Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-02-04
IL. ON the Boston Journall
Prison I.Ife I'm Massachusetts.


The work recently published by Gideon
Haynes, Esq, Warden Of the Massachusetts
State Prison, entitled Pictures from Pri-
son Life, gives an interesting and valuable
historical sketch Of that State Prison, with
many curions and striking incidents IN re-
gard TO the unfortunate criminals who have
ienanted ii. From II we learn that previous
10 1855 there was no place in this State for
the reception and confinement of convicts
except the common jals, and they were gen.
orally so rudely constructed and insecure as
to be of but little terror to the rogucs OF that
period. In that year Castle Island was con-
stituied place Of confinement for criminals.
but escape from il was very asy,and in 1903
the General Court ordered the construction
of State Prison at Charlestown, ''for The
reformation, as well as punishment, of often
dors," as the act read During 1901 and
1905 the building iamliary known as the
''Od Prison, was erected on the western
extremity OF the peninsula 81 Charlestown,
called Lyndcs Point, pleasant and health.
ful spot commanding u rich, variegated and
extensive prospect, and washed on the west
aud north by Tide waters. 1t was two hun
dred feet long, by forty-four wide. The
first cUnvics were received on the 18th of
December 1905. The first death and the
first escape occurred in the early part of
1906, In 1908 the Chaplain, Rev. Walter
Bulfour OF Charlesiown, resigned on account
nf q change of sentiment ON ''infant bap-
tism," though how such change could
affect his relations to the prisoners it is diff
| tcult TO conceive. In 1909 u convict was
shot and killed while attempting TO escape,
| by Waterman, and the Board Of Visitors
| endeavured 10 obtain some legal sanction Of
| the act from the State authorities, but no.h
| ing was done, and nothing has sine been
done, so tha, the right of an officer To shoot
IN escaping prisoner is as undecided to-day
as It was in ls0s The fact, however, that
the State supplies firearms is construed ms
authorizing their use.
The observance OF Thanksgiving in the
prison began in 1871, when an address to The
prisoners was delivered hy JAMES L. Austin.
The punishmenis al this period were some
times quite singular. For inst incc, an order
is recorded thai gallows be erected in The
| prisOn-yurd, on which certain prisoners.
seven in number, should be placed and sit
with rope round their necks for one hour,
once week, for three successive weeks (;
that for sixty days they wear an iron collar
and chaina that they wear yellow cap,
with ass's cars, fer sixty days, dc. In 1918
the LEGISLATURE enacted ti.' convic,s dis
chaiscd Al The end Of second commitment
shuuid have ihr letters Mass. s. r., and alsr
lic yum III bs1utCS, ilitihCN VIZ oui
face Of the upper part OF the left arm, by
punciurug the skin and rubbing coloring
water on The same, thus ntlelibly branding
M infamous mark upon them. In 1922 al
effort was mad to Introduce the tread mill
but MS il was asceriaincd that corn enough
to make il pay could moi be ground with H.
the scheme was abandoned. The next yeal
more human influences were active, and !
school and prayer meetings were established
in the prison. In 1924 prisoner escapet
; By concealng himself in the seat Of Il sofa
which was sent off with other furniture =
Another remarkable escape occurred IL
1854. A convict named George Walton
whose cell was in the west wing, obtainet
his freedom by moving Il stone weighiD,
two thousand pounds and strongly clampe(
with iron, SO as to make tissure nine inchc
wide through which he crawlcd. In lS6
several Of these stones were removed II
making changes, but in no single case coult
the most experienced workmen, with all th'
power they cou'd bring to bear upon them
start single ono in every instance they
were obliged to drill aud spli, the stones I,
remove them; yet Walton accomplished il il
some unexplained manner.
The Shower bath was introduced as pun
isiment in 1910, and its use is believed t,
have led to the murder of Warden Iincoli
in 1919 by Abuer Rogers. Jr., a convict
who was made insane by it He Uds tn
last man shoWerrd On the morning q
July 10, 1853, occurred one of the mos
singular and mysterious affairs that eve
/ happened in the prison. James Wilson,
| convict, whose term bad expired, aud VIII,
, would have been discharged in an hour
/ while marching from the prison to the work
shop, made sudden attack on fellow
, prisoner named William Adams, with
knife, reaching over the shoulder of u ma
, who was marching in the ranks betwee
them, stabbing him in the neck, SEVERN
= the iugnlar vein, and causing irnmedat
death. The parties had had no difficulty
and no cause could be assigned for the tel
G rible act. Wilso@ was convicted Of mugde
: and sentenced TO be hanged, but on the sup
: position that he must have been insane til
y sentence was "ommutcd TO imprisonmer
Tor life. The presumption was a corree
e one Insanity subsequently developed il
self, aud nov he is wreck in mind an
Il body. In the month Of December, 1854
e deputy warden Gaen g. Walker and Wal
o den Solen ii. Tenny were murdered by cor
victs.
; In 1858 Mr.. Haynes the author of hi
Il work, entered upon the duties of Wa der
The severity of the prison discipline ha
:, been very much am-ioraied from its earl
!, halshness, but Mr.. Haynes 1T once initiate
Il tho humane system which now prevails
the institution. His account of its develop
ment is highly interesting. One feature
|; il is singular lie obtained repeal Of III
!? statute fnr,idding the use of tobacco by n
: prisoners, whose appetite ior that substant
3 is extraordinary. They would come to hi
10 with tears in their eyes, begging for tobacc,
l. offering to he content with one meal ia,
and do the work of two men q day. II the
l could be allowed small piece of the wee
,r He was satisfied that the deprivation actS
Is very injuriouslv upon the prisoners, M
pr therefore excr,ed himself to secure for The
er what he had not the heart to refuse, yet W
!y obliged by law to withhold In 1850 Il
er custom of pardosing prisoner on Thank
giving Day was introduced. In ls
le The parti-colored dress for prisoners W
b, discarded and one Of plain blue substitute
is OYSTER PACKING IN BALTIMORE. -Duril
r. General Grants visit to Baltimore, on r.