Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-04-08
WHIPPING A FAILURE.
AN EXANARDEN ON CORPORAL PUN,
ISHMENT OF CONvICTS.

IShMENI Or CONVlC -.
A Veteran "Pen" Keeper Declares That
Cruel Punisbments Do Not Accomplish
Good Results-A Suggestion as to State
Reformatories.
''In the light of an experience of nearly
twelve years Us one Of the lessees and as war
den OF the Missouri penitentiary, l am pre-
pared to state in the most unqualified manner
that believe corporal punishment of con-
victs is u mistake, that whipping and kindred
tortures should be abolished, and humane
system of discipline substituted Since re-
tired from the control of the Missouri peni-
Tertiary have visited the leading penal in
situations of the eastern cities, and state as
my conviction that more work and better
work can be got out of the men where the cat
o. nine tails is banished"
The speaker was exWarden Willis, now
resident of st. Louis. and the listener a
Globe-Democrat reporter.
"You are, then, believer in the power of
the state to reform its criminalsln
A BELIEVER IN REFORM
"Emphatically l am. | am glad you asked
the question, for / want TO explain myself.
1t Is difficult, would almost say impossible,
To secure the best results under the present
system in the Missouri penitentiary. My
idea Is to build branch, but TO let it be
known as a reformatory, and send 10 it such
prisoners as there are hopes of reforming.
Such an institution has just been opened up
at Huntington, Pa. 1t was intended to be
called penitentiary No. 3, but the legisla-
ture changed its scope Col McClaughrey,
who, in long term OF years, had made
the Joliet Qlls.) penitentiary the model
of all prisons in this country, is in
charge of the Huntington institution,
being engaged by the state for life
at 5000 per annum. The prison must
not DO COMPOUNDED with n reform school The
inmates are required to work at trades as in
other penitentiaries, but they are given adj
vantages, such as night schools, books oppor-
tunities TO converse with each other in assem-
bly,, etc. Prisoners are assigned to Hunting
ton after the manner followed In Now York
In that state all prisoners are sent first TO
Sing Sing There they are examined by
board which sits daily, and if hardened or
habitual criminals or of what is called
strictly the criminal class they are put to
work at once in Sing Sing but otherwise
they are sent to Elmra, or some one of the
other branch penitentiaries, which are much
to be preferred. There is in prison life an
existence of caste that is rs closely drawn as
among the natives of India
Il remember that negro was brought to
Jefferson City one day. | recognized him at
a glance as former prisoner, and said /:
You have been here before, SIR
with clear voice, in which there was
the slightest tinge of pride, he replied: Yes,
sab, but it was for cuttin', san
Aud what Is it MOVE | again asked
He hung his head Sheepishly as he mum
bled out, Burglary and larceny
And that brings me back to the reforma-
tory. A man who In IA moment of passion
has shot or otherwise injured another and
who has always been an honest and we will
say, law abiding citizen. must not be made to
think that his Incarceration puts him on a
moral level with tho burglars thieves and
cut Threats who are his prison mates. Such
a man Is most likely, in the bitterness of his
spirit, TO become unruly, and become a sub
Ject for discipline To whip Il man of that
class is to make him worse He would feel
no contrition for his oifeuse. but while recop-
MIXING that he was subjected :, the lash he
would only cherish bitter feelings.
MODEL PRISONERS
professional criminals make the best pris-
oners, from u keepers standpoint A second
or third termer is always eagerly sought for
by contractor. Such man knows that he
has nothing to gain by rebellious behavior,
and he sets to work to make life as pleasant
possible
THE idea of life being made pleasant in q
penitentiary is rather perverted use of the
term
"Oh, no; some people could be contented,
| believe, in the middle of the burning lake
NeOroeG ara "a r1arficularlv Iiobt L..
| often think OF an incident illustrating this
phase OF character 1t was on q very bright,
but particularly cold December day that a
couple Of well fed, lusty colored men con-
nected with the kitchen were lounging about
the yard, when there was brought to tho
round house a particularly forlorn specimen
he was q white man, and had been arrested
for hog stealing down in the country some
where, some time during the previous sum
mer. He had lain in Jail during the summer,
fall and early winter with no other clothing
than that which he wore when arrested. The
diet was not over LIBERAL l suppose, and the
poor fellow looked like the frame of q man.
As he walked across the ward the wind
seemed to fairly blow through both his tat
tiers and his anatomy, and he shivered. as he
felt the blast One OF the negroes glanced at
the chattering wretch, and then remarked to
his mate, with q contented chuckle: Looks
like times war mighty hard outside, Binp
You're shouting replied Bill
But want to again answer your question
about reform. The police would be apt to
mislead you on this subject While warden
/ looked into the matter, and while / don't
recall the exact figure, the percentage of
convicts that was returned TO the prison was
very small, certainly below per cent !
meet men every day Of my life who have
done time, come out, settled down among their
former acquaintance and lived honest lives.
/ see, In the course of year in St Louis
hundreds Of them, in all walks of life, work.
ing at the trades, driving team and in higher
walks. The rule, however, Is for man who
during his confinement has seen the error Of
his ways to go Off to some strange locality
and commence life again. Every town in the
country has its Jean Vatican. meet them
everywhere, and l travel acknowledgment
who come up to me and say: That term I
served with you made a man of me- The
police officers glib axiom, once thief,
always thief, finds no echo In my heart II
is not my intention to discuss the whipping
feature In detail Horrible as it is, it is sane
toned by law. 1t is for the legislature to
abolish 1t. ! only give my opinion, based
upon observation here and abroad, that bet
ter results, both to the men and the contract
ors, can be obtained without It, or any Of the
hundred punishments. To take this view,
must stand squarely on the platform that the
states duty Is not to punish convicts, but to
reform them. ST. Louis Globe-D Democrat.