St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-03
MORBID CURIOSITY.
How Sight-Seers Besiege the
County JaiI---Want to See the
Barretts.

AIoN OtShS-oOCES oCSICSS INC
County Jail---Want to See the
Barretts.
"How's that?" answered the deputy
sheriff, looking up at the verdant son of
Norway, who was standing by his desk.
GAY want to look at 'hem."
"What is it you want to look at?"
"Why, them, back in there,'' said he,
pointing back toward the jail.''
''Oh, you want to see the prisoners.
Who is it you want to see?''
SAY 'jurst want to see hem, to look
at HEM"
well. there's pass; go on and look
at them"
The sight-seer got to the Office door
and then turned around and came eau
tiously back. ''Say, this take mae right
ahead, will it? Shall l go right ahead?''
Eyes, you can go right ahead, or you
can go out the front door and GO around
the court house if you want to.''
TANK you, SIR" and the man who
wanted to see 'hem'' went bungling off
into the realms of the unknown.
'DO you have many such applicants
as that" asked the reporter.
.'Lot of them every visitors day, and
that is three times week. We are 60
ing to give two days. in the future, for
general visitors and one for the w. G..
L. u. and different Christian societies
that come to call on the prisoners to do
good. | am kept busy here on Mon
days. Wednesdays and Fridays from
3 to 5, writing passes. A great many
people who come here have friends in
side, but there are a number who come
merely out of idle curiosity, like that fell
low who was just here. Go back into
the jail and look at the visitors this af-
ternoon and you will see more curious
sight than in the prisoners"
A group OF applicants for passes came
into the office, most Of them very Shyly.
There seemed to be something awe-in-
spring to most of them in the place
and the officers. One or two, however,
had been regular visitors, and, as the
deputy said, had been in the jail them
selves, or had friends or relatives there
good part of their lives; they took the
lead boldly enough in asking for the
passes, and one by one all were heard.
There was an old man of the number
wanted to see his son, and young
wife whose husband was behind the
bars. These with one or two others
hung back, each wishing to be the last
TO mention the name of their guilty
friends. Their faces bespoke the fact
that there was story in their lives if
they would unfold 1t.
Following the visitors to the Jail the
reporter was let through the iron gate
by the gOod-natured turnkey, and, with
the visitors and criminals, was locked In.
The men behind the bars are mostly
clothed in an undershirt as the only
upper garment and some of the faces
have blanched look from much con-
finement. There are some intelligent
faces, but there is mischief in most of
| them.
The visitors scatter through the apart
mentS and soon those who have friends
ere engaged in conversation through the
| square openings between the iron graf
ing. Those who have come from curl
osity wander aimlessly about and gen.
| orally do not stay long. No one is al
lowed to see the Barrett boys, who are
confined in the upp,r tier, but their
relatives, and now and then priest or
divine. But the visitors can catch
| glimpse of their cell from the foot of the
stairs below.
''See that girl there on the steps look
| ing up to where Pete and Tim are"
said one of the boys behind the bars
with whom the reporter had been talk
ing, ''she'll cry before she leaves there;
they do nearly always, see the tears in
her eyes: l told you so. There are lots
VI SOou people couIe HcIo, anu though
there's not much Christian about US we
like to see them. There is one good
woman comes here every week and talks
to some of us. We talk of her as
mother and are always glad to see her."
The prisoners are always courteous to
| the people who come to talk to them, for
the visitors are as much show to them
as they are to the visitors: it is only a
difference of which side OF the bars you
are Oh.