, 1879-04-19


Keeping house Of f!l-rcnno {thls latter Il nut
n Rupn0sc,l but n ,taf rasc) goes tu thu etafe
Ahylum to tllfnglc with innucent mud roputhbla
ncrsona whose pccu'tnr n,!sfortune sl'ould
doubly assure thcin Of protection.
Let u NOW consider FOR n moment tho evil
effects uf introducing this vilo 4nd dcpraYcd
element nmUnE
TIE vos-rELoNlous INSANE.
Among the twcnty-tiiree convict tnEano re-
celrcd nj one Ut tile State Hospitals III tc past
nIcl;po.kut, ,,ne ''son9 mud dance l1nn" from
tig lowest etlnst Dtsc female receiver uf stolen
Hoo''s, o1e ictnaiG burGlnr two rnyslicFs, t!lFco
iiilir!icrcrs, two tDalo bur9lars. ona common
thtcl, aui one fenlaln nssaIlaut with lnur.lclous
Intent. Next, IN tho llst Of nine coming to The
!losuital aftcr aequlttal on Il crimtnal Charge
flago lern thrcu tnurlcrcrs nl.,i ona Ic-
'i'alo keeper Of llouss Of fIl.!ams.
to trial were oro forrcr, ono ii,ccstous sc,tucrr,
ono nac intcnlfary, oila fcNInle llccllJlary. nEu
ono bank-rohbgr.
hare unly mentioned here those who rcta!n-
Cd s4elr crlmtlnl chnractcrIsttcs, certainly at
tfetr capacity for further nilchct, anl III ihc
Inntn tho tlrgrcc cf intelligence or cunning mt
urallr belonging 10 tlicm. 1t woull be- easy to
give thE rcvutflE detn1ls uf the previous l1fo
n!l OF the outrageous behavior III tito Hospital
nf tatsc moral lel'ers; but tho rcadcf nny bu
spared that tnI!'ctlit III al! catrscu from tho M
tur0 Of the Gnsu what these nuat be. IT ulny be
said In ui ethertiesa thAt tile most shameful n,ld
dcbaslng Influence against decgncy, urfcrt
pcace, md health Of t1fnd md body cnanates
from these lnsane criminals. They afe mucI,
more runc tllan tile rest ot the insono to cotll-
mlt dangerous antl violent nets, to tcs,.i iicw
LESSONS III wee to the weak n!hl Imprrsslble ones
aroun1 them, to cot.ctct plans Of mischief, es-
cape. or tnutiny, to torment The feeble anu
trascDlG about them.
1t can ou'y be ncccseasy lint this stalo OF nf-
iairs Should hocOHc kn'yn tp rccciyu universal
condemnation, anil jf,eItu those conccrtcd
tOWAruA ff rttffnf tbf4 "a
excuse i0r bringing betUse tho public
DErA1t.s so UNPLEASANT TO CONTEMPLATE.
There arc few indeed OF tic best an,l nloru for
tunatc III any cunn.,luuLty to whom at sumo time
Es not brought iorcibty home u scusu III Tho
depth Ut the culanl!ty produced by iusunlty. Il
tnYades all aees, ranks, aud regions and Is truly
no respcctor OF persons, nild al,y one who
viii for moment make ti,u casc his
own can readily see what would bo IFS
reluctance, pay inalEnapt robellIon, Mt scc:ns
dear friend CONSIGNED III an Asylum to tic
company Of the bascst uld most desperate
criminals, stained With vice alnl further de-
lnoralszctl by inRanlty,-for Insanity never In
' psoyes @ tlaH nature Of Its victim, but often ndda
scarcely State Asylum IN Tic Union cxccpt In
New York wllcrc criminals do not mtngie freely
with other innatcs. In New York there Ia Nh
Asylum fur lnsauo CrIm!nuls In connection With
the lcnltcntiary ut Aubllrn, md TINT establish
ment at present accommodates 121 OF this cass.
No other State III The Union has IN Asylum for
Its ersuiiMnlst though liere are several Ill wcl,
tue question las been a,Htatcd The Legisla.
resolution nppoInting Commission to report
uput plan Of relief by which the flfty Insane
convicts in tho fenLtcrtfary might be suitably
provided for. III Massachusetts, after II lanI
discussion Of tile subject an addition for tWcnty-
ilyu couyiets has been nude to ltlu new Prison.
III MA!lo there uro separate cells for
the. insane conYlcts OF tile State Prison.
