LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS._

PAGE.

The Black List. 19

Cat-o’-nine-tails. 31

Lock-step March. 35

The Chain Gang. 51

Scaling the Prison Walls. 61

Tracked by Bloodhounds—Captured. 69

Penitentiary of the State of West Virginia. 105

The Younger Brothers. 145

_BEHIND THE PRISON-BARS._

[Illustration: Decoration]

IN PRISON.

Our country is called the land of the free, but could we at one glance behold the thousands and tens of thousands now behind the prison-bars and know their irksome lives, there would be an awakening in hearts that have never known the bondage that exists in our midst.

A crime is perpetrated. Some one is arraigned before the court to answer the charges as to whether he is guilty or not. The jury renders a verdict, “Guilty.” The judge pronounces the sentence a term in prison. The poor unfortunate is now considered a convict. Shackles are brought to make him secure, in order to prevent his escape. An officer accompanies him to his prison house, where he is to be in servitude according to the length of his term of sentence. No one but the prisoner realizes the awful feelings as the prison door shuts behind him with a clang, and he hears the click of the lock fastening him in an iron cell. Whether innocent or guilty, he feels the awful disgrace upon himself and his friends. It would not seem so bad if only the guilty were brought to justice in this way, but ofttimes the facts reveal that not only hundreds, but thousands, of innocent persons are thus sentenced and brought into disgrace, many of them serving a life sentence.

There are two sides to prison life—a bright side, and a dark side. It may be a query in the minds of some how there could be any enjoyment or any bright side to such a life, but this will be clearly shown in other chapters in this book. There are many things that go to make the prison life a dark one. Viewing the matter from a natural standpoint, with no one to look to but human help, the way does truly often look dark and dreary. There are prisons where men are cast into dungeons and left to almost starve to death, or they are bound hand and foot and beaten with the cat-o-nine tails, or hanged by the thumbs, or made to pass through some severe ordeal of punishment that is almost beyond human endurance. Even in our own country there are yet stockades wherein prisoners do not receive treatment that would elevate them nor fit them for the higher circles of society. Many of these stockades wherein prisoners have been kept during the years past have been but little, if any, better in many respects than were the Andersonville or Libby prisons during the Rebellion. There are exceptional cases to be sure. During the past year a number of the states have not properly provided for their prisoners. It has not been an uncommon thing in some of these stockades to see a gang of men shackled together with chains, obliged to go about with the clanking chains to their feet, under rigid rules, and having to suffer the severe treatment of wicked and ungodly guards.

The National Prison Association, which is generally represented by officers from the various prisons throughout the United States, have for a number of years met annually to discuss the best modes of handling and caring for the prisoners. Various methods have been set forth. Experiments have been made, and too often it is the case that hard-hearted officers have used the most excruciating means and hard-heartedness in their dealings toward their prisoners, in order to keep them in subjection. Some officers deem it necessary to speak to prisoners in the sternest possible manner, imagining that being cross, gruff, and surly toward them will make them feel a subordination that can be brought about in no other way. This only deepens the sorrows of the poor unfortunate prisoner and tends to harden his heart and affections. Such officers forget that kind looks, gentle actions, and words of encouragement fitly spoken will elevate a man and encourage him to show his manhood and return the love by putting forth his best efforts to show his appreciation of kindness. It is true there are hard-hearted men in prison, men who would kill a man for a trifle, whose consciences are seared over, as it were, yet there are comparatively few men so hard-hearted but can be touched by love and kindness. There are times when more severe punishment must be inflicted, but the warden and prison officers who continually show forth kindness toward the prisoners, greeting them with a smile and words of encouragement, have but little trouble in bringing about a great reform in the lives of those under their charge.

MAKE THE BEST OF IT.

