Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1871-10-05
Miserllamroms.
Maine State Prison.

\ correspondent Of the Boston Her
aid who has recently visited Thomas
ton, gives the following notes OF the
prison and its present inmates
- r stand in the guard room
ard the south there is 20
what is known as the old
..i 10 Your right the ncS. The
latter vas finished about two wears
since, and contains 81 single cells.
while the former has lis, making n
grand total of log. OF course besides
these there are several in each wing
for solitary confinement, which are
nothing more than the common cells.
darkened. Each cell is l-2 feet long
by | = feet wide The furniture con-
sisis OF an iron bcdstead, with mat.
tress and blankets, one stand, book
shelf and four-iegged stool. The last
three articles are invariably the color
of blue. Most of the prisoners are also
supplied with a looking-glass. The
floors of their cells, as we'll as the en-
tire thick partition walls, are composed
Of granite, while the door is made up
of rough iron bars, and these can all be
locked at single movement of the
arm. Passing now into the kitchen
we find here about half a dozen convicts
who are preparing the food in the
shape of huge boilers of soup and
loaves Of brown bread half the size OF
common egg box. The kitchen is
directly under the 2uardroom. Passing
now out into the prison yard and tax
ing about dozen steps TO the right.
and we are told that here was the spot
where Spencer was hung seven years
ago for the murder of Warden Tinker.
and further TO the left, just on the
verge of the lime quarry was where
Harris was executed three years since
who massacred two old ladies in an
obscure wayside dwelling in Auburn
These are the only two men who have
been hung at the prison since it was
established.
Tine scaffold on which Harris met his
fate has since been taken down and
stored away. Although nine prisoners
are now confined here on q sentence Of
death, it is almost certain that not q
single one of them will ever be exc
cuted. But still further on and to the
right is the shoe shop in which % con-
victs are at woik, and an extension to
this forms the blacksmith shop, em-
ploying the labor of % men. Under
the shoe shop is the chapel where
religious services are conducted by Tive
chaplain of the prison each Sabbath
forenoon, and these are attended by
all the prisoners and usually large
number of lady visitors are present
who offer both vocal and instrumental
music. Facing the guardroom is the
wheelwright and paint shop and to the
extreme left is the harness shop. Fifty
foul men are employed in these. All
these buildings are constructed OF
wood except the fret, the middle por-
ton being made Of granite. The prison
covers an area Of something over one
acre. The outer wall surrounding the
prison is twenty feet high and is con-
structed of lime rock. Four guard
houses surmount the walls at the cor.
ners and those on duty are relieved
every hour. A convict when he enters
this Institution ia first divestcd Of his
citizens attire, personal description
taken Of him and recorded, and theI
he is dressed in garments half red and
half black. He goes constantly in his
shirt sleeves and wears upon his feet
something resembling very much ths
army bsDgan. His suit which he hai