Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-10-19

and, upon the recommendation Of the State
Prison Committee. changed by statute tn
mode of appointment Of the Superintendent
OF the Prison-giving the appointment t.
the Governor. instead of to the Joint Assem-
bly,. The Governor. disregarding th
claims" Of the two a,pirants for the Office
the old and new Superintendent-, whose ri
valry had divided the town OF Windsor int
factions, selected q new man for Superin-
tendent. in the person Of Mr.. Ii. P. Spencer
of Chester The salary Of the Superntend
ent had been $500. and it bad some how oil
other been an object for men TO hold tht
place at that and to spend good deal o.
time and money IN canvass!ng for an elec'
ton to it. The Legislature raised the sal
tendent to give his whole time to the
Prison.
The entire change in the management thus
effected has borne fruit in a very marked
improvement in the condition OF the Prison.
Taking the ground that the prisoners were
beings with human souls and sensibiites,
shut up first for punishment, but also to bs
benefited and reformed as far as possible
consistent with the other objects OF their in
carceration, the directors set themselves to
improving the treatment of the cOnvicts.
They had been too often fed on sour bread
and tainted meat. on the theory that any
thing was good enough for States pris-
on bird. The food and cooking was made
wholesome ard good without exception
or fail. More attention was paid to
order and cleanliness. The prisoners had
had simply straw beds and BLANKETS. and
had been in the habit Of sleeping in their
clothes. Mattresses and sheets were sup
piled to them and they were required to
undress at night. Care was taken that every
prisoners cell should be clean. warm and
dry. 1t had been deemed necessary for the
keepers to perform their duties armed with
bludgeons and loaded canes, and to use
them freely on the convicts in the enforce
ment of their orders. Following the rus
auopteu IN tue Aioahy' NJ L. anu otne'
well regulated modern prisons. the keepers
were required to lay aside their clubs and
solitary confinement on bread and water
was ADOPTED as the sole punishment 'or any
infraction of order or discipline The
drainage from the Prison was improved
the supnly of water TO the prison WAS in
,0.sod ,h. ol;, n,ra,,v ,.s,..d orJ
o., ;,s ,.do
IT. ,,l. =, H. at.a h., boon =,
,,. - artod ;mnroromon, IN rho
nbrs;..I .,,d;,;o, ot n, nr;soncrs Tb.r,
10 lcss sickness now with shopt ,sO nrisop-
o,s tho, ,horo mead 10 ho u;,h - The
o,,,. 81 ,ha p.;aon t.s h.., ,.,,, ;,n
,roa lid, ho,,a, ,,oatmo,, rho man
.,a ,o.s s,,,o, .,a uor, ;na,.,,;, and
-, -
- -
:, 40 ooo -. t.s,
- 49, S.. III ,;r..,'r' a,r,
=, ,h. al -, a,,a.,;, ,ta
IT, a.,
-. -, -, -,
-. - D
a,.t- S.. D.. w;-,...,
-,
oh iuesuay morning. director 'phu'u-
ing, VINO has been active In bringing about
the improved condition OF AFFAIRS with
Hon. samuel Huntington, chairman OF the
last >ehate committee on the state frlson'
L. =. hlnsley Esq, OF the ChPp1, and the
editor Of TINS paper. lett Burlington Tor
"lhusOr- ihey were JOlneu Ut MOhtpeiier
by State Treasurer Hon. j. a. Page and
j. NJ Poland. Esq, ot the Hdtchmdn and
Journal and at hite River junction by
uo'ernor ralfoahRs and L. NJ Stone ESD,
oil tho Caedonian. AT windsor. Director
Pottlsrew anu AUDITOR Ladd were await
ing the company "hlch WAS s"eiieu Nv
tue auui'ion ot non u "A pa''S' I'll
healing, oi the last otate Senate anu
hev' FRANKLIN butter, iormer ehapiain
oil the prison. Several others, including
the Rutland ana 81. Aibans editors, had been
invited to be present, but were detained ut
home.
Accompanied by Directors Spaulding and
Pettigrew and Superintendent Spen-
GER, the visitors passed TIN ough the guard
room, with its racks OF loaded muskets, into
the court of the main ward OF tho Prison.
This is, as it were, building within a build
ing the outer il plain shell of sub-tan-
tal brick work. pierced will, double row
of windows. The inner is the stack of cells,
divided from the outer by court some
fifteen feet wide The cells, 100 in number,
tiers entered from narrow galleries sur
rounding them. The whole is u mass OF
dead white-tho walls OF the court and cells
being whit, washed from the boor "a the
b;,b Lr,l;eved onIv nv rho black
,ra,ed door, of tho coll. and nv the yree,
ni one mr. ,wo b,pgi,y baskets of vines and
oi a numb,r ,f bouse nlants IN n stand in
the court The calls measure five hv eight
feet The bed On its shelf of iron fills half
of each cell and there is still room within
for n little table and a small stool. and ior IA
man to stand and turn himself, but not
much more. The walls Of many Of the cells