The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-01-16

H. G. Stordock.. Feb. 3, 1887
j. j. Randall. ............. Aug. 1, 1889
There has been ever since the Organza-
ton of the state board of Inspectors who
had certain powers of supervision over the
prison management. The board consisted
of three members until the legislature of
1889 when it was increased to five menl-
bers with power to appoint the warden.
During the first ten or fifteen years the
principal industry was cOOperage. In 1878
a pail factory was started. In the mean
time other industries were started. The
shop room was enlarged from time to time
as the prison population increased About
1879 Seymour. Sabin & Co. began the man
ufacture of threshng machines. engines.
freight cars, wagons. etc. To- day the in
dustries carried on in the prison are: By
contractors (Minn. Thresher Manufacturing
co.,, thresherS. engines, horse powers and
sawmilIs; by the state. tubs and pals.
The prison has twice been visited by the
fire fend. The first fire occurred on the
night of Jan, 8, 1884. 1t originated in the
glazing room of large, four story building
66X3O0 feet. and it and several smaller
buildings were consumed with their con-
tents. Seventeen days after this. between
the hours of eleven and twelve at night.
the fire alarm was again sounded. Fire
main building directly under the contract
Ors' office. In spite of the efforts of the
fremen. the fire spread rapidly and it was
but a short time until the cellrOOm was
filled with dense smoke and it became nee
essary to remove the prisoners to save them
from SuffOcatOn. 1t was bitter cold night
and the prison was in terrible state OF
wild confusion. However, to the credit of
Warden Reed and his assistants all but one
of the $50 prisoners were removed from the
cellrOOm without an accident. The warden
says in his report: There were no escapes
or attempts to escape; the prisoners were
perfectly submissive to orders. They were
taken to the paint shop. where they were
made quite comfortable the guards staying
with them night and day." Sixty six of
the prisoners were sent for safe keeping to
the jais at st. Paul, Minneapolis and Still
water. The female prisoners. six in num-
Der, were transferred to the Hastings Jail
where they remained several months. One
man lost his life by suffOcatiOn in his cell,
he having been overlooked in the confusion
and dense smoke. One week after the fire
the men were all back in their cells. The
library of 1000 books was almost totally
destroyed. The books and records were all
saved by the efforts of the clerk, Frank
Berry. The reports from which we have
cleaned most of our information bear the
marks of the fire, the exposed edges having
been colOred dark brown by the smoke.
Few signs of the fire now remain and
the whole appearance of the prison has
been greatly improved as result OF the
two fires. The library. the greatest bless
ing the prisoners have, received good
deal of attention from Warden StOrdOck
and now contains about 1,400 volumes of
standard works. THE PRISON MIRROR
was also founded under the administration
of Warden Stordock. The paper was
started by convicts. who after they had re-
covered from the receipts of the paper the
amount which they had invested turned the
paper over to the prison library according
to a previous agreement
Here we are compelled to close this brief
history of the Minnesota State Prison.
We have been under the necessity of abbre-
Waiting everything and passing over much
of interest. but we trust the reader will be
pleased with what has been written.