xt73n58cjw33 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt73n58cjw33/data/mets.xml Kentucky 1962 newsletters English Eddyville, Ky.: Kentucky State Penitentiary This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed. Permission must be received for subsequent distribution in print or electronically. Physical rights are retained by the owning repository. Copyright is retained in accordance with U. S. copyright laws. Please go to https://exploreuk.uky.edu for more information. Castle on the Cumberland Kentucky State Penitentiary -- Periodicals Journalism, Prison -- Kentucky Castle on the Cumberland, May 1962 text Kentucky State Penitentiary v.: ill. 28 cm. Call Numbers HV8301 .C37 and 17-C817 20:C279 Castle on the Cumberland, May 1962 1962 1962 2021 true xt73n58cjw33 section xt73n58cjw33

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will: ON THE
umBurIalﬁl

May 15,

Volume I, Number XI

CASTLE ON THE CUMBERLAND

May 15, 1962

ADMINISTRATION

TABLE OF (DNI‘ENI’S

ﬂThe Honorable Bert T. Combs
Governor

Wilson W. Wyatt
Lt. Governor

We C. Oakley
Welfare Commissioner

Marshalliﬁwain
Deputy Commissioner

Dr. Harold Black
Director of Corrections

Luther Thomas
warden

Lloyd T. Armstrong
Deputy warden

W. T. Baxter
Guard Captain

Kathlyn 0rdway
Business Manager

Rev. Paul Jaggers
Chaplainv

William.Egbert
Vocational
Instructor

Henry E. CoWan
Supervisor of
Education

-—Parole Commission--

Dr. Fred Moffazt
Executive Director

walter Ferguson
Chairman

Simeon”Willis
Member-

Ernest Thompson
Member

The Mail Bag 1
Castle News V 2
The Editorial Side 5
Sports Report 6
Fiction 7
Exchange Page 10
Meet the Prisoners 11
Tall Tales 12
Department Reports 13
Poetry & Miscellany 16
Deputy warden's Page 20
Crossword 22
Statistics & Movies 23

STAFF

Billy Howell
Spor ts Edito r

Lawrence Snow
Editor

Charles Garrett
Shoretary

Hughie Hammock
Lithographer

The CASTLE ON THE CWMBERLAND is published monthly by the inmates of the Kentucky

State Penitentiary'at deyville.
money order at:

Articles are solicited,
revise any material submitted.

essarily reflect those of the administration.
to reproduce any part of this magazine, provided proper credit is given.

CASTLE ON THE CUMBERLAND,
Penitentiary, Eddyville, Kentucky, and by inmates at the Chief Clerk's
but the CASTLE reserves the right to reject,

Opinions expressed in this magazine do not nec-

Subsoriptions, one dollar a year, payable by

Subscriptions Dept., Kentucky State
Ofin 90
edit, or

hereby granted
Where

Permission is

possible, a marked copy of the quoting publication is requested.

FROM THE MAIL BAG

Lions Eye Bank LIONS
101 W. Chestnut St. Eye Foundation
Louisville 2, Kentucky

April 25, 1962
Mr. Lawrence Snow, Editor
Castle on the Cumberland
Kentucky State Penitentiary
Eddyville, Kentucky

Dear Mr. Snow:

Lio ns Eye C 11 nic
323 E. Chestnut St.
Louisville 2, Kentucky

Thanks so much for your April 5th letter and the 2h additional
signed pledge cards.' I also appreciate the copy of your magazine
and the cover publicity as well as the story you ran on page 19.

On behalf of the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation, I went to thank
you and John Brown, Jr. and all the others there who have shown interest
for the eye pledge cards you have had signed and for promoting our very

worthwhile project.

Under separate cover we are mailing you an additional supply of
cards wits several posters. Included With this letter is a c0py of our
latest Eye Bank Progness Report which will bring you up to date on what
has been accomplished by the Kentucky Lions Eye Bank, since it was organ-

ized h% years ago.

I'll write John Brown to thank him personally for his support of

the Eye Bank.

Thanks again for helping us secure our organization's life line --

signed eye pledge cards.

