The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-04-18

however tedious and mOnotonOuS it may be
the chances are that if he does it well ht
will stay there for the years that he remains
here. l can give. what seems to me, a
least. very strong Illustration OF this.
was sent to shop. given a brace and b
! and asked if l could bore a hole"
thought could. | tried successfully, an(
have bored holes ever since. My case j:
only a sample of the great majority here.
Now. can You picture to yourselves {
man gifted with al average amount OF
brains, with thoughts. desires and aSpira
tions to do better; to be better; to eXtricatt
himself from the mire iD which he IS en-
quilted; his mind abnormally active; his sur
rOundngS exciting constant chilling. de-
pressing effect; his work requiring absolutely
no thought, and he compelled to stand there
ten hours day with nothing to detract his
attention. but compelled to think. think
think and then to march to his solitary Gel
at night to brood over his condition; making
abortive attempts perhaps to engage his
thought in healthy study during the two OF
three hours that is permitted him during the
twentyfour. Can you not see the newt
able and when he leaves here-he is al
idiot, or at least his mentai energies are
paralyZed; his hopes are shattered; his aspi
ratiOnS dead. The future holding out nc
inducement. his life is ruined; his soul goe:
out in eternal darkness.
This terrible evil which have endeavOreC
to portray Is but little thought of in con
Sderng the sentence and subsequent man
agement of criminals, primarily, perhaps,
because the majority of us are here under
assumed names and as soon as we leave
here we are lost sight of to a great extent
and statistics of reliable nature would bt
very hard to get But l venture to state
that not per cent of the men that leave
here after serving ten years sentence are
OF sound mind.
TO illustrate will give two extremes
that have come under my own observation
Last June there LETT the prison young man
bright, we'll educated. and one who had oc-
cupled responsible position during his in
generation. He had position of S25 pei
month offered him upon his release, which
he accepted with the priviSO of months
liberty to regain his strength; but, alas! the
subtle insdious effect of his Imprisonment
had done its work only too well, and be
fore three weeks of his freedom had elapsed
he had cut his throat FROM ear to ear anO
jumped into the river. To go to another
extreme and show that it is not the more
gifted and intellectual men that are effected
| will cite the case of one who left here or
the 23d of last February. He was young
man of hearty. rugged nature. accustomed
always to hard work. He had out door EN-.
plOyment most of the time here, and the
morning he left there was not trace OF
mental disorder. He left here in good
spirits and apparent good health; but ere
the sun had set thrice upon his new
found freedom, it set for him in what may
be eternal darkDess.
All! if we could follow man after man as
they leave here. what tales of sorrow, OF
wrecked manhood, OF intellect shattered, OF
sensiblity blunted, would be revealed.
Every attribute that seems to ennoble oul
nature partakes of this terrible metamor-
phoSiS. Is not this all awful future to look
forward to? In some states it is the law
that all men sentenced to be hung shall
serve one year in the penitentiary before
the final sentence is executed. 'Ts said.
that to such one every day is a living
death; and yet for many of us here a far
worse fate than death awaits us-a living
death, that lasts not one year, but through
an entire life-frOm which there is no es-
cape. no relief. I ask again, is not this a
greater punishment than we deserve?
l tell you from this prison this dav
that there is much that thoughtless
legislators must answer for; that
acts Of omission are as grave as those
of commission, and l ask in the name OF
humanity, if not of civilization and christi
anity. that you right this great wrong that is
being done.
We are criminals, but we are men, Have
our crimes been such that our entire lives
should be sacrificed? DO we deserve this