The Portland daily press., 1886-12-10

his fellow conviets. This evident desire TO
| be like the rest has won the good will OF
| both the prisoners and the officers. His cell
is like all the other cells. and II any little
comforts have been provided by friends. II
others who have friends as well. In the
trimming shop his work has been TO put the
feathers on the end of sleigh and carriage
thllls. Monday he leathered the pole Of a
Sonoie carriage, and took evident pride that
ne nSG made his job even neater than the
| pattern which had been given him TO work
| Dy The Warden told hlm when he came
tnat II would be best for him to confine
nlInseu 70 prison fare, and he has done so
| Win an evident improvement In his physical
| condition. With the exception that reading In
| the imperfect light Of the cell has been very
| trying to his eyes, he Is in first rate health.
| The prison officials declare that he Is CON
tented and cheerful, and bound to make the
| best OF IT.; some others who have seen him
fancy they detected signs that he is begin
ming to realize more fully his position and
that this Is beginning to weigh upon him.
But no particular incidents Of prison life
nave yexed him, except the stcry that he
sent ten dollars to the Industrial School at
Hallowell, on Thanksgiving. He has been
very anxious that this story should be de-
MED, and Warden Bean has taken particular
pains 20 do 50. Who the convict was who
but it was not Gould. who studiously avoids
doing anything to bring himself to public
attention. His manner as he took his basin
OF pea soup and slices of bread Tuesday
noon and marched to his cell, which faces
the north In the middle Of the third tier Of
cells In the east wing, would convince any
observer, that his wish 20 lose his Identity
among his hundred and sixty-elght fellows
is genuine He entered without hesitation,
pulled the door to behind him, and the same
bolt locked his cell and the cells TO the right
and left of him.
After the hour at dinner, the cells are
again unlocked, and the prisoners march
back to the shops where they work until
dark. Then they are locked In their cells
again, and have their suppers. On Monday,
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday this sup
per Is OF hash, bread and tea on Wednesday
corn meal mush is served instead Of hash,
sk ana on Friday oat meal mush On Sunday
there are but two meals; after the
breakfast of baked pork and beans with
bread and coffee, there being a second meal
OF bread with boiled rice and water.
The cost OF feeding convict, that is the
cost Of the food before 1t Is cooked, has
averaged during the last year
TEN CENTS AND FIVE MILLS
day. The food is sufficient in quality and
quantity If the appearance of the men is any
sign. The health in the prison, DIR. Leven-
saler says, is excellent. About 1884 there
was period Of nearly two years without
death, and rarely Is the yearly rate over two
or three. Consumption Is the disease that
takes OF the most. A comfort much appre-
eiated by the prisoners is the issue Of tobac-
CO. A piece OF tobacco, about the s.ze Of the
ten cent plug sold at stores, Is brought 10
each convict every Sunday. He may smoke
III his cell moons and nights, and chew willie
at his work. III the convict chooses to give |
up MS tobacco he may subscribe for a week |
" paper Tor year. But once having given
up the tobacco Tor the paper, he must adhere |
to the arrangement for the year; and many
are the men who do not realize how much he |
like their pipes until they have traded them
away. But entreaties are of no avail, and
even should friends send them tobacco, they
would not be allowed to use it,
The =, papers are not allowed TO go
70 the prisoners until they have
been looked over and any Objectionable
to the prisoners themselves, have been |
clipped out. Whenever any clippings are /
made the curiosity to know what the OBJ /
Jectlonable paragraph was Is very great, and
the warden says that many shrewd con-
lectures are made. He says, indeed, that
the prisoners are the quickest witted body /
OF men he ever saw together.
Formerly prisoners were allowed to work Il
IN their cells making trinkets out of bones;
but they made considerable noise, and were |
prone to use their files to cut the bars of |
their cells. This has been done away with,
ana instead every convict who behaves him
self gets twenty-five cents each month. This
money Is his own to use as he pleases.
sOME FORMS OF PUNISHMENT.
II convict is unruly, fighting with a fell
low convict is a frequent form Of unruliness.
he loses his twenty-five cents month and Is
liable to confinement in the dungeon. Anoth-
er punishment, perhaps even more distaste-
ful TO SOME, Is the loss Of the privilege Of
writing letters on Sunday. Clergymen from
Ih0maston churches take turns holding SER
vices In the prison chapel on Sundays, a
Catholic priest coming on the last Sunday Of
every month that has five Sundays; but Sun
day Is looked forward to with the most an
ticipatl0n, because 1t gives an opportunity
for writing letters. II a man behaves him
self he can write all the letters he peases,
and some Of the poor fellows toll all day Sun
days, writing TO friends, or TO others who
they think, perhaps. may be able to get them
out OF prison. The Governor and Council
are frequent targets for these bombardments
Of letters. One fellow sends letters TO the
Council, telling each councillor that all the
rest OF the Council, but the one addressed,
are favorable TO his pardon. He also gives
variety to his letters by including charges Of
all sorts OF misdeeds against high officers of
the State. Others, like Cary OF Portland,
send letters which merit the careful eonsid
GRAFTON OF the Council. Convicts who can
their companions In writing letters II they
so wish.
BUT THREE WOMEN.
OF the whole number OF prisoners, but
three are women; and the only prisoner who
is under sentence Of death Is one Of these
women. The other two are In for life, and all
three were sent here for murder They are
not kept in cells, but occupy comfortable
rooms In the third story Of the main building |
over the guard room. The visitor to their
rooms on Tuesday might have thought him
self In a well kept farm house. Mrs. Barrows
who prompted Blaney to his deed and will
hang next April unless Governor BOdwell
shall say otherwise, sat in a rocking chair
sewing with an air Of great contentment,
while the spotless counterpaine on the bed,
the clean floor and rugs, and the Singer sew
ing machine IN the corner, went far to con
firm the deluslon that the woman in the
white apron was a thrifty housewife. But
when she arose to greet the Governor there
was toss to her head which seemed to say,
HANG ME IL you DARE"
The other two women, Hannah Thorndike,
who killed woman In Rockland, and Mary
Glynn, sent from Penobscot county, for
AN Legitimate grandchild that
she felt her poverty would not allow her to
support, seemed greatly pleased to see their
visitors, and their polite bows and smiles be-
trayed one young man, who had been espee-
Tally cautioned to speak TO no convict, into |
an unguarded, "H0w do you d0?" Mrs |
Barrows had a long conversation with Gov |
ernOr R0bie and one or two Of his Council |
She sturdlly denies that she melted Blaney /
to commit the crime, but does not attempt to /
explain some incidents which make |
against her assertion. The women keep 1
the building showed that their industry is
turned to good account.
pAII NAV MArrErc