Congratulations on doing such a fine job as Editor of your magazine.

Sincerely yours,

R. S. Burnett
President

Men interested in furthering the work that John Brown’s letter to this office
began, and all those interested in pledging their eyes to help give sight to
the blind men, women, and children of Kentucky and Southern Indiana may apply
at the magazine office. In no case will the eyes be taken before your death,.

and the pledge costs you and your family nothing.
a *

31'

And just before press time, we received some very large farewell letters from
our friends in the seventh grade at St. Edward's School, Jeffersontown. The
kids are leaving for summer vacation this month, and we wish them well. They

are great kids, all of than!

Page 1 CASTLE ON'THE CUMBEEIINU

@sstﬁ?

News

READER DONATES LAKE BOX OF BOOKS

TO LIBRARY: CASTLE GETS DICTIONARY

. Not long ago the CASTLE devoted its edi-
torial page to an appeal for books to be
used in the bookhshort prison library.
No sooner had that issue been mailed
than a thoughtful reader, Mr. Harvey
Sharer of the University of Kentucky in
Lexington, wrote to offer his help. And
shortly after that, a large box of books
arrived from Mr. Sharer.

Included in the box was a fine webster's
dictionary to end one of the CASTLE'S
pressing problems -- the fact that we
have been the only editorial office in
the world without a dictionary.

The box also contained H. L. Mencken's
The American Language, Virgil's Aeneid,
TEE Second Whollcott Reader and This Is
My Best, in which are found selectioﬁg
from the works of many of the best con-
temporary writers, You and Heredity, The
writer's Market, and many other books,
all good, and all in excellent condi-
tion. Most of the books seem to have
been taken from Mr. Sherer's own library.

MORE.BOOKS ARRIVE FROM UNIVERSITY

Early this month another box of books
arrived from the University of Kentucky,
this time from Dr. Sheldon Grebstein of
the Department of English. As was the
case with the donations received from
Mr. Sharer, the books are of a type that
will make a valuable addition' to the
prison library.

Included in the box were books on cur-
rent English usage, several books on
writing skills, some anthologies of
short stories, essays and poems, and
several histories and novels.

Our thanks go to Mr. Sharer and'Mr. Grab-
stein for their generous donations and
their concern for us. Thanks are also
due to the U. K. Student Council, .which
voted to sponsor a project to obtain more
, books for our library.

WELIPKNUWN PADUCAH EDITOR ADDRESSES
GRADUATING CLASS AT PENITENTIARY

More than a hundred students gathered in
the prison school last month to hearm
Bill Powell, popular Executive Editor of
the PADUCAH SUN DEMOCRAT, address the
graduating class. The students found
themselves paying close attention as Mr.
Powell congratulated them and their
teachers for doing what he termed an ex-
cellent job in spite of adverse condi-
tions, and then went on to discuss some
of.their common problems.

Speaking in simple and eloquent terms,
Powell mentioned briefly the need for a
real education, which, he said, con-
sisted not so much in di lomas or de—
grees as in the ability to ...know the
right thing to do, to separate the genup
ine from the phony." At one point he
said, "It doesn't make sense that a man
can get along without an education.
It s a real thing, something you can see
in'people.“

He went on to say that he could see bit-
terness reflected in some of the faces.
"well, I don't blame you. If I were in
your place, I'd probably be bitter too,"
he said. "But more people have wrecked
themselves on the junkpiles of the world
by feeling sorry for themselves than by
any other way I know."

Speaking against cynicism and distrust,
Powell stressed the need for faith,

saying that the principles of Christ are

more vital today than ever before.

“But," he said, "before you can have

faith in God, before you can have faith

in'Warden Thomas, before you can have

faith in Bill Powell or anyone else, you

must have faith in yourselves."

"I can see a great deal of intelligence
here," he said at another point, "a
great deal of promise, of what the world
needs. But it needs a governor if we
are to contribute rather than detract
from the world."

(Please turn to Page 3)

Tissue ON THE CUMBERLAND

a -<.. .3 ~..—.- Nanette...- no.u.-y._.-. -

Castle News

BILL POWELL ADDRESS CLASS (Can't?

