Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-11-15
OUR CHARITIES.
SECRETARY HART'S REPORT 0E
THE CONDITION OF SITE fNSTI-
TUTIONS.

TUTIONS.
"A Generally Creditable Showing for Min
nesota Establishments = Comparisons
with the Asy1ums of Other States-A
Resume of the Recent Tour of the Sec
rotary.
At the quarterly meeting of the state
board of charities on Tuesday, Secretary
Hastings H. Hart submitted the following
report which was accepted and ordered
printed.
The time of the secretary for the past
quarter has been devoted chiefly to the
study of institutions and Of books and
documents relating thereto.
At the time of the last meeting of the
board, August 7, the state prison was Wis
tied by Messrs. Berry, Campbell, Dana
anu Wells and the secretary.
The condition of the prison did not vary
essentially from what it was at tho time
of the previous visit, July Is.
The radical diversity of opinion which
prevails among experts in the matter of
prison erection is illustrated by the fact
that Warden Reed prefers stone cells,
while Deputy Warden Hall is strongly in
favor of iron cells.
den stated that the chief punishment in
use in the prison is the dark cell. If a
convict is noisy and defiant, after being
committed to it, he is hand-cuffed to a
ring in the wall at convenient height,
which compels standing posture, but
does not otherwise constrain the
man. In very rare cases rebel
lious convicts are further punished
by the deputy warden by boxing the ears
or striking on the head with his bare
hands. No hose is used, no whip, no cold
baths.
Warden Reed said: Reformation
is exceedingly rare. Men gener-
ally go back to just about what
they were when they came here.
Occasionally a young man is reformed.
Sometimes man takes up reformation
from policy. In the case of young men
sent up for the first time, there is more
hope; especially if they have good homes.
Almost all prisoners make good resolves,
mot to drink, etc., but they are rarely
kept"
The visitors were especially pleased with
the fine appearance and manly bearing of
the prison officers.
After consultation with the president of
the b)ard, the secretary accepted an invi-
tation to join Secretary A. o. Wright of
the Wisconsin board of charities and re-
form in joint inspection of the county
institutions along the Mississippi. Messrs.
Dana and Berry were invited to join
in the trip but were unable to do so. The
counties visited were, in Wisconsin, Mon
ZOE, La Crosse, Buffalo and Pierce; in Min
nesota, Winona, Wabashaw, Goodhue, Ram
sey and Hennepin. The trip occupied
Ar1rr RI
-Four jails, one city prison, two poor
houses and an orphan asylum, were visited
in Wisconsin. Except the orphan asylum
at Sparta and the Jail at Ellsworth, all
were very inferior institutions. Secretary
Wright stated that they were among the
worst in the state. The condition Of the
insane in the poor houses and jails was
most pitiable. In every case Secretary
Wright gave notice of their removal The
new system of county insane hospitals in
Wisconsin enables the state to remove all
insane from poor houses, and the board OF
charities and reform has authority to
order the removal of any insane patient
from one place to another, at its discre-
ton.
We visited the notorious city lookup at
La Crosse; dark cellar, wholly under
ground, and provided with gloomy dun
geons, to which the light of day never
penetrates. 1t was in use for several years,
but was finally abandoned because of the
persistent attacks of the board of chart
ties and reform.
The Jail at Winona is one of the best, if
not the best in our state, and was found
in excellent order. 1t Is built of brick, in
the rear of the commodious residence of
the sheriff. The cells are
of iron and are built back to
back, in two tiers. A corridor surrounds
the cell block on three sides. The Jail
was scrupulously clean. Sheets and pill
ow cases are furnished, and every prison
er is required to battle weekly. Good
discipline Is enforced. A large, comforta-
BILE room in the third story of the sheriff's
residence is provided for female prisoners
One woman was found IN the upper corri-
dor of the Jail. The turnkey said that
she preferred to be there rather than in
the woman's department. Her removal
was urged. The boys could then be par
TALLY separated from the older prisoners
by being placed in the upper corridor.
The Winona county poor house is we'll
administered. The overseer is paid sal
airy, and all purchases are made and pro-
duce sold by committee of the county
commissioners. The two upper stories of
the poor house we're clean and neat; the
beds we're clean; the paupers looked COM
Portable. The worst defect of this poor
house is the lack of any proper separation
of the sexes, resulting in scandals. The
overseer resides in a separate building,
which increases this liability.
The Wabashaw county Jail ID a brick
jail connected with sheriff's residence.
The cells are of boiler iron.
There is an admirable syatem of
locks, whereby the sheriff can lock each
prisoner iuto his cell, by means of lever
from without, before the door into the cor
ridor is opened. The Jail was not very
clean.
Wabasbaw county has just built new
poor house which was approaching COM
pletion at the time of this visit. This
building furnished an admirable justifca-
ton for the establishment OF state board
of charities. The plan provided for a
basement laundry with no drain; fine
dining room with but one window; large
hot-air furnace without adequate provision
for the escape of air from above. There
WAS no sitting room for either male or fe
male paupsrs: no bath room; no store
room; no rear exit for paupsrs except
through the dining room: and the front