The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-05-18
From Fridays DaiIy.l
THE PENITENTIARY.
|ure Place for the Territorial Grim.
finals,
, Increase or Accommodation Inn
pe~rntively Necessary.

manner Ill when The analfS OF the
(orial penitentiary at Deer Lodge are
cted reflects great credit on Warden
to whom we acknowledge obligations
ing shown through the institution.
bterior Of the prison is a model Of neat
md good order. Within the iron ell
in the main building there are two
of cells, one above the other, each
intended originally to hold but n
or. The number of criminals
TO the %penitentiary during the
inter, however, has rendered it neces-
"double up" in many cases and two
have been put in each cell. There are
Bent forty-two inmates besides the one
the only female prisoner, Mrs. Drouil-
expected to contribute in the course
Nv days. Of this number II are under
sentence for murder, 2 for rape, II for
larceny, / for attempting to escape, 2
Iault with deadly weapons, l for incest,
arson, and l for selling whiskey to In.
DR.. Del, Kennedy and one or two
sentenced during the present session
court, will be transferred from the
Jail before long, and several more will
h committed by the other courts of the
Dry.
of the saddest features of the institu-
the extreme youth of a majority of
isoners. One of them, whose age GER
does not exceed twenty years, is under
sentence. The average age of all the
It's is between twcnty-nine and thirty
Though were two or three very old men
led from the list, the average would not
r twenty-four years. One of the latter
y-one years old and has yet to serve
ten years. for the murder of his
NJ. The majority Of young criminals,
bid, seem to be hardened and rendered
bite by Imprisonment aud seldom if ever
and very old ones, as a rule, leave
&institutions bereft of ambition and I'M
b earn an honest living even if SC dis.
Ror these reasons reflections as to
|Eobable future of the prisoners now
! Warden Botkir's care are the opposite
~easant for any human being from
! honor has fed, never to return, is in
hn object of comIniseration.
! Warden EMPLOYS convict labor TO a
p extent, many Of the we'll behaved and
harmless of the prisoners being EN-.
in various occupations with the ont,
Enclosure. The suggestion has beer
ced to render theinstitution partly self
kting by employing all the convicts il
~anufacture of some marketable article
hough sucha project appears feasible
Economical, the Territorial authorize
Is yet taken no action in the matter.
greatest need of the institution a
ut is more room. With The approach o
kilroad to this Territory, rendering sue
escape more probable than before, til
pal population has greatly increased
criminal acts, as a consequence, hav
more numerous. With the extensio'
3 road into the interior of the cotlntr
OF The worst elements of society will b
luced and unless some adequate mean
Foyided for the safe keeping Of the man
characters who may be convicted {
life and property will be i
Pnt jeopardy. The peniteltiary is a
too much crowded for the absoiut
ity of the present inmates and it will b
y impossible for the Warden to condu'
institution upon a proper basis unle:
kress at an early day shall make a libers
Ppriation for the necessary enlargement