Toward the end of his address, Powell
told the Biblical story of Jesus' rebuk—
ing Peter for his lack of faith during a
storm on the sea of Gallilee as an
illustration of the need for faith.
"I”m betting on you," he concluded.
"And get this -- a lot of people -~ like
me a— are pulling for you."

Also on the progrmn were the Educational
Director, Mr. Henry Cowan, and warden

Luther Thomas, who also congratulated
the men for their efforts and expressed
his hope that facilities~ would be ex~

panded in the near future. Reverend

Jaggers gave the benediction.

_FARSIGHTED DECISION PLUS ABILITY AND
HARD'WORK PUT BILL POWELL WHERE HE IS

,Bill Powell, who managed to make a deep
and lasting impression on many ESP ins
mates during the short time he was on
the Mountain last month, is modest
‘enough to believe that a wartime man-
power shortage made his career for him.

A stocky, well-groomed man who looks
younger than his h2 years, Powell was
born in Tennessee and moved to Kentucky
more or less permanently in l92h. He
attended Murray State College long
enough to soak up all the journalism and
English offered there, and then, in
l9ﬂ0, took a $10 a week job with the
PRINCETON LEADER, a weekly newspaper.
In l9hl, the war interrupted his career.

Inspired by patriotic indignation over
Pearl Harbor, Powell enlisted _in the
navy, intending to serve for the dura»
tion. In April of l9h2, however, the
navy, to his intense disappointment,
gave his its thanks and a medical dis-
charge, and he found himself back in
civilian life.

It was then that Powell had a hard den
oision to make. "The delicate turn of
events plays a great part in a man's
life," he says. “I wouldn't have had a

chance if it hadn’t been for the war.n
It was a time when factory workers could

grab off upwards of $200 a week, which
is good money in any period, and he was
tempted to take it. Instead, to the

consternation of some of his friends, he
chose a $25 a week job with the PADUCAH
SUN DEMOCRAT.

Time, of course, proved his choice a
wise one. Beginning as a reporter, he
became first city editor and later exe-
cutive editor, his present position and
one, incidentally, that nobody gets
through luck alone.

It was a privilege to meet him.

TWO INMATES OF INDIANA REFORMATORY
GIVE SKIN TO SAVE TODDLER'S LIFE

a fournyear-old Indiana boy is alive and
on the way to recovery today thanks to
two inmates of the Indiana State Rea
formatory at Pendleton, according to the
PENDLETON’REFLECTOR.

The boy, who suffered first-degree burns
when his parents' trailer home caught
fire, needed immediate skin grafts if he
was to live. Informed of the toddler's
plight, the two inmates, Larry Perrin,
25, and Robert Clark, h2, immediately ,
volunteered to go under the knife. The '
child received 128 square inches of skin
from the volunteers.

Perrin and Clark were receiving treat-
ment at the out-patient clinic of an
Indianapolis hospital when the call for
skin came.

SCHOOL RUNNER HAS CARRIED A LOT OF BULL

each student at the
prison school is issued a sack of Bull
Durham tobacco. Over the years, a lot
of tobacco has been consumed.

Twice every week,

Sherrid Wblfe, who has served as the
school runner for more than 7 years,
recently estmnated that he had carried
almost 90,000 sacks of Bull Durham from

IiPage 3

CASTLE ON THE CUMBERLAND

, .—-._:}

Castle News

the canteen to the ‘school during ,that
time,,and that the total value of this
tobacco has been some $5,h00. And that,

says wolfe, is one heck-of a lot of Bull!

