The Chain Gang Escapee
A petty thief learns the hard way that jumping from the chain gang in Buck's Canyon only results in a much longer stay in the county jail.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Wm. Morrison, a petty thief who stole a roll of blankets from L. Cox at Farmington early last fall, is again a free man. He was discharged from the county jail Saturday after an experience which he will probably not soon forget. For his crime Morrison was given 50 days. This he was serving on the chain gang. A few days before the expiration of his sentence he escaped while working on the road at Buck's Canyon. Being later recaptured, the sheriff lodged a complaint against Morrison for eluding custody, a crime under the law. For this he was given 90 days, and the dose had a salutary effect, not only upon Morrison, but upon others disposed to break away from the chain gang.
“For this he was given 90 days, and the dose had a salutary effect, not only upon Morrison, but upon others disposed to break away from the chain gang.”
Public work crews and 'chain gangs' were common labor practices in 1900, reflecting a justice system focused on leveraging prisoner labor for rural infrastructure. The story highlights the stark disparity in sentencing when an individual resists the state's penal labor system.
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