Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-02-16
JAPANESE PRISONS.
Interesting Report by New York Cler-
gyman-Peculiaritie Of Management.
New YORK Post

Interesting Report by q New York Cler-
gyman-Peculiarities Of Management.
New YORK Postl
Rev. DR.. 7. NJ Peters, rector of st.
Michaers church, in his report to the Prison
association of New York, of visit to some
of the prisons of Japan during his recent
journey around the world, said:
"The three prisons to which was taken are
all in the great capital city, Toxic, and, as
they contain different classes of convicts,
sufiiced to give good idea Of the general
manner of treatment of the Japanese crimi-
nal In the Japanese prisons, after the
sleeping usages Of the country. the prisoners
lie thick together in one story buildings upon
mats covering the floor. The miidnesi and
docility of the Japanese, even when under q
long and even lifetime sentence, are quite
past our conception One would suppose
that, with such bodies of men confined
together in a wooden building, violent out
breaks would be chronic and attempts at
prison-breaking frequent On the contrary,
disturbances and uprising are few, and any
thing like an insurrection one may say is
unknown The only attempt at Toxic to
break Jail in any numbers occurred some
years ago, when cholera made its appear
ance in the Denzu prison A panic among
the convicts resulted in an atte mpt to escape,
seven only succeeding.
"The third, the larges: and most interest
ing Of the prisons Of Toxic, and called
Tsukudazima, is, like our own penitentiary,
upon an island near to the city, and reached
by boat There were there at the time Of
our visit zoos men and women and boys
undergoing sentence, part for ten years
and the rest for shorter periods Among
them were about seventy-five women, quite
a number Of whom had their babies with
them Mothers having infants are, if COM
mitted to prison, permitted to retain them
up to the age Of years.
"a great variety Of occupations are piled
at the Tsukudazima prison, allowing the
possibility of employing all the prisoners
either for purposes connected with the
prison and government or in other ways
Some were engaged in making prison uni
forms, Others in preparing uniforms for the
police. The rice used in the kitchen is
cleaned by hand, or rather foot machinery,
and ground in hand mills. There were also
type-setting, printing, and book-binding.
Leather is cured by one gang and made into
shoes by another. A blacksmith's shop,
factory for woodenware, painting on por
celain, and the manufacture Of engines for
watering garuens anu helas, supply WORK
for a portion of the men.
"The differ ent trades here carried on
amount in number to twenty-seven. The
engine department understood to be under
contract, the others not. Seventy-five boys,
also under sentence, are distributed among
the adult workmen with the object of giving
them a trade which will be useful when
their time is up. This disposition of the
boys was thought to be an advantage to
them. Each prisoner doing good days
labor receives, as was informed by the
officials, 3 cents for his own allowances, and
cents more daily are credited to him, the
accumulation being paid at his discharge.
Prisoners distinguishing themselves by good
behavior wear badge as mark of honor.
They seem much pleased at being pointed
out as they pa ssei by"