KENTUCKY APPEALS COURT JUDGE
WANTS INDETERMINATE SENTENCING
(Based on a COURIER JOURNAL article}

Believing that retribution has no place
in the field of corrections, Judge John
So Palmore of the Kentucky Court of

‘ Appeals went on record last month for

the indeterminate sentencing ‘prooedure
presently being uSed in several other
stateSo ’

“There is a proper time to release a
prisoner under supervision," said Judge
Palmore. “Beyond that time, prolongaa
tion of his imprisonment simply unravels
the good that has been accomplishedo In
the end, the man is worse when he is rea
leased than he was when he was cone
victed.‘u '

The plan' Palmore proposed would take
sentencing out‘ of the hands of juries
and allow judges to give a convicted
felon a maximum, but not a minimum sena
tense, thereby enabling the parole board

to release the prisoner when it believed.

him ready to readjust to a free societyo

But, Judge Palmore warns, the plan won't
work unless certain other reforms are
madeo Among them are: A good program
of diagnosis, classification, and instio
tutional treatment; a parole heard some
prised of experts in the behaviorial
sciences; and a.system of probation and
parole operated by trained personnel
free of political influence. '

Palmore also warned that his plan would
require more money initiallyo It would,
however, be an economy in the long run,
It now costs from $1200 to $1500 a year
to keep an inmate in an institution, and
about $200 a year to keep an individual
under probation or parole supervision.
A sound program of treatment in an

rinstitution, Palmore estimates, would

cost perhaps $2000 a year. But since
prisoners would be released earlier,
overall costs would soon decline.

If the high percentage of repeaters were
also reduced by Judge Palmore's plan,
(from 70 to 88 percent of prison inmates
are repeaters? even more drastic sava
ings would seem to result»

KENTUCKY CHURCHES OPPOSE DEHTH PENALTY

Delegates to the Kentucky Christian
Churches convention at Lexington voted
for a resolution condemning the death
penalty, according to the IDUISVILLB
TIMES.

While the delegates were generally
agreed that the death penalty was unm
justified, some wanted to make sure
"murderers would not be walking the
streets.“ The Reverend Elmore Ryle, a
former member of the State Parole Board,
however, said that during the time he
sat on the parole board, ten men who had
once been condemned to death had been
granted parole. or the ten, nine are
good citizens today and one had a tech—
nical parole violation.

”If those ten had been executed, ten
citizens would have been lost," he saido
"The only thing society has lost is
revengeo"

NEW EYE BANK DONORS FOR THE MONTH

Twelve more men have pledged their eyes
to the Lions Eye Bank this month, mak-=n
ing the total number of inmates who have
contributed fortybtwo. The inmates ares

Richard Ditsch
Anthony E. Shaw
John Lee Carroll
Joe Paulhus
Isaac Storms
Charles Renfrcw

Richard Wiggins
Franklin Clapp
William Baldwin
Donnie Blair
Vonroe Hicks
Robert Carter

More pledge cards are availableo

Page h

CASTLE ON THE CUMBERLAND

L .n :. in..'.'..n:-__v.‘.;;a:uia;s-.

3127s swirl/mo sires

WITHIN THESE WALLS: WHAI ERISDN IS REALLY LIKE

GEDITORVS NOTE: The following article was written at the request of a free reader,
an official of one of the state universities, who suggested that many other of ~our
outside readers might be interested in gaining a clearer idea of what prison is

really like.)

Motorists driving by Kentucky's maximums
security prison at Eddyville have little
cause to wonder why it is popularly
called the "Castle on the Cumberland.“

Built in the early 1880's of rough—hewn
limestone blocks, the prison sits, fort»
resslike, astraddle a rocky hill over-
looking the river. To the south, facing
the river, a long line of connected, h?

story buildings, towered and turretted_

like a medieval castle, form the front
wall and serve as the administration
building and three of the five celln
blocks. On the west, at right angles to
the front buildings, is a fourth cella
block and the death house. On the east,
completing the "U" shape of the main
group of buildings, is a fifth cellhouse
with the prison messhall in its .first
level. A twentyafoot stone wall extends
back and around the hill from these
builiings to enclose the rectangular
compound.

Inside the compound other buildings an a
chapel, a hospital, a tiny gymnasium
that doubles as a school, and two
buildings that serve as "shops,“ or dayin
rooms a- fill much of the space. 0n the
highest level of the terraced yard, an
old reservoir has been converted into a
swimming pool. And swarming over the
yard, if the weather is good, or crowded
into the "shops,“ if it is not, are some
3200 men of all ages from 17 to 80, from
almost every avenue of life, and all
clad alike in the blueadenim prison
uniform.

