Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-01-12

Let the Additional Pcnitcntiarv be-
Tor those who do not belong in this
class--those whose crimes consisted
IN giving way to sudden passion, or
who had fallen from having come in
70 the presence of an unloOked-for
temptation. And then. gradually.
those who have been held with the
crt'at1,0l class, especially youths con-
victcd of first offense, after a pro-
hibitionary schooling under the rig
orous discipline Of Fort Madison.and
upon showing satisfactory progress
in reformation, could be transferred
TO the prison ola milder discipline,
and where the inmates might safely
and brofitably exercise more en-
larged personality than could be per-
mltted to the entirely unrcformed.
The Irish system of probationary
prisons takes the convict through
several intermediate classifications
during his pcnitentiary life. and
finally, when discharged, he is still
partially supervised by a, system of
tickets-of-leave, until he finds his
place in society. At Lusk, i'm Ire
land, some seventy or eighty prison.
crs are employed in agricultural la
Dor, all Of whom have graduated
through the rigorous discipline of
the intermediate prisons, and reach
ing this last stage in the reforming
process they are here held in subiec-
ton by the moral influence of the
manager, without walls to hedge
them or guards to intimidatc them.
This illustrates what moral and intel
lcctnal training may do for the most
hardened. ] am thoroughly con-
WINGED that with proper mana cement
a fair proportion OF all persons con-
victed of crime may be reformed
The daily routinc-labor of the prison
for those who have never been
taught habits of industry; the night
school for those who have been
raised i'll ignorance the Sunday
School and ministrations and friendly
visits of the chaplain. for those who
have never been taught the way of q
higher lite ; and the cheering words
OF encouragement from generous
hearted prison officers will all enter
as elements into the experience and
education which may be made to
transform the lives of even criminals.
But will be told that this will cost !:
and that society is unwilling to suffer
the depredations of criminals, and
then pay money TO educate them. 1t
is by no means certain, when you
take into consideration the diminu-
ton OF crime from system that will
reform men instead of turning them
ont to repeat their old crimes, and i'm
view of the fact that the penitentiary
containing the partially reformed,
will require comparatively light walls
and few guards, and will contain
prisoners who may be worked profit
ably outside the yard, that there will
be any additional expense in the sys-
tenn proposed. But it il should cost,
to begin with. something more than
under present arrangements, it would
in the end compensate by Iessening
crime in the State. But 1 only hint
at reforms which present inviting
fields for argument. and which i
deem worthy the best thought and
the earnest attention Of Legislators in
an enlightened age and a progressive
State.
THE REFORM SCHOOL.
In harmony with the foregoing
theories relative to prison manage
ment, the State established re-
form school for vicious and incorrig-
ible youths at Eldora, in Hardin
county. The Board of Trustees and
Srrs o,.sx 10. II hnr xcVa So. -
reports the condition and needs of
this school. ! would respectfully in
vite your attention to their sugges-
tions. They deem it important that
the contemplated main building
should be Immediately erected. This
will permit the building now occu-
pied as headquarters to be used as a
general shop (the purpose for which
it was originally intendcd), to the
great advantage of the State and in
aid of the industrial department of
the school. 1t will also enable the
trustees to remove the girls depart
ment to Eldora and temporarily care
for it in this main building, where
the girls can be isolated from the
boys under the immediate superyi-
sion of the Superintendent and mat
ron. The necessity for some pro-
vision to accommodate the girls
school is enforced by the fact that the
lease of the quarters now occupied
for this department will expire i'm
1873. The amount of funds which
may properly be used towards meet
ing these objects will remain for you,
having in view all the State institu-
tions and all their needs, to deter
mine.
In the removal OF the school to a
new ana unproductfye farm, attcnd-
ed by the expenses of the transfer
and re-establishment, debt of some
81 800 was necessarily contracted.and
good faith requires its payment.
Last April, in compliance with
what seemed to be necessity. and at
the request of the Board of Trustees
for a committee 10 aid them, 1 APP
pointed Hon. A. c. Dodge, VIM. III.
Leas, Esq, and Mrs. Deborah Cattell
to visit and investigate the finances
and management of the school and to
report their conclusions to me. The
committee and trustees met at Edo
ia where a joint investigation, en-
tending through several weeks, was
held. 1t resulted in two reports. one
by majority Of the committee APP
pointed by me, and the other by the
trustees, Endorsed with one or two
qualifications, by Mrs. Cattell. These
reports arc submitted for your infor-
nation with the evidence taken upon
the investigation. l could not enter
mi, 90 al
ceedings and conclusions without
occupying too much space for this
message. will say, however, that /
believe thoroughly in the conscien-
tousness of the trustees,and that from
my reading of the testimony the late
Superintendent want of adoption
for the position was more from lack
of penetration i'm the choice of subor-
dinates than i'm any positive wrong in
himself. And when we consider that
the school under his administration
was passing through the developing
process, cramped for money and fa-
cilities, and that the salaries paid
minor subordinates would not secure
persons Of the best intelligence and
established character, it in some
measure cxtenuates the admitted
faults of his management. But, as he
seemed to be the principal object of
the investigation, his resignation at
the close OF the proceedings removed
the cause Of the contention. The
trustees filed the vacancy by the APP
pointment of a gentleman who nn-
derstand is well fitted for the posi-
ton. Aphysician and Assistant SUI
perintendent has also been chosen
whose well known character is
guarantee of arduous and intelligent
efforts for the honor of the State and
the reformation Of these children.
] should say farther that one cause
of the irregularities which led to this
investigation, was that boys had been
sent to the school who were too old
jim years and crime for its discipline.
They hadbcen sent here, however, at
the expense of the morale of younger
pupils, for the reason that Courts
shrank from sentencing them to the
companionship of hopeless criminals.
All this could have been avoided
through the agency of an interme-
date prison such as above rccom-
mended,