Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1867-06-21


Condition Labor Food Education
Religion iscipiine-P Personal DC, dc.
IEditoriai corrsspondenee.
2 wAupuN, May 22, 1867.
Having occasion TO make flying visit
70 the sprightly village Of Waupun on
business, accepted the hospitality Of my
old friend Cordier, and spent few hours
In looking over the hourishing institution
: of which he is the efficient and indefatig
able Commissioner. When l say "four-
ishing" l mean just that as the prison
has more convicts within these walls now
than ever before--there Is more profitable
labor performed than heretofore, and Of
course the prison Is nearer self supporting
than at any former period. II is note.
worthy fact which every parent and guar
dian ought to consider we'll, that of all the
convicts incarcerated within these huge
stone walls, only feo Of tho entire number
have any knowledge OF q trade Of any
kind; and am assured by the Commits
sioner that this is true Of other years as
well as this, and so the old adage that,
ian idle brain is the DEVILS workshop"
has q terrible verifcation in the sad histo-
ries Of many an unfortunate sinner who
Is here paying tho penalty of his crimes
against the laws of God and man. The
boy that is learned to master some good
and useful employment, is not only pre-
pared to live independently, but the
chances are vastly in favor of his leading
yirtuous and honorable life.
STATISTICS.
The whole number Of prisoners that
have been confined here since the prison
was organized, is 1888, of the following
nationalities; American, SOB; Germans,
225; Irish, 194; English, 81; Canadians.
40; Norweigians, IA; Scotchmen, ii
Welchmen. French, O.; Holland, z;
Bohemians, 5 Sweedes, A all others 81
Of these there were convicted of murder
in the first degree 81; manslaughter 81
burglary l40; counterfeiting 3S; arson
81 forgery Ia and the balance for yari
Gus other crimes that are punishable by
term of years in this institution. Of the
whole number 342 have been discharged
by the expiration Of their sentence 27l
have been pardoned III have died es.
capped 2 have committed suicide, aud 322
tion law Of the State which gives the
commissioner the privilege of deducting
days from every month Of service for good
behaviour. This is a wholesome law,
which the commissioner thinks, greatly
aids good discipline among the men. IL
il somewhat startling fact that of the
27l who have been pardoned out, so Of the
number were under sentence for life.
There are at the present time 207 in all
195 males aud IL females.
LABOR
All able bodied men are required to
work 10 hours each day at some useful
employment or trade that is carried on
within the limits Of the prison. The new
wing which is now being constructed en-
tirely by the labor of the convicts furnish
es work for large number. The first
story, including cells is already up, and
is being built in the most substantial man.
ner. Its Dimensions are 200 feet long by
30 wide, four stories high, containing 2I0
cells and q hospital in the fifth story.
When completed the prison will be capa-
BILE of accommodating $40 males aud 40
females. Other branches OF industry are
smithing, shOomaking, coopering, stone
cutting, &c.
RELIGIOUS.
Divine service is held every Sunday
forenoon in the Chapel by the Chaplain,
Rev. Henry Drew, (MethodisD at which
all conyicts are required to be present.
They are all orderly and attentive to tho
ID .E he, h. = A.
interested in them, and labors sincerely
to arouse aud cultivate their moral and re-
,igious capacities. The religious inau-
ences under which they were reared, are
denominationally classified as follows
Catholic 81 Methodist 81; Baptist Is
Luthern 10; Presbyterian o; Episcopa-
lian 5; Congregational o; Disciple 3
Mormon l Quaker 2; Univsrsalist
United Brethren ! no religious instrSc. !
fion IL.
'fe DISCIPLINE.
It is great credit to the State and es-
pecially to the present efficient Commis-
sioner, to be able to say that corporal
punishment has been entirely abolished
an the Wisconsin State Prison. During
the three years that Mr.. Cordier has been |
superintendent here, he has not found it
necessary in single instance to resort to
the lash or shower bath as a mode Of pun
ishment for refractory prisoners. Those
who disobey are locked in their cells and
deprived of all the privileges accorded to
the we'll behaved, until they promise a
compliance with all the rules and regula-
tions of the prison. He has two under
this sort Of treatment at present Cor chron-
ic laziness, and both are urgent in their
pleas now to be allowed to return to their
daily labor. These men realize that labor
is n blessing to them instead Of punish
ment, and Mr.. Cordier hopes that the Gus
tomary formality Of sentencing men TO
"hard labor in the penitentiary" will soon
be abolished, rs il is not only false in the
ory, but practically perncious, and tends
10 degrade labor There is not prisoner
within these walls but that would prefer to
have his hours Of work increased to twelve,
rather than to have labor abolished alto.
gether.
EDUCATIONAL.
Another Of Mr.. Cordier's inovations
upon the barbarisms Of the past, is the es-
tablishment Of school for the purpose of
learning all the convicts 10 read and write.
Saturday and Sunday afternoons are de-