This much a visitor to the prison may
see for himself. 'What it is like to
serve out a sentence of years here is
something he can only imagine. And

usually the picture is distorted, for a
great deal of nonsense has been written
about the mental anguish and Spiritual
tonnent suffered by convicted men.

This is not to say that the world -we
live in isn't very different from yours.
It is. The cellblocks, four tiers high
with each tier made aocesible by wooden
or concrete stairs and catWalks, honeyb
combed with cells, and made secure by
barred windows and doors, are a far cry
from the kind of building you call home.
The furnishings in our 6~by~10 foot
cells are more Spartan: A table, a bed,
a stool, a sink, a toilet, perhaps a
radio or TV set if the occupant can
afford one. Our “dining room," while

probably much larger than yours «a it

can hold hundreds of men at once we is
considerably different and far less comp

fortable. Crowded together on long metal

tables set in rows, “we eat our food in
complete silence and considerable haste
from compartmented metal trays, with a
spoon our only utensil.

On the yard itself, there is little for
the noneworkers to do, and most of the
men are idle. There is a gymnasium,
open for two hours each weekday and all
day on weekends, but it is too small to
accomodate more than a comparative hand—
ful of men. There is a library, but no
space for a reading room. In the shops,
there are pool tables and a television
set, but the shops are crowded to a
standing-roomponly degree. Even the

walkways are crowded, and men walking
together must separate every few yards
on sunny days to let other walkers pass.
In the summer the swimming pool, and on

(Please turn to page 93

‘ Page 5

’ CASTLE ON ms CUMBERLAND

REPO RT

Billy Howell, Sports Editor

The sports'program has been SlOW‘thiS month, but here's a rundown of batting averages: -
AB H Pct. AB 6 TIMES OR LESS AB H Pot.

McCutcheon IE, 3 .571 Ridley h h .1000

Lamar 15 7 -538 Hopkins 1 1 .1000

Lewis (Lips) 16 8 .500 Bynum 6 3 .500

Herring 1h 7 -500 wadsworth 6 5 .500

Merriwether ’15 7 oh67 watson, J. 2 l 9500

Burton 11 5 ob55 Allen 2 1 .500

Davis, E. 12 5 .1117 Buchanan 2 1 .500

Stiles 13 5 .385 Hogan 6 2 .355

Hall, R. 8 5 .575 Cook, T. c. 3 1 .333

Hollowell 11 h .36h Lynch 3 1 .333

Youngblo 0d 11 14. .5611 Manning )4. 1 .250

Bailey, w. 17 6 .553 watkins 5 1 .200

McClure 9 3 .333 Hayden ‘ 6 1 .167

Grafton l6 5 .313

Newton 10 5 ~300 PITGHER'S RECORDS

Meredith, J. 17 5 .29h

Scruggs 1h h .286 W. L.
Viers 1h h .286 Crockett 2 0
Evans 1h h .286 Baldwin 1 0
Robinson 7 2 .286 Hall, R. 1 O
Mooney 11 3. .273 Meredith 2 0
Lynn 11 5 .273 Buchanan 1 0
Johnson, Chas '15 h .267 Tipton 3 1
Harris, wm. 19 5 «263 Davis 2 2
Martin, W} 16 h ~250 Herring 1 1
Morris, 0. 16 h °250 Bailey '1 1
Taylor, Jo 17 h .235 Lynn 1 1
Brent, John 17 h .255 Evans 1 2
Maitland 13 3 .231 wadsworth 0 1
Baldwin 1h 3 .21h Page 0 1
Pepper 15 5 .200 Hicks 0 1
Tipton, R. 16 3 .188 Pepper 0 1
Sheppard ll 2. .182 Dennis O 1
Hampton 17 3 .176 Troutman 0 1
Troutman 17 3o .176 Greer 0 2
Hicks 12 2 .167

Ford, E. 13 2 .151

Smith, R. 1h 2 o1b3 The managers are: Gene Herring, Joe Manz,
Marthal 7 1 olbﬁ Russell Lynn. Chuck Evans, E. DEV1S: and
Hickman 7 1 o1b5 Milton Hayden.

