Litchfield enquirer., 1843-06-01
From the Patriot and Eagle. STATES PRISON REPORT.

| STATES PRISON REPORT. | The public will be gratified to learn from the Direc. tors that the distinguished reputation of the nstitu ton, for excellent order and correct discipline has been fully sustained during the past year." They 1 report the following facts :-
 At the commencement of the present year, there in the Prison two hundred and eleven convcts, king in all two hundred and sixty-three. There have been discharged, by expiration of sentence. .fy.one, pardoned three, and eight have died leaving in con. finement, the 3lst of March, l9l3, two hundred and three being eight less than at the end of the venr Of this number, nineteen females, and about quarter of the whole are blacks persons of color. The Directors are highly grated in being able to state, that unusual efforts have been made ,o instruct the yonnger portions of the convicts in the elementary branches Of useful learning. A bible and reading class have been established, numbering about thirty, under the age of twentv-one years, which assembled every Sunday morning in the Chap e. and are patiently and thoroughly taught by the Chaplain, Warden and Clerk.
 In auding 10 the subject of coni1al prnishmcnt, the Directors very properly question the prorrjety of | the General Assembly transferring corvic,s % the State Prison, whom the aw consigns tn the eallo"s No decided opinion is expressed on the question of capital punehmen: butthe Directors should think, rather favor s abolition, and tie substitution therefor of solitary confinement.
 There are at present in the Connecticut State Pris on sixteen Conyicts, committed for lie; several of these have received the sentence of deB h from the Courts, but have had it commuted by the General Assembly, into perpetual imprisonment. These hard eDed and desperate criminals are now permitted to lahor in company with other Convicts, and subjected no other punishment or discipline, and consequent ", are cnntrlvDg means ot escape, and stand ready fer rebellion, any deeds of violence, that at fords them the slightest hope of accomplishing this purpose notwithstanding there have been many rrsignnens for capital offences, which, by the aws are punishment by death, it is believed wi,h the ex cepiion of the instance of the Conv'cts Teller and
 n the State Prison, in ls33 there has been ease ot capital pun nisnlent in his State, for more fbnn fwenfy years i; and comparatively, but lew convIc,lons 1; tkoer. with the single exception above alnfed to- have been changed 10 imprisonment in the State Prison.
 There are or two exceptions to the above s'a.e ment that there have been cases of capital punish ment in Connecticut for twenty years. Watkins was executed at Brooklyn, for the murder of his wife, not more than eleven twelve years since; if we mis- ,ake not, murderer by the name of Sherman was also hung at Norwich, since that time.
 The nvals of the prisoners labor as will be seen by the report of the Warden, have been about two @ torS ss less an d.ns hns the to the falling off in the sales and price, ot chair seats we'll as the reduced value of seats on hand. This business has consequently been reduced from eighty 10 about thirty men; and those now employed in this branch composed, tor the most part, ot old and feeble prisoners, who would he unfit 10 iahOr nt any ot the other occnpa ions carried on n prison
 Ii has been the wish and am Q! the Directors and Wardens, to employ the Convcts as far as p2selhle upon the manufacture ol those articles which are principally imported from countries without lhe United States and the Warden has succeeded in letting the labor of twenty-five additional mon ,o work al table cutlery, making fifty convicts now employed at this branch Of business He has also commenced the manufacture of brought nails upon small scale, and reduced the chair business from thiry-fve to twenty-five men, with the expectation of stopping entirely this description of employment, in the course of few months.
 The Directors close ,heirreport with the following well deserved compliment to Capt. Pillsbury
 in conclusion, the Directors would be doing vio- 'ence to their feelings, did they fail 10 express their gratlfica ton at the admirable manner Tn which the Warden has, for long series of years, dischar- eed his arduous dn,es with credit to himself and advantage to the State As thorough discIpinaran. he is believed to be unequaIed in the country and as al able faithful, energetic public officer, they sider him deserving of the hi.hes; respect and com mendaton.
 The Warden's Report, is chiefly occupied with a statement of the business transactions in the Prison the past year. The total amount of income to the Prison, for year ending March 3l ls43, is SlS,- 0S9, ,4O and the total amount of expenditure. Sl2,- 02O, l5-making balance of S6,o69, ,25 gained to the Institution.
 Some portions of the Chaplain's Report, calcu- lated to interest our readers. We extract the follow ing :-
 Out of l3S male convcts 90 of them report them. selves as having been drunkards Many of them they have been intoxicated occasionally, but are 1 not willing to admit they were drunkards. Of the | above, 59 declare they under the influence of intox catine drinks when they committed the crimes 1 for which they now suffer. or the lS3 males now here 43 confess they have been employed in uending assisting, and manufacturing intoxicating drinks
 The number of this class of Convicts greatly dmin- | ishng. l23 have committed crimes against property crimes against person,6O for which they are seren- ced for from years that of the duration of their naturalv Been here before 29, some of them two | or three times. l4 have been in other prisons or the ls3 males, 36 profess 10 have been to Sabbath School at different times, from and twice, to two and three years. The remainder confess they were never in Sabbath School, and many of them say they never went school of instruction of any knd
 and lived in the State of Connecticut 3i of the above number have joined temperance society. l3l never l joined any II have broke their pledges. some two | and three times Tears have conrsed down theiI cheeks while they have sketched 10 me the history | of this disastrous faii
 Ofthe religious stnte of'hs Institution during inc
 last nine months the rep"rt quie favorable There have been many caspS f he deepest engush of spir
 f and sorrow c heart rr account of ktiT airs, that
 have rarely ever witnessed. Some of thefn casFs i O, psrm'iar ioferssf To those more espccia!Y ,If gospel has hpen uinis'e'ed wi,h clad !eart af.' ready mind Msnv of them haze t,fne- been 2,
 anxious receive ns;rurticr, that n has hem reccs hFeak fnoo1 ihsUa ia