There are thousands in prisons whose hands have been stained with the blood of their fellow men; others whose hearts are hardened in sin and their lives blackened with many crimes; while again, there are those who are innocent, and some who have been cast into prison for Christ’s sake. But whether innocent or guilty, the most expedient thing is to make the best of the situation. Worrying over the separation from friends, the disgrace that is brought about, and bewailing the condition of things in general, will by no means help the matter. If a sin or crime has been committed it is not hidden from the God of heaven, and though the prisoner maybe shut in for years he can have the soul liberated from all the sins committed, by confessing them unto the Lord, calling upon him, and believing that he does forgive; as the Bible tells us in 1 Jno. 1:9 that, “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The dear prisoner should make a decision for the right at once, cast away his gloom, doubts, and fears, and remember the words of the apostle, who urges people to cast their care upon the Lord, for he careth for them. He is a very present help in time of trouble. By the help of Almighty God the prisoner can yet make his mark in the world. He can rise above every foe and be of some use before his life closes. While he is in the midst of the most desperate characters in the land, yet he can have good associates. He can commune with God when alone in his cell. He can call for good books and holy literature, read the Bible, and make every effort to please the Lord and those around him. He can so live that even the prison walls will be a hallowed spot unto him. It was while John Bunyan was serving a twelve-year sentence in prison that he wrote the notable book “The Pilgrim’s Progress,” which has been a help and comfort to multitudes of people. He no doubt worked often under adverse circumstances and completed his work through many difficulties and much hard labor. Likewise Martin Luther translated the New Testament while in prison, and wrote a number of other valuable works. The apostle Paul wrote a number of his epistles while in prison. He and others with him sometimes were punished by stripes until they were left lacerated and bleeding, then cast into prison and bound hand and foot. It was under such circumstances that one time Paul and Silas were found praising the Lord, singing and shouting at the midnight hour, when the Lord sent an earthquake and rent the prison walls, throwing open the doors and loosing the shackles, setting them free; but they did not flee from the prison until they received proper orders. It was their faithfulness that caused the jailer to ask what he should do to be saved. Paul told him to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The generous jailor then took the brethren and washed their stripes and properly cared for them, and soon they were dismissed and sent on their way. It often happens that some must suffer an unjust punishment. To such we can only say, Be of good courage; look up and trust for better days.

PUNISHMENT.

People are sentenced to a term in prison on account of crime committed. There are two systems of punishment. One is called punitive or retributive system, the other the corrective or reformative. Until within the last few years the punitive system was almost the exclusive one. However, our humane officers, prison officials, lawmakers and statesmen are not only learning better ways of bringing men and women thus incarcerated into subjection, but in many places are making and enforcing laws which require that prisoners be more humanely treated and receive better care and accommodations. Men have resorted to almost every possible device in order to make bad men good and raise them from ignorance to intelligence, and in so doing have inflicted the most severe punishment, causing the prisoners to pass through severest ordeals and most terrible sufferings imaginable. When we say there has been a radical change in many of our prisons in the land in discarding the severe corporal punishment, we do not wish to convey the idea that all prisons have yet accepted the more humane ways of governing the prisoners under their charge. When we say some of these punishments have been and are yet severe it does not fully express the facts of the case. The word “severe” is not a strong enough word. There have been and are yet punishments that are brutal—brutal to the extreme. Many prisoners who are within the prison walls carry the deep lash marks of the whip; the unjointed and deformed thumbs resulting from the punishment of being hanged by the thumbs; and there are other deformities. Many of us can no doubt remember the time of our early days in the country school when the schoolmaster was almost constantly with a beach or birch whip in his hand, something equal to an ox goad. This instrument for correcting the youths of our land and bringing them into subjection, when not in the schoolmaster’s hand was in the corner near by and was generally freely used. There have been, however, such a radical change and better modes of government brought about, that many schools are taught without once using such an instrument of punishment. If such a successful change has been made in our public schools, surely as radical a change can be made in our prisons, to take the place of the brutality of the past. Concerning the easy government of the prisoners there is much that depends upon those in charge of the prisoners. The warden, chaplain, and prison guards who have direct care of the prisoners should be good, whole-souled men, kind and benevolent, and who are capable of appreciating the good traits of a man even though they may be covered by many dark ones. They should be good readers of human nature and understand the dispositions of those under their charge. They should be firm and unyielding to their trust, yet loving and tender.

