Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-05-19
A Visit TO the State Prison

A Visit TO the State Prison.
Not long since being in Thoma-ton
for few hours, improved the occa-
sion to visit the prison. | entered the
guard-room at 1890. The prisoners
were then in their cells. il being the
hour for dinner. The guard-room j.
large. and quite a pleasant apartment.
It. ends are of "la>, 50 that the cells in
either wing NAV be seen from here.
While waiting for the working hour 10
come. saw John Hale who pride- him
self on the notorictv he has ~ a morse
thief lie has spent more than half hi
life within the walls of prisons. and
saws he shall be satisfied if he can die on
the back oi stolen horse. His term of
service expires Oct. 70. 1872. He
j. now eighty years old.
Al 1910. an officer rang the bell. and
the deputy warden. the oversccr- Of the
different departments. and other officers
of the prison came in Each ono carried
a key with which he unlocked the door
leading into tho guard-room. which is
Kept locked al all times. AT l2-to.
deputy warden Burton rang the bell for
the prisoners 10 leave their cells Tor
their respective departments They
marched ont in >ing. file. about one
7 hundred aud seventy | should think.
Y some going 10 the carriage shops. 9th
or, - the black -mith and shoe shops
after they were al AZ work Twisted the
different departments of labor aud saw
how the time oi the prisoner j, employ
"a. Here men work out their sentences.
an the time feeling the weight OF their
crimes. ana counting the weary dAy~ a.
they pas BY.
Elch one knows when hi. term Of
service has expired, and eagerly seeks
liz freedom Some will return AMI 20
through the same >Id lessons again:
but the greater part 20 forth determined
10 know aud d. the right. some lail
.or want 81 sufficient encouragement.
but nAnS are never seen inside prison
walls again. There j. little attraction
about prison lille. and the remembrance
OF days spent there i, Tar from pleasant.
Some OF the Gels seemed robbed of part
oi their drcarinc--. by book. papers.
picture, and the like: while Others were
a. bare 81 stone walls and iron doors
could make them.
b. the warlen's report tor the Wear
ending November 81, 1859. it appears
there were Ia convict,. At the time
Of my visit there were IS. The united
age, of the number reported in \pycn-
Der i129 YEAR, being an average Of 20
ycar- and seven months. The oldest
man j. John Hale (sO). the Youngest
man /. Leslie Austin tlJ). Whole mum
Der sentenced 10 prison during life.
seven: number sentenced for twenty
years or more. three; number sentenced
for fifteen wears. four: number sen
fenced for ten years or more, but less
than fifteen years. nine. Longest time
served twenty six (26) wears and seven
months. Thoma, Thorn: next longest
fourteen (lD years and nine months.
William Il. Smith; late under sentence
OF death Tor murder.
The whole nuinuer OF wears represent
BY the sentences OF the convicts. eX-
elusive oil those sentenced for life and
those under sentence Of death. j. five
hundred and fifty-one years. being an
average OF three and one half wears to
each prisoner. This NAV seem short,
but time passes much more swiftly out
side prison walls than inside, and we
may not compare our swiftly flying
hoars with the leaden- " inged hours Of
the convict.
All classes We're represented there.
the rich and the poor, the high and the
low. the ignorant and the learned. The
aged man was there; who had grown
old in crime and had learned to bound
his world with the walls OF the prison
yard. For him the pleasant scenes of
life are over, and with bowed head,
weary feet. and aching heart he must
wait the summons of the death angel.
The man OF middle age was there whose
heart must have saddened as he reflected
on his surroundings and his life. For
him the ordinary scenes which Ike
life pleasant are no more. He will
never be welcomed to the entrance ola
happy family again. The heart of her
whom he promised to '.lOve, cherish and
protect is broken, and she must go to
the grave disappointed, unhappy
woman. His children are disgraced,
and liz their hearts the name OF father
will awaken no kindly feelings, it will
call forth no pleasant remenberances,
for that fathers life is darkcned by |
crime-and the father himself is drag
ging out life deprived Of his liberty.
The young man was there to whom
Sill had suddenly become dark, lust
when he had crossed the threshold of
active life and entered upon its busy
scenes; when he had begun to realize
some OF his fond hopes, to learn how
yrand and beautiful life was, when he
lad taken part in the serious business
# life, and was rejoicing in his man.