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first hour while the unconvinced inefficient of a prison doctor
looked on and smiled。 And I have seen a man confess； after half an
hour in the jacket； truths and fictions that cost him years of
credits。
I had had my own experiences。 At the present moment half a thousand
scars mark my body。 They go to the scaffold with me。 Did I live a
hundred years to come those same scars in the end would go to the
grave with me。
Perhaps； dear citizen who permits and pays his hang…dogs to lace the
jacket for youperhaps you are unacquainted with the jacket。 Let
me describe； it； so that you will understand the method by which I
achieved death in life； became a temporary master of time and space；
and vaulted the prison walls to rove among the stars。
Have you ever seen canvas tarpaulins or rubber blankets with brass
eyelets set in along the edges？ Then imagine a piece of stout
canvas； some four and one…half feet in length； with large and heavy
brass eyelets running down both edges。 The width of this canvas is
never the full girth of the human body it is to surround。 The width
is also irregularbroadest at the shoulders； next broadest at the
hips； and narrowest at the waist。
The jacket is spread on the floor。 The man who is to be punished；
or who is to be tortured for confession； is told to lie face…
downward on the flat canvas。 If he refuses； he is man…handled。
After that he lays himself down with a will； which is the will of
the hang…dogs； which is your will； dear citizen； who feeds and fees
the hang…dogs for doing this thing for you。
The man lies face…downward。 The edges of the jacket are brought as
nearly together as possible along the centre of the man's back。
Then a rope； on the principle of a shoe…lace； is run through the
eyelets； and on the principle of a shoe…lacing the man is laced in
the canvas。 Only he is laced more severely than any person ever
laces his shoe。 They call it 〃cinching〃 in prison lingo。 On
occasion； when the guards are cruel and vindictive； or when the
command has come down from above； in order to insure the severity of
the lacing the guards press with their feet into the man's back as
they draw the lacing tight。
Have you ever laced your shoe too tightly； and； after half an hour；
experienced that excruciating pain across the instep of the
obstructed circulation？ And do you remember that after a few
minutes of such pain you simply could not walk another step and had
to untie the shoe…lace and ease the pressure？ Very well。 Then try
to imagine your whole body so laced； only much more tightly； and
that the squeeze； instead of being merely on the instep of one foot；
is on your entire trunk； compressing to the seeming of death your
heart； your lungs； and all the rest of your vital and essential
organs。
I remember the first time they gave me the jacket down in the
dungeons。 It was at the beginning of my incorrigibility； shortly
after my entrance to prison； when I was weaving my loom…task of a
hundred yards a day in the jute…mill and finishing two hours ahead
of the average day。 Yes； and my jute…sacking was far above the
average demanded。 I was sent to the jacket that first time；
according to the prison books； because of 〃skips〃 and 〃breaks〃 in
the cloth； in short； because my work was defective。 Of course this
was ridiculous。 In truth； I was sent to the jacket because I； a new
convict； a master of efficiency； a trained expert in the elimination
of waste motion； had elected to tell the stupid head weaver a few
things he did not know about his business。 And the head weaver；
with Captain Jamie present； had me called to the table where
atrocious weaving； such as could never have gone through my loom；
was exhibited against me。 Three times was I thus called to the
table。 The third calling meant punishment according to the loom…
room rules。 My punishment was twenty…four hours in the jacket。
They took me down into the dungeons。 I was ordered to lie face…
downward on the canvas spread flat upon the floor。 I refused。 One
of the guards； Morrison； gulletted me with his thumbs。 Mobins； the
dungeon trusty； a convict himself； struck me repeatedly with his
fists。 In the end I lay down as directed。 And； because of the
struggle I had vexed them with； they laced me extra tight。 Then
they rolled me over like a log upon my back。