Rouse 7 1 01.1.1.3

Littleton 9 1 .111

T010193, 11 1 0091

Gannon l2 1 .083

CASTLE ON THE CUMBERLAND _ _' ' Page 6

By Joe Paulhus

"Conscience dees make cowards of us all ..."

Scared, Fredi' You ought to be.... that
guard is right behind you, isn't he?
And that pistol he's holding will finish

you, once he gets a clear shot at you._

It"s funny, isn’t it, how different a
gun looks when itVs pointed at you; that
terrible, rifled circle ready to spit a
flmning death at the slightest squeeze
of the trigger. And your side an that
throbbing, burning crease across your
ribs proves he's a good shot, doesn’t
it? A little more to the right and you
could have kissed them all goodbye. But
even :if he'd killed you, maybe that
would be better than being dragged back
to the prison you left behind.

If they catch you now, you‘ll never see
the outside world again. You'll have to
pull your twenty flat before you start
on the five they'll hand you for es-
oaping. And you'll do every day of it
in Stoney Lonesome. Twentyafive years
of solitaryg And all the labor to
finish that tunnel from your cell ...
No, Fred, you can't afford to let them
catch you now.

It's a shame you had to enter this
swamp, Fred, but you did lose that pack
of howling dogs. A hound‘s sniffer
isn’t worth much in three feet of stag»
nant water and muck, is it? But there
are other dangers here, Fred: water,
snakes, quicksand, death -- each lurking
in the deep shadows, waiting for you.

How many guards behind you, you say?
One, two, three? well, you're sure
there is at least one, and he's abnost
breathing down your neck. So, keep
moving, pal, or the next slug might find
its mark. That's it, over there,
through that clump of willow trees.

Did you say something, Fred? 0h, some~
thing bit your hand. Yes, I see it;
coiling, writhing -- the putrid white of
its gaping mouth now stained with venom
dripping from the stumps of its broken
fangs. You'd better do something quick,
or you'll never make it.

That's it, pull out the fangs. Now, the
knife —- out deep, an X. at each puncn

' Page 7

CASTLE ON THE cum/113mm _

Fiction Section

ture. Now, suck out the poison. There,
now, it feels better already, doesn’t
it? It will start swelling soon, but
you shouldn't have too much trouble with
it.

Rest? Yes, I know you're tired and
weak, but if you stop to rest, the
guards might find you. You can't let
that happen, can you, Fred?

Listenﬁ Someone is coming through the
water, in that tall grass ... it's that
guard. You were right, Fred, he's
tailed you pretty close. His gun is
ready, .and this time he might not miss.
Who is he? Do you know him? Sure you
do. He's the one they call “Snoopy."
One of the others might have spared you,
Fred, but not him. They say that he
would report his mother if he thought
she would suffer. Aren”t you glad that
you're not like him, Fred? Cold, ruth-
less?

Quiet, Fred: Don't move or make any
noise. He can't see you here. You know
what it means if he finds you. Good,
he's moving past you. He missed you
this time. But how long will luck be on
your side?

That's it ... lie back and try to sleep.
Oh, you can't sleep? Pains, Fred, or
are you too scared to sleep? Oh, I
see ... the war, this swamp reminds you
of the war. Sure, I know ... I was be-
side you there, too, remember? The

. South Pacific, on that island, the

“Canal" they called it. Almost the
same, isn’t it? water, mosquitoes,
lizards ... and always the swampy, hell-
ish green jungle surrounding you, pull—
ing you deeper and deeper into its slimy
depths, and the little “Banzai” soldier,
Fred, the sickly little boy who was a
soldier. Sure, I know, buddy ... but
that was war .6. kill or be killed.
Yes, I suppose his mother cried when she
learned he'd been killed. But suppose
he'd killed you —- he was trying to, you
know'a- suppose it had been your guts

spreading into the jungle ooze ... oh,
Fred, you're not as scared as I thought,
falling asleep so soon.

