Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-09-08

II is said that the great objection which the
New York thieves have TO coming TO Our Vermont
Stnte Prison, il not ON account of the severity Of
the rules, Tor though strict, they are not oppres-
sive, but because they know they cannot escape
No prison on the continent presents such clean
record IN that respect II Is now eighteen years
SINE q prisoner got away, and since the new
prison was built, some thirty years, only two es-
capes have been chronicled One was a harmless
old prisoner whose health was feeble, and who
was allowed To 20 outside Of the walls aud feed
the hogs. Although he was infinitely more COM
Portable In the prison than he had ever been be-
fore in his life yet the desire for freedom over
came him one day, and he departed Tor Canada
No chase was ever made The other was well
planned scheme and was executed when they
were rebuilding the cells. The mortar was soft
and picking It out, he got into chimney and
left for parts unknown OF course In such a rest
less crowd Of rascals, there have been many at
tempts at escape. The most desperate was made
about four years ago by John Frame, sent from
Addison county Tor ten years, for burglary. lie
secreted himself under the roof Of one Of the
buildings, cut n hole through, and jumped from
the wall to the ground outside distance oftwenty-
five feet The guard sa him. fired and gave the
alarm. None Of the shots hit him, but one grazed
his skull and marked it, course in his hair. lie
reached the river, swan across, and getting tired
and wet, was then easily reoaptured by Mr. sum
ner Lull, the head keeper Mr. Inl by the way,
is the man to go TO- II you want any information
about the prison or it, inmates lie has been con-
nected with It's management for great many
years, and has studied the character Of conyicts in
a Christian and humane spirit He believes IN re-
formation As well as punishment butis the last man
to "coddle' the risoners IN regard TO escapes Mr.
Lul says that most of the attempts are made during
the first year or two Of their incarceration The law
provides that prisoner must begin his sentence
again II he eaiSs out and this detcrS them m
much rs anything else. After a man has served
four or five years Of ten years sentence he dis
likes TO run the risk Of losing his time and having
to commence ne moro. Reuben Smell, who was
convicted Of rape at Chelsea, during the December
term Of 1870, and sentenced to twelve years im-
prisonment, made two efforts to escape soon after
his arrival, by hiding himself when the men came
out of the shop, but he WAS found without much
difficulty, and is now reconciled to his fate lie
is employed in cutting heels in one Of the shoe
shops To an outsider, an attempt to get away
entire prison is surrounded with wall Of masonry
twenty feet in hight, along the top Of this is
walk upon which guards are stationed all day,
with Winchester repeating rifles near at hand
each capable of discharsing fourteen shots with
ont reloading In the shop are armed keepers
always on the watch, aud the plan Of the prison
is such that a man cannot possibly dig out
ApnrioNs AND IMPROVEMENTS
The present directors Of the prison, Hon. t. G..
Hloughton, Of Noith Bennington; Messrs f.
G. pettigrew, Of Ludlow, and Marcus D. Gilman,
Of Montpelier, in conjunction with the new war
den, Mr.. John + Bailey, of Windsor have made \
great many Improvements in the internal econ
omy Of the prison and they are now rapidly tear
ing down the cumbrous granite walls Of the old
prison in order TO erect a brick wing Of the same
design a. the " new prison" so-called. 1t will be
Of brick, eighty-four feet long by forty-f,e feet
wide, and will be high enough to contain four
tiers Of coils II necessary There will be sixteen
cells on each foor-eght rows. 4 partition will
be made at the west end OF the wing between
sixth and seventh rows Of cells, for a womens
prison, which will admit OF sixteen cells being de-
voted to the use Of the fair sex At present their
are no women in the prison, the last one Mary
Dusham, having been discharged short time
ago 1t was her fifth sentence and she will prob
ably be back in time tn assist at the opening Of
the new wing, for she is incorrisible thief al
.hough only twenty-five years old
Daring the first OF the year the directors built
IN extension to the shops, in order to admit Of
more men working in them than was possible with
the old accommodations They have provided
nd