It did not seem so bad at first。 When they closed my door； with
clang and clash of levered boltage； and left me in the utter dark；
it was eleven o'clock in the morning。 For a few minutes I was aware
merely of an uncomfortable constriction which I fondly believed
would ease as I grew accustomed to it。 On the contrary； my heart
began to thump and my lungs seemed unable to draw sufficient air for
my blood。 This sense of suffocation was terrorizing； and every
thump of the heart threatened to burst my already bursting lungs。
After what seemed hours； and after what； out of my countless
succeeding experiences in the jacket I can now fairly conclude to
have been not more than half…an…hour； I began to cry out； to yell；
to scream； to howl； in a very madness of dying。 The trouble was the
pain that had arisen in my heart。 It was a sharp； definite pain；
similar to that of pleurisy； except that it stabbed hotly through
the heart itself。
To die is not a difficult thing； but to die in such slow and
horrible fashion was maddening。 Like a trapped beast of the wild； I
experienced ecstasies of fear； and yelled and howled until I
realized that such vocal exercise merely stabbed my heart more hotly
and at the same time consumed much of the little air in my lungs。
I gave over and lay quiet for a long timean eternity it seemed
then； though now I am confident that it could have been no longer
than a quarter of an hour。 I grew dizzy with semi…asphyxiation； and
my heart thumped until it seemed surely it would burst the canvas
that bound me。 Again I lost control of myself and set up a mad
howling for help。
In the midst of this I heard a voice from the next dungeon。
〃Shut up；〃 it shouted； though only faintly it percolated to me。
〃Shut up。 You make me tired。〃
〃I'm dying；〃 I cried out。
〃Pound your ear and forget it；〃 was the reply。
〃But I AM dying；〃 I insisted。
〃Then why worry？〃 came the voice。 〃You'll be dead pretty quick an'
out of it。 Go ahead and croak； but don't make so much noise about
it。 You're interruptin' my beauty sleep。〃
So angered was I by this callous indifference that I recovered self…
control and was guilty of no more than smothered groans。 This
endured an endless timepossibly ten minutes； and then a tingling
numbness set up in all my body。 It was like pins and needles； and
for as long as it hurt like pins and needles I kept my head。 But
when the prickling of the multitudinous darts ceased to hurt and
only the numbness remained and continued verging into greater
numbness I once more grew frightened。
〃How am I goin' to get a wink of sleep？〃 my neighbour； complained。
〃I ain't any more happy than you。 My jacket's just as tight as
yourn； an' I want to sleep an' forget it。〃
〃How long have you been in？〃 I asked； thinking him a new…comer
compared to the centuries I had already suffered。
〃Since day before yesterday；〃 was his answer。
〃I mean in the jacket；〃 I amended。
〃Since day before yesterday； brother。〃
〃My God！〃 I screamed。
〃Yes； brother； fifty straight hours； an' you don't hear me raisin' a
roar about it。 They cinched me with their feet in my back。 I am
some tight； believe ME。 You ain't the only one that's got troubles。
You ain't ben in an hour yet。〃
〃I've been in hours and hours；〃 I protested。
〃Brother； you may think so； but it don't make it so。 I'm just
tellin' you you ain't ben in an hour。 I heard 'm lacin' you。〃
The thing was incredible。 Already； in less than an hour； I had died
a thousand deaths。 And yet this neighbour； balanced and equable；
calm…voiced and almost beneficent despite the harshness of his first
remarks； had been in the jacket fifty hours！
〃How much longer are they going to keep you in？〃 I asked。
〃The Lord only knows。 Captain Jamie is real peeved with me； an' he
won't let me out until I'm about croakin'。 Now； brother； I'm going
to give you the tip。 The only way is shut your face an' forget it。
Yellin' an' hollerin' don't win you no money in this joint。 An' the
way to forget is to forget。 Just get to rememberin' every girl you
ever knew。 That'll cat up hours for you。 Mebbe you'll feel
yourself gettin' woozy。 Well； get woozy。 You can't beat that for
killin' time。 An' when the girls won't hold you； get to thinkin' of
the fellows you got it in for； an' what you'd do to 'em if you got a
chance； an' what you're goin' to do to 'em when you get that same
chance。〃
That man was Philadelphia Red。 Because of prior conviction he