Yes, Fred, it‘s morning all right. You
didn't sleep so well? Rough dreams, eh?
Don't worry, buddy, you've had many
restless nights before, haven‘t you?
You'd better move on soon or that guard
might come back and find you. That's
it, get up ... see if you can get out of
here before he spots you.

Hey, look out% There he is, over there,
he's lying on that rise. He's asleep,
isn't he? And look, Fred, there's his
gun beside him. 'What are you going to
do? ‘Move on? Oh, I see ... the gun.
Yes, I suppose that's probably best.
Get the gun and shoot his. That way,
you won't have to worry about him anyb
more 0

Go slowly, watch your step or he might
wake up. That’s it, slowly ... slowly.
NOW" you've got it. Okay. Now shoot:
Go ahead, shoot. No? Why, what's the
matter, Fred? Oh, yes ... his leg, it's
swollen. He was bitten by a snake, too.
He must not have a knife, from the looks
of it. That tourniquet is probably the
only reason he isn't dead now.

well, maybe that‘s best ... just leave
him here to die. 'He can't move on that
leg and he's five miles into the swamp.
That's it. Just take the gun and leave.
What are you waiting for, Fred? Die?
Yes, he’ll die, if you leave him here.
Isn't that what you want? Oh, you're
not sure. New, look, Fred, wasn't he
trying to kill you just a short time
ago? All right, then, why shouldn't you
let him die now? Oh, I see. Yes, there
is a difference, Fred, but why bother
about that? Doesn't your freedom mean
more to you than the life of another?
Especially his life? Remember, Fred,
he's cold, ruthless -- he'd report his
own.mother. Yes, yes, I know -- but you
KNDW'it's true; didn't everyone say so?
(Please turn to next page)

CASTLE ON'THE CUMBERLAND

Page 8

“kill 1 you c

Fiction Section

Hey, where are you going? ,Come back
here, you're going the wrong way. You
just came from there. What are you
doing? 'Why pick him up? Leave him
thereﬁ Hey, you’re going towards the
prison, you fool! Put him down and
letVs go the other way. They'll catch
you, Fred. Theylre going to catch you!

Bright sunlight flooding through the
window in dustaflecked streaks, re-
flected by the Spotless white of the
hospital ward. Yes, Fred, it's morning
again. Quite a change since you woke
yesterday in the swamp, isn't it? The
ceiling and walls of this room have no
mosquitoes to torture you, nor snakes to
But look at the bars on the
Windows ... the swamp had no bars, Fred.
And walls ... youlll find no stone walls
guarding the edge of the swamp. So,

,what have you gained by your foolish

trick? Nothing? You were free, and ...
oh, you say your mind is clear ... you
feel good.
right. Peace of mind is worth a lot of
things. Maybe even a man's freedom ...
maybe.

The‘BND

WITHIN THESE WALLS (Continued)

weekends a movie and a ball game are

welcome diversions. But the year-in,
yearaout sameness, the crowded condi~
tions, and the sense of futility, make
the 15 to 16 hours spent in the cells
each day almost welcome.

Yet the mental anguish and Spiritual
torment we talked of earlier don't
exist, at least not as constant factors.
new men we we call them.“fish9 -- may go

through a period when the shock of being,
torn from whatever roots they had and-

the consistent idleness are disturbing
things, but they soon settle down into
whatever routine will help them do their
time the easiest way..l, Horseplay,
practical jokes, gossiping, bickering,
and bargaining are ways of life in here

well, Fred, perhaps ypu're.

for some. For others, study, writing,
reading, and correspondence (lmnited by
the necessity of censorship) help to
pass the time. The lucky ones work at
whatever jobs are available —- a small
garment factory, a laundry, repair and
maintenance shops, the messhall, the
school, and clerical work help ease un-
employment —- and look forward each
month to drawing their eight cents a day
in the form of tickets to Spend for
tobacco, toiletries, or food at the come
missary.

