The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-09-14

mates
As Won stand in the guard room facing to-
ward the south there is 10 your left what is
known rs the Old prison and to your right the
new. The latter was finished about two Years
since, and contains - single cells, while the
former has us, making grand total of 1852.
OF course besides these there are several IN each
wing for solitary confinement, which are moth
ing more than the common cells. darkened.
Each cell is : 10 feet long by 10 feet wide
The furniture consists OF an iron bedstead, with
mattlasS and blankets, one stand a book shelf
and a tour-lcg@ed stool. The last three articles
are invariably the color of blue. Most of the
prisoners are also supplied with a lOokine-glass
The floors of their cells as well rs the entire
tmck partition walls. are composed of granite.
while the door is made mp of wrought iron
bars and the~" can all be locked ut Single
movement Of the arm. Passing now into the
kli'hen we find here about half dozen conyicts
Who are preparing The food in the shape OF
huge boilers Of soup and loavcs of brown bread
halt the SIZE OF common egg box. The kitchen
is directly under the guard room. Passing now
ont into the prison ward and taking about
Jo2en steps to the right, and we We're told that
here was the spot where Spencer was hung
even wears ago for the murder of Warden
Tinker, and further 10 the left, Just ON the verge
ut the lime quarry was where Harris was exc
"uted three years since who maSSacred two old
lnlies in an obscure waysie dwelling in
Auburn. These are the only two men who
nave ptth Ht'nS III Inc prison Hll6P IL was PS-
tahli~hcd.
The Scattold on which Harris met his fate has
'nce been taken down and stored away. Al
though nine prisoners are now confined here
On q sentence Of death it is almost certain that
h"t single one of them will ever he executed.
liut stu further on and to the right is the shoe
mop IN which - conVicts are at work and an
extension to This forms the blacksmith shop.
onploNmg the labor of 9S men. Under the
shoe shop is the chapel where religious services
arc conducted by The chaplain of the PRISON
-,ch sabbath forenoon and these are attended
Hy al the prisoners; and USUALLY a large num-
Der ct lady visitors are present who offer both
vocal an! Instrumental music. Facing the
Guard room is tic Wheewright and paint shop
mi TO The extreme lett is the harness shop.
tuty four men are employed in these. An
hcrc buildings are constructed OF wood except
,hc first the middle portion beng made of
granite. The prison covers m area OF some
thn@ over one acre. The outer wall surround
ln@ the prison is twenty feet high and is con-
9trnctcd of lime rock. Four guard houses sur
mount the walls al the corners and those on
dulY are relieved every hour. A convict when
ne enters this Institution is first Invested Of his
. ltizen> attire, personal description taken Of
him and recorded. and then he is dressed in
Garments half red and half black He goes con
family IN his shirt sleeves and wears upon his
feet something resembling very much the army
brog3n. His suit which he has taken off If it j.
OF value, IS put away for safe keeping and when
his sentence expires it is given to him Besides
me prison also presents 10 him on his depart
tnre new suit of citizens clothes and few
dollars IN money. The
PRIVILEGES TO THE PRISONERS
while here are quiet numerous Every even
in@ 4 chaplain visits their cells and communcs
with them about their moral welfare Besides
ne Is with them the entire Sabbath. The con
Wet Is also furnished each week with some one
book from the library. The books mostly read
are upon history Then they are supplied also
with llarper'> Weekly and few story papers,
bul no newspapers are ever permitted. If a
prisoner conducts himself in an orderly and re-
>petltu manner. that tends 10 deduct something
rom h'> sentence as provided for by statute.
ltr also has llliN minutes Ill morning, noon and
night, besides evenings and SUNDAYS 10 him
ELF He is not allowed to smoke, hnt he can
chew At the expense of the State to the amount
OF one fi% Of tobacco each week.
lIfE ELL or FARE
j. about t. follows: sundays, two meals: for
ihhef' brown bread, fish and potatoes; for
supper, -four bread, coffee and cheese The |
supper hill j. the same throughout the week. |
ana II likewise forms the fare for breakfast |
Then on Tuesday they have for dinner beef and |
potatoes; ON Wednesday, pea or bean soup: on |
Thursday. fish and potatoes; on Friday, pea or
bean soup. and ON saturday beef soup The |
prisoners rise at 6 o'clock for breakfast take |
heir dinner at T. and supper at e. They |
tWhYS pass IN Ivy the kitchen in single file and |
akin@ their allowance from "a slide" march |
IN 10 their cells into which they enter. and are
fastened all at once. They hay e 30 minutes for
zach meal. At O'Clock in the evening they !
ne obliged 10 eNlinguish their lights.
