Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/428



remunerative. The rest  were  permitted  to  escape. On one  occasion,  while  a  prison  brig  was  lying  at Angel  island,  the  men  at  work  and  their  guardians lolling in  the  cabin,  the  convicts  quietly  turned  the key on  them,  and  escaping  to  the  adjacent  mainland betook themselves  to  the  woods.

It soon  became  apparent  that  the  hulk  system  failed to meet  the  requirements,  and  that  ground  must  be selected  and  substantial  buildings  erected. The year following, namely,  in  April  1852,  a  bill  passed  the legislature providmg  for  the  erection  of  a  state  prison on the  site  purchased  at  Point  Quintin.

Even then  the  stone  building  which  soon  arose failed to  accommodate  all,  nor  would  the  interests  of the  contractors  allow  prisoners  to  be  confined  to  one locality. Hulks were  still  used  at  different  points. Men were  likewise  sent  in  squads  under  feeble  guards to farms  and  woods ;  many  convicts  were  even  des- patched unguarded to  distant  places. Great partiality was shown,  thereby  facilitating  the  escape  of  many  a scoundrel.

Still matters  were  far  from  prosperous ;  and  so  clam- orous became the  public,  that  in  1855  the  legislature revoked the  contract  with  Estill,  and  declared  his lease forfeited. The state  then  assumed  the  manage- ment. A board  of  directors  was  appointed,  and  a strong  wall  twenty  feet  high,  was  thrown  round  the prison premises. In 1856,  politics  being  more  power- ful than public  weal,  and  as  a  reward  for  his  for- mer unfaithfulness, a  fresh  contract  was  made  with the same  Estill,  with  new  restrictive  conditions. He was to  safely  keep  and  maintain  the  state  prisoners for the  term  of  five  years  at  a  compensation  of  $10,000 a year. So favorable  to  the  lessee  was  this  contract that Estill  was  enabled  almost  immediately  to  assign it to  one  McCauley  at  half  the  compensation  allowed him.

The principle  was  now  a  grinding  one  ;  prison  man- agement meant simply  money. Abuses were