The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1875-12-09
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY.
Which is the Only Specimen Of
the Article Allowed Pris-
OnerS at the PeDiten.
tiary.
They Being Debarred From the
Pursuit Of Happiness and
Freedom of Speech.
The Manner in Which Sunday Is
Observed at the State
Prison.

10 the outside world little or nothing II
known Of the life within the gray stone
walls of the Kansas State Penitentiary, and
the humans enclosed therein, who move,
live and have their being in a space con-
fined to the prescribed limits of dungeon.
are utter strangers to the rest of humanity
with whom they have no companionship.
Their daily life ia nsught but a dreary mo-
notony, heightened into weary months and
years, with scarcely a hope beyond. Each
succeeding day brings no hopes, no aspira-
tons, no joys, and thus they plod along in
| a mere animal existence.
THE DISCIPLINE
maintained at the Penitentiary is very rig
i'd, and the rules, regarding officials,
guards and prisoners, are strictly adhered
to. The guards are required to be prompt,
and are on duty every day with the excep-
ton Of one Sunday in every five, which
they are allowed to have to themselves.
The prisoners are governed solely by what
is designated a.
THE SILENT SYSTEM,
which, translated, means that they are not
allowed, under any circumstances, to con-
verse With each other. A man may re-
main inside the prison walls for score of
years; eat, sleep and work BY the side Of
fellow-prisoner all that time, and vet
never exchange a word with him. This is,
in TACT, the only system by which men can
be kept in subsection, and the plan has
been adopted in every well-regulated prison
int h. ss,I Il L. l..
ed that about four months ago serious re-
volt occurred at the Nebraska State Peni-
tertiary, Lincoln, and that the military
were called out to aid in its suppression.
At this institution the prisoners were al
lowed to converse with each other, which.
allowed them an opportunity of laying the
plans which eventually led to the revolt.
THE SUNDAY ROUTINE
differs somewhat from that of the week
days. Each man is required to be up at
o'clock, dressed, cell in order, and every
thing ready for breakfast which is served
promptly ole hour later. After this meal
they are marched back to their cells again,
where they remain until O'Clock, when
they are marched to the school room. The
school exercises consist of reading, writing,
spelling, arithmetic and geography, the
teachers of the different classes being con-
victs. The school session occupies two
hours and half, until 11:30 O'Clock, after
which the men remain in their cells until l
o'clock, when they proceed to
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
which is held In the chapel, one Of the
most beautiful buildings upon the interior
in the State. Here, As in the other school,
the convicts are divided into classes, pre-
sided over by prisoners. The exercises here
are one hour in length, and at , P. NJ.
the regular chapel service, Rev. j. b. Nc
Celery presiding, begins. This service lasts
one hour, after which the prisoners dine.
When this meal is finished they are march
ed to their cells and locked up until the
next morning, when they arise at daylight
and 60 to work.
The number Of prisoners now in the pen
itentiary foots up 379, thirty of whom are
United States convicts. All government
prisoners convicted of murder, robbery, etc,
in this State, are confined in the penitenti-
airy, wGile the United States military pris-
on at Fort Leavenworth is used merely for
the confinement OF deserters, and soldiers
convicted bv court martial OF larceny and
minor orrenses. tSinety-six OF the inmates
Of the penitentiary are COlored, two OF
whom are women. There is also one white
woman confined there, making three fe-
males in all. Twenty of the convicts are
there for lite, and the terms Of the others
average from one year to twenty. The
force OF guards numbers twenty-six. When
the men are marched into The cells they go
by divisions, of which there are eight; each
being in charge Of its proper officer, who
makes his report to the deputy warden i'm
mediately after the men in his division are
safely locked up.