The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-12-12
A MODEL FEMALE PRISON.
THE GOOD THAT A WOMAN SUPER
INTENDENT MAS WROUGHT.
Opium and Tobacco the Mnin Obstncios in tho
way Of Reform-A Bcvy of Husband Pol
sOners One Hundred Grains of OpiHm.

From ne Cincinnati Gdseas
The Indiana Female Prison md Girls
| Reform School IA In one Of the suburbs ~ lndi.
| annapolis he building T. of pressed brick and
cut stone. and with the grounds cost 5000. 1t
| l. divided INTO two wtEgs, ono occupied by the
/ prisoners aud the other by the reform pupils
| and from cellar TO cagfet 1t Is n model Of neat
| ness. The superintendent Ia n woman. MIS-
: rah L. smith came tn Indi IA from Eng
land thirty years ago. and settled In Wayne
county, where she soon became known 10 an
energetic, iarge-hearted, pure-minded Christian
In 1865 she opened a "Home for the Friend
less" In Indianapolis, and In seven Ners ex-
pended for its support. out Of her own means,
over 5000. besides devo'inr to il all Der time
She developed wonderful faculty for reform
ming manners secured the confidence OF the
friendless at once. whose change undor her tut
influence exerted 10y this good Quaker woman
In seven years WIS equivalent To the united
strength II the nlted clergy Of the city.
when tho female prison was established she
was Induced to become It's Superntcndon, and
perhaps there was no other person IN the State
so well fitted to assume the responsibilities OF
the position. The women in the IrisOn wing
were formerly confined Mt JcTcrforye, where
theyled lives not whit better than before their
lmnrlsonmeht; such tnlng as reform was
considered their whole DUTY reformed II escape
were prevented Guards gave them whiskey,
tobacco, and opium.
The most difficult task Mrs. Smith had was to
cure the women Of the use OF tobacco aud
chewed tobacco, and hall dozen or more ate
opium.
ONE HUNDRED oRAfss or OPIUM PER DAY.
One old woman Mrs. Fannie Morris, had been
an opium eater for twenty years. Whne living
at Acton she cold everything IN her house for
opium. Even the bread upon the table, the
feathers IN her pillow. and the very clothing no
on her back were sacrificed. Her husband
wa. compelled to abandon her and take the
began to stoal articles OF clothing aud
sell them. The wardrobe OF the notorious
Mrs. kabb who married a rich old farm
er at Wavorley ana swindled him out OF
$4,000, bought many nm ounce o. laudlnum.
All Of Fannie's neighbors contributed their
quota on Mondays washing. SO terrible was
her appetite that for two weeks prior to ner ar
rest ici grand larceny; sne iMail9w9n ln rams
! calculations. in hts "COufessions OF an Opium
EItcr," this would be equal to $500 drops Of
laudanum' or 100 teaspn onsiu., while Dr. Buchan'
In his " Domestic Medicine" says. oe pirticn-
larry carefully never to take above 1--WE ana TWEEN
u drops Of laudHnum at once" At one tue
De Quincy took as high as 80 grains per day.
strange as It may sound" he says, - had
little time before this Oslo descended suddenly,
and without any considerable effort, from Sl
grains of opium Ghat Is 5000 drops OF laudanum)
per day 20 forty Hr ms. OF one-eiehth part.
But Mrs Morris did better than this. She de-
scended suddenly from one hundred grains to
nothing, Tor af'er coming 10 tho prison Mrs.
Smith refused to allow her drop. For time
death seemed likely to ensue. Painting fits
seized her, the luuhs became cold. and the ewes
lost their ustre The struggle Of De Quincy, "a
he pants It, was not more desperate. Bu, very
soon reason returned. and In two months she
thanked Mrs. Suith Tor being nrm IA her refusal.
Mrs. horris is now IN good health, but the
and the shattered mind show how Thoroughly
disease has done It's work she has been wen
educated, aud IN hcr youth, IL Is said. was very
THE WABASH MuRDEREss.
Among the life prisoners are several. the his
tory Of whose crimes IL hCrriuly fascinating.
once IN a while one Of them refers To the cause
OF her Imprisonment, but generally they shun
all refer. nee to it. one OF these Is Aunt Sale
Hubbard, hetter known IS 1.-THE Wabash MUIR
ueress.' Seventl ell yeur- ago while she and her
bus and were living alone In a retired part "
wabash county, q man, his VIE an three coil.
dfen asked permission TO sleep under thor oof
for one night. They mad come from Canada,
aud were gong 10 Illinois. Tnoy were strangers,
uhu In passing through the various towns along
their way. had made Jew acquaintance.
