DEAD MAN WRITING # 28 About Death Row (Tim Palmes)

DEAD MAN WRITING
Jeffery Daugherty
Executed in "Old Sparky"
November 7, 1988

Letter # 28
About Death Row (Tim Palmes)

Sunday, June 13, 1982 Florida State Prison, Death Row Cell 15-2109

Buzz, I'm a bit pissed off about some shit going on around here. First off they moved everybody off of S wing and put us all over on N wing, then we all had to give up our tv because there is no hook up for the cable, so no tv for at least three weeks, no yard to go outside for at least three weeks, and you can believe quite a few of us are on edge over this shit.

They have lights out at 11pm except for death row, and we had a power hook up from a hole at the back of our cell for our tv 24 hours, but the light is on the circut that goes out at 11.

Well over here we only have one place to plug in our radio and that is on the circuit that they turn off, so the very first night (Thursday, the 10th), all our radios went off and all hell broke loose in here.

After about 15 minutes of yelling and banging from about 70 men and boys and faggots, the power came back on, except we agreed to turn our lights out to keep the power for our radios.

As for why they moved us, they are building another catwalk on the other side of the catwalk they already have. They did the same thing here on N wing. With all the shit they've been pulling on us they are afraid to walk down in front of our cells. What it does is put two sets of bars and three feet between us and them so they can tear gas us without getting cut up.

To me it's a bad sign because if they start killing us in the chair then of course there will probally be a riot break out and with that extra catwalk they can gas us and all we could do is throw water at them. Makes it safer for the guards.

As for the executions I'm a bit worried for Tim Palmes & Ron Straight, as are quite a few of us. They may get one or two of the four back there now. Tim Palmes was on the same tier as me and we played volleyball together. Tim has been through his appeals and things don't look good for him right now. We'll all know how it turns out in two more days, in fact it will be one way or the other by the time you get this letter.

I think there will be a few that will meet their fate but it will never get to a blood bath of four a month. Personally I think that after a few men are killed it will lose its appeal on people, and there will be an out cry to put a stop to it. Sure there are lots of people out there that are for executions right now, but when they do start frying people many of them will change their tune. Look what happened when Spenkelink was fried. I think it is very possible that two or three might fry before the end of the year, but I also feel that it will bring a change in the system and change the minds of many who were for it.

I'm not worried for myself because I know I'll be coming off of death row within the next two years. Just take my word for it with no questions I can answer. I just know I will come off of death row.

I don't see how the people can say this prison system is overcrowded because this whole wing was empty for them to move all of S wing over here. There's 102 cells on this wing alone, and yet they are building those wood buildings out back to house inmates.

When they finish building the catwalks on S wing we'll all move back over there, and that will open up 102 cells. Somebody is telling some lies to get some money. What do you think?

Til next time take care. For the time being my new cell number is 15-2109 or N-2-S-9 either one will do. 15-2109 is the computer number of this cell. Jeff