The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-12-19
FROM COLUMBUS.
COLUMBUS, ONO,
Dec. 18th, 1878.

cOnVlcL is alEOSI as WnOlly u
off from the outside void as if he
were transferred to another planet.
There his world consists of 80 acres
of ground and a population of 55
persons to the acre.. Beyond the
walls he is supposed to know moth
ing; he can see the towering stee-
pies, hear the laundering of the cars
as they speed by, but beyond that
he knows nothing. He can look at
the passing visitor; note the impu-
dent gaze bestowed upon him as the
stranger is told by the guard, often
in unguarded tones, of the crimes
for which he suffers; he can blush
under the look of scorn of the pure
soul that passes by, but he cannot
make an appeal for mercy, cannot
give vent to his feelings even to his
fellow convict. All this seems hard
and is q subject that must arouse a
sympathy in the hardest heart, but
we must remember that these men
we're the "architects of their Own
fortunes" They have brought the
cross to their own shoulders. Had
the sympathies which ever filled the
hearts of the visitors, entered their
own hearts and stayed their hands
as they were about to commit the
crime for which they suffer, they
would be free to day.
These and similar thoughts were
awakened by a visit recently to the
above institution in company with
Mr.. John White, formerly with Will
lard Edison, in Eaton, but for the
past two years deputy Sheriff at
Newport, Ky. Arriving at the of
flee, we called for Frank Smith, an
old Eaton boy, but now one of the
guards at the Penitentiary. Frank
seems to stand solid with the Off
Gals, and from the tramp he took US
evidently knows every nook and cor
ner in the prison.. Having obtained
the necessary permission, we started
and we're confronted by the great
iron-barred door at the entrance. A
shake, q rattle, the bolts flew back
and the door swung slowly on its
hinges. We enter and with a clash,
a bang which causes a chill to per
mease our spinal column, and which
must seem q death knell TO the poor
convict, the door shuts us from the
outer world. Entering the sleeping
apartments first, we find a little cell
for each prisoner, about . feet wide,
7 feet deep and the same in height.
Here all the time is spent when the
prisoner is not ut woik. Each door
contains the name and number OF
the occupant, with cards showing
special privileges, such as tobacco
going to church and Sunday school
The new dormitories are vastly more
comfortable and will sleep about 600.
Passing through the laundry and
bake shops, looking at the corn and
rye bread; through the "court' We
enter the chapel or "idle house, DIS
it is called. Here all men, who are
not engaged in the various shops
pass their spare time doing nothing
About 500 men were sitting there
and probably twice that many eyes
were looking curiously at us as We
sat on the rostrum. As l looked a
those faces, thought what volumes
of history they could tell of crime II
every phaze. Could a free writer
but get them to unfold their lives Il
him, fiction would blush at her at
tempt to compete with those facts.
wished Judge Chambers was will
me. What an opportunity for hin
to study faciology!
But our thoughts are diverted b,
the ringing of bell aud a pinch oil
the arm by the guard, who is leav
ing us on a fast walk. AS we ris'
the 500 prisoners are on their fee
and we wonder what is up and wall
faster than the guard to catch up
1t is dinner, he says, and we are hur
rying to get q reserved seat in tin
court. Once fixed another bell ring
and the men, in their striped suits
in companies of ifties al be seel
marching from every direction to
wards US. With the right hand up
on the shoulder of the man in front
body to body and lock step, the,
march on quick time until we flint
ourselves surrounded by over 160'
men, every one of which is, by law
an enemy to socitv. Halt! all i
quiet; another bell and all march in
to the immense dining room. Fol
lowing to the center of the grea
room, we bow our heads while TIL
chaplain asks the Almighty to en5e
that abode of wickedness and bles
the food. That was all right. l
!, needed blessing, for that was abou
all there was of it. A chunk" o
corn bread, a "chunk" of roast beef
boiled cabbage, vinegar, and a Gu
of water. A man could eat that bill
of fare and not half try and diges
it too, all but the cabbage. The
+ give them the cabbage as q set-offt
| the "pastries" ofthe "Grand Hotels
just to let them know how it feel
to have undigested food on the stom
ZACH. Then they don't banker afte
pie, &c. Oh, no! They are Above
Is minutes TO "get away with thi
bill of fare, and you can cooper it
f that they don't leave any. The wa
, Verb Freeman was putting it dow
1 thought 5 minutes would serv
him.
After dinner we visited the sever
al shops. These shops are mostl
run by contractors, who get the cor
vict labor at from 40 to so cents pc
day and they all realize fortune:
Almost every branch of trade is II
presented and the best of goods al
produced. In the foundry we sa'
/ VIM. Christmau and by permissio
r Of the guard had q chat. His prir
7 ciple interest seemed to be, to kno
how many mon Prah1n oountv wor1