Page:The Jail, Experiences in 1916.pdf/84

 in charge of accounts. Alfred Papritz, whose acquaintance I had made at the morning's parade. He decided about everything, he intervened everywhere, and there was no strength that could defy him. The prisoners were powerless, and woe unto him who might venture to defy Papritz. Even the superintendents trembled before him, the chief staff superintendent carefully kept out of his way, for Papritz alone had the ear of the higher authorities, and his will was always their will.

Complaints, signed and unsigned information against him had been sent to the Minister for the Interior, to the Minister for Defence, to the Minister for War, but the result was the same, all these Ministers departed, fresh ones came and were relieved by others, but Papritz remained. And after every complaint he gave the prisoners a taste of his power; it was permitted—and the ghastly official food made it necessary—for prisoners under remand to eke out the food with what they bought, and they had their lunch fetched for them from a restaurant, once or twice a week also a caterer, under the supervision and through the co-operation of the superintendent's office, supplied them with supper,—the vindictive Papritz suddenly ordered that the prisoners were to be allowed neither one nor the other. It was further permitted on special holidays to bring the prisoners parcels of food,—these parcels were strictly searched, during which process the better parts of their contents often "got lost." Papritz forbade that also. There was no appeal, and every protest was in vain.

From the restaurant and from the caterer Papritz received his fixed amount of baksheesh—and, so it was said, a respectable backsheesh,—how great must have been the promptings of vindictiveness within him, when he succeeded in renouncing this gratuity, or else how great must this baksheesh have been before-