Alexander Berkman

Name: Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist — Part II, Chapter 25
Author: Alexander Berkman

Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist… (1912)

Summary

“Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist — Part II, Chapter 25”, published in 1912, is a work by Alexander Berkman. It explores elements such as Riverside, press and inmates.

Quotes from Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist… (Alexander Berkman)

Alexander Berkman, Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist… (1912)

“ A cheerier atmosphere pervades the shops and the cell-house in the summer. The block is airier and lighter; the guards relax their stern look, in anticipation of their vacations; the men hopefully count the hours till their approaching freedom, and the gates open daily to release some one going back to the world.
But heavy gloom broods over the prison in winter. The windows are closed and nailed; the vitiated air, artificially heated, is suffocating with dryness. Smoke darkens the shops, and the cells are in constant dusk. Tasks grow heavier, the punishments more severe. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Alexander Berkman, Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist… (1912)

“ But the days pass into weeks, without any reference in the press to the prison. The trusted man has failed us! The revelation of the life at Riverside is of a nature not to be ignored by the press. The discharged inmate has proved false to his promise. Bitterly the solitaries denounce him, and resolve to select a more reliable man among the first candidates for liberty. One after another, a score of men are entrusted with the mission to the press. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Alexander Berkman, Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist… (1912)

“ But among the more intelligent inmates, dissatisfaction manifests more coherent expression. The Lexow investigation in New York has awakened an echo in the prison. A movement is quietly initiated among the solitaries, looking toward an investigation of Riverside.
I keep busy helping the men exchange notes maturing the project. Great care must be exercised to guard against treachery; only men of proved reliability may be entrusted with the secret, and precautions taken that no officer or stool scent our design. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Alexander Berkman, Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist… (1912)

“ The ravings of the insane become wilder, suicides more frequent; despair and hopelessness oppress every heart.
The undercurrent of rebellion, swelling with mute suffering and repression, turbulently sweeps the barriers. The severity of the authorities increases, methods of penalizing are more drastic ”

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Source: Wikisource

Alexander Berkman, Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist… (1912)

“ Section 4- All convicts under the control of the State and county officers, and all inmates of reformatory institutions engaged in the manufacture of articles for general consumption, shall receive quarterly wages equal to the amount of their earnings, to be fixed from time to time by the authorities of the institution, from which board, lodging, clothing, and costs of trial shall be deducted, and the balance paid to their families or dependents ”

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Source: Wikisource

Alexander Berkman, Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist… (1912)

“ It is decided that the attack upon the management of the penitentiary is to be initiated from the 'outside." A released prisoner is to inform the press of the abuses, graft, and immorality rampant in Riverside. The public will demand an investigation. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Alexander Berkman, Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist… (1912)

“ You're no good, none of you. Let me be!" He turns his back to me, and angrily paces the cell.
His actions fill me with concern. The youth seems strangely changed. Fortunately, his time is almost served.
II Like wildfire the news circles the prison. "The papers are giving Sandy hell!" The air in the block trembles with suppressed excitement. Jimmy Grant, recently released, had sent a communication to the State Board of Charities, bringing serious charges against the management of Riverside. The press publishes startlingly significant excerpts from Grant's letter. ”

Alexander Berkman

Summary

Quotes from Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist… (Alexander Berkman)

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