Mr. Meade, warden of the state prison at Auburn, N. Y., says: “Till the nature of criminals undergoes a complete change, nay, till the nature of man is much altered, there will be times when punishment must be inflicted on prisoners. Much as we have gained on using the modern reformed treatment, and much as we may justly expect to gain in the future, the fact remains that there are times in the prison life of men when the results of their former passions crop out irresistibly, making them for a time not accessible to friendly reproof. At such times, for the effect it has on others, but quite as much for its effect on its misdemeanant, it is necessary to forcibly bring him to recognition of his obligations and his duty. But to my mind forcible restraining, or to employ the common term, punishing a convict, does not require the use of the paddle or other instruments of torture; furthermore, in my judgment, such process should be condemned in the strongest terms. For they tend to imbitter not only the man punished but all prisoners against the officers of the prison, the rules of the prison, and law itself. One instance of the use of the paddle would do more to destroy the desired friendly relation between officers and men than many months of considerate treatment could restore. No! Experience has proved to me that when it is imperative that an inmate be punished, the screened cell or dungeon without discretion furnishes an effective mode. Such cells should be kept dry and well ventilated, but wholly devoid of furnishings. Confining men thus and supplying them with a very limited amount of food and water has, in the great majority of cases which have come under my observation, speedily brought the desired result of making a man see the advisibility of abiding by the regulations of the institution.”

There are also other ways, however, of vividly impressing the minds of those who are disorderly, or who insist on not observing the prison rules. Most prisons have what is called “short time;” that is, for good behavior their sentence is shortened so many days each month, and in some prisons a certain percentage of the worth of their labor is placed to their credit for good behavior. One of the effective ways of bringing them to time when they become stubborn and rebellious, refusing to obey the rules, is to withhold the commutation, or short time, and also deduct so much of the compensation money that has been placed to their credit. This is generally much more effective and pleads to the reason and common sense of the prisoner more than some forcible persuasion by way of corporal punishment.

For certain offences some are black-listed to be punished in various ways. One is, during working hours or while others are resting or at services on Sunday, the disobedient convict is to march for a few hours around the prison square and carry a heavy piece of railroad iron, weighing from fifty to one hundred pounds.

[Illustration: The Black List.]

Captain Smith, a few years ago, in giving his biennial report of the Kansas prison, said: “The discipline has been carefully looked after and as a general thing prisoners yield to a strict discipline better than most people think. They seem to see and realize the necessity of rules and very seldom complain, if they violate them, at the punishment that is sure to follow. Our punishments are of such a character that they do not degrade. Kansas, when she established her penitentiary, prohibited corporal punishment. She is one of the few states that by law prohibits the use of the whip and strap, taking the position that it is better to use kindness than to resort to brutal measures. I have often been told, and that too by old prison men, that it is impossible to run a prison and have first-class discipline without the whip. Such is not my experience. We have had within our walls perhaps as desperate men as ever received a sentence. We have controlled them and have maintained a good discipline second to none in the country. How did we accomplish this? Our answer is, By being kind but firm, treating a man, although a prisoner, as a man, and if he violates rules, lock him up and give him an opportunity to commune with himself and his Maker; also give him to understand that he is the executioner of his own sentence, and when he concludes that he can do right, release him. It matters not how vicious, how stubborn, or what kind of a temper he may have, when left with no one to talk to and an opportunity to cool down and with the knowledge that when he comes to the conclusion that he will do better he can be released, he leaves the cell feeling very different from the prisoner who leaves the whipping-post after having received any number of lashes that the brutal officer may desire to inflict. One goes to his work cheerful and determined to behave himself; the other dogged, revengeful, and completely humiliated, only lives in hope that he may at some time take his revenge upon the person that ordered or inflicted the punishment and upon the state or country that would by its laws tolerate such a brutal or slavish practice.”

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

Being put to death for crime or some misdemeanor is termed capital punishment. This is not the most painful but is the most heinous of all punishments. It is a heathenish practice, yet men make laws, sit in judgment, render decisions, pronounce sentences, and thereby shed the blood of their fellow men, trying to hide behind the laws that are made, trying to screen themselves by the Bible, hoping all will be well in the day of judgment. Because of such lawmakers and lawyers, many are sentenced and hurled into eternity without being prepared to meet God. Will God hold us innocent if we do such things? or if we cry not out against such, will he not look down upon a government and nation stained with human blood? Surely there is guilt that must be removed. When the judge rises and pronounces the death sentence, to ease his conscience in the matter he sometimes quotes from Genesis 9:6: “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” Even though that scripture could apply in such cases in those days, it can not at the present time. It is true that under the law of Moses life was given for life as a punishment. For many trivial things people were stoned to death, even for the breaking of the Sabbath.

“Then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.”—Ex. 21:23-25.

“Then thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”—Deut. 19:21.

“And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death. And he that killeth a beast shall make it good; beast for beast. And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbor; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him; breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again. And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.”