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2nd January
2018
written by Richard

In the matter of requiring prisoners in the county jail to perform labor, a resolution . . . to compel prisoners to work on the roads and streets was adopted. In the matter of the getting balls and chains for chain gang . . . the Sheriff was authorized to secure six balls with the necessary chains, for a chain gang. —San Diego Union, January 18, 1883.

The story of the chain gangs in 19th century San Diego: Read: Back on the Chain Gang

San Diego Union, Mar. 21, 1888

1 Comment

  1. Gary Page
    07/08/2018

    I used to work in the San Diego City Clerk’s Office and a number of years ago I was going through some old documents and found a law from the 1860’s that prohibited the gathering of more than, I think it was, 2 Indians at a time on a public street.
    Sometimes it was the law that were the criminals in old San Diego. I also came across a report from a special investigator for the governor that reported on how the local citizens, including a number of local leaders in government and business, in 1912 forced some union organizers (the IWW or Wobblies) to walk a gauntlet. Some were also tarred and feathered. The state investigator compared the city government to czarist Russia because of its brutal policies and suppression of free speech. One good account is http://sandiegohistory.org/journal/1973/january/speech/

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