But this same process of adaptation is
more destructive than any kind of tore
ment could possibly be, especially here
where so many of us are serving long
sentences up to and including life with~
out privilege of parole. when men are
idle for years at a time; when few men
can feel that the work they do have is
constructive work; when the search for
petty diversions to pass off time, every
hour, every day, every month, and every
year, becomes the principal occupation;
and when hope of freedom is so far off
to be not a hope, then men become pres
cisely'what a prominent industrialist
recently accused prisons of grinding
out «- human husks. Given enough time»—
and the laws of the land assure that
enough time will be given in most cases
as men serving time under such circum—
stances just vegetate, losing the _amr
bition,- the drive, the interest, and

the will to use whatever talents or-

skills they may have had, or may have
learned during confinement, when they
are at last released.

Reading this back, I see that'I haven't
really answered the question that was
put to me; that is, I haven't really
given a clear picture of prison life

from a physical standpoint. But it just

rumay'be that I've put my finger on one

reason so many of us fail, so often to
readjust to a free society, and why
prisons are such expensive ~- and dew
structive .. institutions.

It * It '3

Page 9

CASTIE ON THE CUMBERLAND

RAIFORD RECORD, Raiford, Florida

Terrific cover this month! Your coverage of prison life is valuable and Sean
O'Brien is great:

The ISLAND LANTERN, McNeil Island, washington

Your magazine is consistently good, and your JanuaryéFebruary issue'was no
exception. .

The MONOCLE, Lincoln, Nebraska

Although, like us, you girls are limited in the size of your magazine and
the equipment availabre to reproduce it, you're doing anine job, and your
book remains an interesting one.

The WESTERN BULLETIN, Hopkinsville, Kentucky

Enjoyed the change in your cover. Very good art work.

The MESSENGER, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

we enjoy your little magazine every time we get it, but we could wish it came 3
’out more often. ‘ ‘ .

TERMINKL ISLAND NEWS, San Pedro, California

Your "Breaking the Invisible wall" was revelatory and concise. The
editorial was also well worth reading.

WEEKLY PROGRESS, Marquette, Michigan

Don Phillips is a real credit to your paper. Looking forward to your edu-
cational section next week. '

ANGOLITE, Angola, Louisiana

This is another very worthWhile "little" paper. Good news coverage, good
writing.

POKING OUR NOSE IN - Nobody asked me, but I believe there is a wealth of
good writing in the various publications of the Penal Press, and regardless
of'whether it appears in mimeo, multilith, or standard printed format, we
usually take the time to read it and enjoy it. But one thing that detracts
immeasurably from the writing is bad mechanics, and by that I mean sloppy
grammar and puncuation, especially the latter. I'm talking about ;myself,
too, and it does seem that we could make the effort to sharpen ourselves up
in this respect. we owe it, if not to ourselves, to our readers.

CASTLE ON THE CUMBERLAND - Page 10

.....w..\v.4..nun.--u.._.‘-‘_.u-zs..r._- L- .,_, t, u

.. a. a a»... «have»... . ...M..~ . a

est ﬁfths
ED B’Uéomeﬁs

MEET THE PRISONERS is a regular feature of this magazine designed both to give credit
where credit is due, and to allow our outside readers the opportunity to meet those
prisoners who have distinguished themselves by their efforts for themselves or fer
others; who have interesting trades or hobbies, or who have accomplished unusual
things. Anyone wishing to nominate a prisoner may do so simply by contacting the
editor on the yard or at the CASTLE ON THE CUMBERLAND office.

BUCK PENN on At 55, Buck Penn is still CHARLES GARRETT «a One of the CASTLE'S
very much an athlete. Active in all most popular features, at least among
sports, he is particularly outstanding the cons, is the page written by a
as a wrestler, and he 'and his cohort, chunky little lifer who signs hhnself
Rudy Jones, can put on an exhibition "The Irrepressible Chuck Garrett" and
that rivals the best TV offerings. whose column, "Tall Tales," appears this
. month on page 12.
But more important than his activities
as a wrestler is Buck's surprising Chuck's Sprightly and straightforward
pchange of attitude over the years. A writing style and his habit of irrever-
steeplejack by trade, Buck (properly, ently pricking egos and exposing secret
Arthur) has led a rough and ready life foibles have endeared him to his read-
since adolesc