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Show Knitting Needles Are Busy in San Quentinj SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 4. Knitting needles are flying in the cells and j workshops at the San Quentin and Folsom state penitentiaries, and a big assortment of socks, sweaters and other sartorial comforts are being turned out for the American troops in France and in the domestic service. At San Quentin the twenty-four women inmates are spending all of their time not taken up by other duties in turn- j ing out wristlets, socks and many other articles of apparel designed to keep out the cold. In Folsom practically practi-cally every male prisoner has become adept at the knitting needles, and a half dozen knitting machines have been Installed In addition. Some of the operators there are said by Warden J. J. Smith to be turning out a pair of socks every fourteen minutes. The Red Cross is directing the work in both institutions. The men prisoners .at San Quentin are not engaged in knitting but they are besieging Warden James A. Johnston John-ston with requests that they be allowed al-lowed to join the armed forces of the nation Hundreds of the men have told the warden that they are willing to place themselves in the custody of the United Stales army In order that they might go to the trenches and then be returned to Jhe prison to finish their terms. Under the laws of the slate, however, how-ever, neither a prison Inmate or an ex-convict ex-convict can join the armed forces of the country. The only thing that permits per-mits them to do so is an absolute pardon par-don from the governor. Because of this the prisoners- will have to satisfy their desire to serve by knitting and other war activities that may bo carried on within the walls of a prison. |