fresh water which stands on the shelf; stand for a moment at
the cell entrance watching the fellows pass who lock in around the corner;
and then pull to my iron grated door, locking myself in for the night. I
never perform this last operation and hear the click of the lever which
announces that I am fastened securely in my cell, without a feeling of
resentment. At least, if a man is to be caged like this, it ought to be
done by visible exercise of authority. They shouldn't expect him to lock
his own cage. Speaking as a convict, I call it adding insult to injury.

* * * * *

The following is Jack Murphy's description of the regular routine: "On
reaching his gallery each inmate must go direct to his cell, closing his
iron door to within an inch of the catch, where the lever falls in place.
He must then stand with hands on his iron-grated door until the Captain
(who is now on his way, locking up) reaches his cell; then the convict
pulls in his door, the lever falls into its catch and the Captain
simultaneously inserts his large key into a lock at the side, locking the
lever so that it cannot be raised. He then counts his company.

"The process of counting is done in this manner: the Captain, in passing
each cell, takes hold of the lever while the inmate shakes his door
vigorously. In this way the Captain does two mental things at one time,
namely: he assures himself that each cell door is securely locked, and
that his charge is behind that secured lock. This procedure is continued
until the last cell and convict is counted. Then the iron bar which runs
the length of the gallery is let down by a lever operated by the Captain
at the end of the gallery. This bar runs in front of an iron rod or arm
attached outward from the cell door. It is twenty inches long by half an
inch square, and is fastened to the left side of the cell door.

"I forgot to say that, after the lever, which lowers the long iron bar, is
pulled down, it is also treated to the lock-up system. A Yale lock is used
for this purpose; so you see the poor dumb iron is even a victim to the
Prison System.

"In case of illness, after the prison is closed for the night, an officer
has to go to the trouble of running up to the front hall for the key of
the gallery on which the convict is ill. This would take him 15 minutes to
do; and after he got through unlocking all the locks and pulling the
lever the convict might be fit for an und