The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-03-07
Five Gents.

l am convinced that two thirds of the men
leaving this institution would fOrsake their
evil ways. quit stealing and become honest
respectable men if they only had some one
to help them along after they leave here,
money enough to pay their board for week
or two and buy change of clothes.
Would society at large rather man
should become an habitual criminal. spend
ing his life in the penitentary giving his
labor and strength to a grasping, mean,
avar.ciOuS ShylOck of a contractor, than
have him become an honest, respectable
member of society? Surely-tO say nothing
of the humane and christian side of the
questiOn-pOlicy alone would decide that
it would be better to give man few dol
lars for few years labor and thereby en-
able him to redeem himself instead of be-
coming curse to society at large as well
as himself If the state cannot afford to do
it, make the contractor pay something near
what their labor is WORTH and give the con-
vict the difference.
These contractors here are making at the
least calculation, a dollar and a half per day
off each mans labor. They are turning
out more work by third. in every depart
ment than the same number OF men 90 on
the outside, and all they pay for each con-
vict's labor is fOrty-tive cents a day.
''No one careth for my soul. or my body
ether is the cry of all within these walls;
except the favored few who are possessed
of friends with political influence. or money,
or both. If one has neither God help him!
He loses all fear of hell before he is here
six months; believing that kind, just and
beneticent Being will not doom one of his
tn a nuniShmplt than
this Three years here is punishment
enough to atone for all the sin and crime
one may have committed in long lifetime;
and vet there are men, friendleSS and mon
eyIess of course. that are sent here for
double and treble that period. for trivial Of
fenses. men that never before broke the
law of man.
| have been here three years, and never
once during that time has there been soul
here, to speak a good word to a convict.
The Chaplain reads his sermon on Sunday.
if it is a fine day, and looks after the library.
and draws his salary; and having done all
that he considers he has done his duty A
wretched soul. bruised with adversely, we
bid be quiet; but like BanQuO's ghost. lit
will not down." | must and will speak, or
| shall 90 mad. If am not already So it
is not the fault OF the officials here. Ihev
have done their level, democratic best to
drive me crazy. | have no doubt that there
are thousands of good people on the out
side, who would come here occasionally to
speak to us. l believe they are driven
away; probably they are told that their Ia
bors would not be appreciated. | know
they are kept out in some way, although L
cannot tell how. OF course the officials
have reasons of their own; presume they
do not wish the outside world to get ac-
quainted with the inside workings of the in
stitution Of course it is bad, and not de-
sirable to be in prison under any conditions.
but the men incarcerated in your institution
may thank God they are north of the Ma
son and Dixon line. in state and institu-
tiou governed by Republican adminstra-
ton. l can understand from the tone OF
your valuable little paper indeed the fact
of your having paper. edited and pub
lished by yourselves. informs me that you
have kind, humane and intelligent officials
in command. Would to God could say
the same of this place. We have a new
warden. and hope and believe that we
may experience a change for the better r
Missouri Penitentiary. CONVICT.