The little family was ken IN. and, exhausted
hy the days journey. they retired at all early
large sum OF money which the old man had in
AdNtrtenty exposed, Hubbard and his life cut
their throats and buried them IN one grave
under the door OF the cabin. Several weeks
LtterwAfd the bodies OF then Victims were dis
covered, and Hubbard expiated his guilt on the
; eallows Aunt eallie was sent 10 tue penlten-
= tarv for life. she Is now seventy Of age
aud upward; but at no time has she confessed
| her Guilt. Her Bible Is her constant companion,
and her leisure hours are spen. IN exhOrtln2 new
T comers 70 lead different llfe. She settles
little difficulties that arise between the Prison
ers; and IA 0tne So, l., - Of srSat a-sis lance
often says, " and I'm ready To 80 hpme' She Is
very large ana deshy, AID IN excellent health.
IN FOR LIFE,
Mary Loncmakor. 'ife-prisoner. has looked
through grated windows for thirteen years. She
poisoned her husband with tartar emetlc while
they were living In lnGi lnapoiis Ike Aunt
{ e,
y aud, when not In a tit OF great mental espon-
dencV. is at work among her felow-prisoners
urging them to lead a religious life. She has
= several children living VINO have been unceas-
ina in their Efforts 10 secure her pardon, but her
guilt Is too apparent, and the circumstance CON
nected with the murder too aggravatihg u per-
Y nit a pardon being granted even On the strengt b
OF twelve years Of good conduct Her forehead
h very low, and her mouth extends nearly from
ear to ear She is nfty-tw years old.
Mrs. Mary Adams is another husband poisoner,
and although the evidence against her Is most
| convincing, she urmly adheres 70 her plea Of
= mot guilty." She resided at hafdingspurEh,
$ and has been prisoner SIX years, Her husband
Is buried IN a cemetery ne.r the j., II. aud l.
road snd when taken from Jenersonville to
' Indianapolis she was yisibly affected at tho
sight OF ms grave. She processes TO be IL Chris
tim. and makes long aud loud prayers hut her
Q lying Is notorious among the prisoners, and she
= does great deal OF run by preaching without
q practising. She is lfty-hye years old.
s Jane Wlllams's crime was even more cold
e blooded than tnat Of Aunt Salle Hubbard. She
5 lived with her mother aud brother IN salem.
n girl who wasn't NJ to live. | felt II my duty TO
/ garden and my brother was at " ork in the Held,
o ! cut her throat from ear To ear! | threw her
Il ON the bed, and as raised the knife my sister
:, exclaimed, 'Oh, don't M me, Jane! But
z did. felt that she wasn't ht to live, and ought
r to he killed
+ Her dcpori ment Ia good. and With the excep-
D tlOn Of Il Keen satisfaction which the rehearsal
e OF ner crime SCENE & give her. she appears IKE
/, a Thoroughly good woman. Wniie at Jefferson
t done without tobacco for several years, she nov
= Joins her companions in saying that they are
y happier and feel better without the weed.
LOVE AND SACRIFICE.
/, The most Singular case, perhaps, Is that OF
y Mary Jane HaWk Of Greensburg. She was rid
!, ing with young fellow who had been patina
y. her some attention, when the latter, discover
= ing that he was pursued, leaped from the 81 r
y rage and concealed himself ia ntishburinG
wood leaving the girl IN possession OF the team
. When the pursuers came up with her, Mar,
Jane was Informed that the horse ana carriage
J. had been stolen, and unless she revealed tht
name and hiding place OF the Young man she
= would DO held as the thict. this she stuuty re
. fused to do, and, as evidence of her pluck and
=, affection, submitted TO live u term Of years II
a the penltentary
" There are at present li9 inmates OF the institu
. ton, ~ prisoners, ana ITO children. he uccu
!, pants Of one wing are NOT allowed u minglt
II with those Of tho other. A Part of cpch day il
y given 10 work, To study, To recreation to relig
- iOus Instruction. ami to sleep. On sundays al
i attend Sabbath school and one preaching ser
vice.
u Fannie Cameron came TO the prison from
u knightetown, and brought with her u rcputa
y ton for being all thlt WINS wicked and vicious
- She was conveyed from the depot in a hack, Gnt
u on arriving AT the institution refused 10 ne taNe
!, from the carriage. Mrs. Smith, hearing noise
20 stepped to the door. ana taking in the situation
10 AT once, She put her arms around tue girl neck
and, kissing her, sud, "Comc, my dear, I'll I've
nutner TO you" The girl surrendered At once