1a PENNSYLVANIA long dispute between tho
officials us to thu situation OF the convict
Asylum las prevented tho eercnty.lve insuns
eolvicts Of tint State tr0m llAyin.. ANYTHING
done Tor tleir relief. The Uoartl Of Charities
were trsIrous OF having the couvlcts couiine1 In
Suuerlntondcnts OF tile Asylums objected to
this course.
IT IS TIE OPINION or ALL MEDICAL MEN
familiar with the subject that tho convict or
criminal asylum should bo connected with tic
pslsun unless 1t Is altogether independent.
others might, pcrhaps, naturally assume that
~ Insane persons bcIong ut tic Asyluln, but
little reflection OF experience will make 1t pln!n
TINT convltls nnu criminals arc, wien Insane,
not less vicious, dangerous, alu depravcd but
oftcn moro SO, than wtsu,l sane. Insanity ia
misfortune for both, but docs not md canuot
oblltcrase the grcat gull fixed butwecu Them by
their previous career. Tho opinion Of the thlot
officers Of asylums in this country Is expressed
by thu Association OF American Super!ntcnd-
cnts " ut Its nnnlial meeting In 1873 Is shown In
and most experienced body Of physicians inter-
csted tn Insanity, a,ld their oplnon possesses
the highest authority on this point:
Hesoised, That neither Tho cells Of the pcnlten-
t4res mud tat!a NOF tho wards nf ordinary EnBpt-
tals for the Insane nro ropcr pnccs for tho custody
and trcatnlcnt OF this class Ut insane.
ResolEtd. That sshen tho number Of ths clnss II,
anY SInte Is sufficient tn Justify such u coursg,
tncsD should be plncel IN hospital Apuciu!y
provided for thea IND that, Until this can 10 dono,
they alI0ull DC treated In hospital connected With
IN ~ IN.
Tugs upon amy part Of the grounds Of an ordinary
hospital Tor tho lntanc.
TUE OPINION or OFFICERS OF rES1rgyT1An1Es
coincfdcs With tho above. ! know OF npnc who
psncea tn annsher department. Of the penitcn-
tiary. / may tltu un0ll this point an,o.E
others tlle physician Of tho California Pcnitcn-
tiary, tho Trustees Ut the Indiana state Prlaou
North, tic Warden Ut tho ltltnuis pcnttuntiary
at JoI"t. The principal reason witt, prison ulh-
GERS probably IL thns there Is Acunhtant tcnlonry
among convicts to fciEn Insanity, Tor the pllr-
posu Of helng sent to ths Asylum, which they
are constantly comIng up, aEc frequently yer5
di'cult OF detection, cause immcuse trouble
I,u annoyance, nl, ii successful, lead to
numerous other attcmpts of the annlo kul
among ~ ohsr III sonyets' VIE % watch keeniy the
leads III titus to tnjustteu 10 coDyicts who are
really Insane, as a l0nl. and severe tasting mid
examination 81 each caso Is necessary. nNd
ulauJ "Ao peEHHps ouEllL u E0 To Inc Asylum
do not got there. All this would be obyintcd
II the Asylum wus department of the penal
Institution uua under similar but n.dus dis
cipltne.
IN ADDITION TO TILE REASONS FURNISHED ny
E4pEDIENGr AND MORALITY,
this pan Ia to b. recommended on the score OF
cconomy In Illinois not less than Il ,5tN must
have becn spent III transporting soyenty-!lyu
couYtcss from Tho rcnltcntlary to tIlo three
Asylums. Hut thu grcat saving would be III
thu cost Of support bctwcen tile State Hospital
nnl ths FcnItenflnry. An institution or DE-
partnlent Of The Prison for thu Ifsauo would bu
regulated upon thu sau.e general scale Of ex.
penditute as the prison, aud this would 10
Ampu Tor the class under considerations.
Aceprding to tho report Of tl.e Warden Of
thr Jost Pe'iscnttary, tl1u cntiru cost tcr tlicn
for each prisoner during The Eaat uisicin! year
haa lccn a9ti cunts. Thv corresponding figures
for elc sa..io period at tic Northern Insane uoa.
p!tal has been 57}G 4 difference Of n cents per
dlrm on d! eulIvirts Qho number now In the
btate liospttnls), would n ono year anlount to
tile required addition Tho sum required would
be very Ereutly Reduced By tho fart tIlat nearly
atl tlu labor roulu bo performed by couylrts
lf nnlv 6t1uIl alnrrrs p't.r+ tNuI1 Iutv