THE PLAN
by which the prisoners are governed is known |
tA Inc Anhnfn system, which consists of sep !
ti'ale and solitary confinement by night on sun |
i1NS and during meals, and ''congreeate labor
u Inc shops during working hours of the ,lav |
me whole number of convicts now here is 1Gi, !
mt the greater portion of these are on a SEN
once for larceny. OF the entire number who |
ere mere The verdict with over three-tonrths is |
rum did it,
TIE MOST NOTED CONVICTs.
The first ono we come TO is John r. Lawrence |
n cen NO. of the old prison. lie is here on a |
'entrhre Of deAlh, and when we saw him he |
y ~ on the SEX list. When he is well he works /
II me carriage trimming shop. He always /
ioteeS every visitor. In complexion he is |
talk' ana he wears shining black whiskers and /
honStache. In every respect you might well |
ake hIm ior a murderer.
Next in order are the cells of Hight Moore.
ud Ltriileid, known a9 the Rocl,lani bank
OTHERS. These cells are more noticeable than
tny q inc other since they are so nicely fur
n'led. hight has nice STRAW carpet, pref
y covering Tor the stand, and the walls are
laS Inc BRUSSELS carpet an afghan robe on
rs COT ana Is otherwise furnished in the most
oStly manner. Among numerous pictures
hanging on the wall are two representing his
\ lie and child. Litchfied'S cell is lust below
NAT ot Moore's and is also furnished in an
qually expensive manner. The same feature
also noticeable IN his cell as in that of Moore's
Iesehting to view "A picture of wife and child |
islllhS lhe workshops. we find Hight in the
laIlieN' department sitting in one corner on
lsh Si""i. lie has never been known to look
ouhu al a NisltSr since he has been confined
ieie. blll always Keeps steadily at his work
loore we found in The carriage shop and he
vas at work at that time on a wagon frame in
ompahy with another convict. lie is thick
I'll ieiioW' wears Side-W hiskers and has a most
appearance. Iitchfiell works in
ne carriage shop He formerly kept grocery
tore Ill kockland In will be remembered that
ms party OF robbers was caught bv the people
thai city on the very next day after the rob-
cry. one Of them was found slowed away i'm
h''hlelds house and the other was caught q
Nv miles out of the city In the woods. Itch
eld protested his innocence to the very last
'ieaNeland, the OrrngtOn murderer. works
a The wheelwright shop. He is now 2S wears
t age lie is the individual who killed War
en- George for his money.
But jus, aboye in The paint shop is Uoswau
he second Mcfarland. He is as fiesLy as ever.
nd Is reported to be one of the most orderly
onvictS in the prison.
Ehtefing the shoe shop, we found Thorn, who
HE'D man IN Harpswell. about twenty-nipe
ears ago, on the strength of the promise of the
lan'S wife to marry him after he should com
MT The act. 1t is needless to say that the mat
inonlal arrangement was never carre,! out:
n Inc other hand, Thorn was arrested and con-
lcted. and has been here ever since. The VIC
lah Is still alive, and resides in the Northern
ART OF the State. Probably no one man has
yer excited more sympathy in the State since
icarferatioh III prison than this man Thorn,
iequeht ehdeaVors have been made to have
I'm pardoned, and lengthy petitions have been
i9ned by eX-GoVernors and other leading men.
mt all this has been of no avail.
In the blacksmith shop we saw Joel C. Preble
WhiteteId, who was sent here ten wears
nce for numbering his wife. He is abont
'rty-five years of age, and is very tall, hard
sted chap. A little jealousy and much liquor
!as the cause Of the crime.
Strange to say, next to him was another wife
George Knight of Poland, who has
cen here since 1897. The murder which he
Committed was most deliberately planned
linking TO elude all suspicion, one day he
tarted to market with load of wood but
Vhen he had reached Il certain place somewhat
ut OF the public way, he stopped his oxen,
vent back home, and after cutting his wife's
hroat rom ear to ear again proceeded on his
,urney.
The Bowdonham bank robbers are still in