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

W0 WcIc pcrIllIlcU p0TuSdI. Anu CulS Is
the first line found written across it's time
worn, age cOlored initial page:
''Sept. 25, 1854. Milo Wise. Ramsey Co..
Crime, larceny; Sentence. Is months; Age,
81; Height, it. II ill.,; Hair, dark; Com
plexiOn. or Gen'l Features, white and PIN
pied; Nativity, New York; Description;
scar on the thumb of the left hand; Record,
escaped April 3, 1856"
A few lines down the page comes the
name of Charles johnson who had the
Honor" of being the first cOlOred man to
serve time in this PRISON, also of being the
first to serve full sentence. He was dis
charged Nov. 8, 1858. The first man to re-
ceive pardon was Leon Reesel. sentenced
to one year and pardoned Feb. IA, 1856
two months before the expiration of SEN
tence. The first redheaded man was also
the first cOunterfeiter. His name was An
drew Graudstaff and he was released IN
1858. The first and only man to receive
pardon from the hand that loved to sign
pardon. President Abraham LincOln's, was
Luther Preston, in June 1864. The first
life prisoner was Michael Maher of Wi
mona county. He was received on Nov. 6,
1859, and was pardOned by Gov. Alexander
Ramsey on June %, 1864. 1t was not I'M
| til the year 1870 that wOman's name was
placed upon the record, and that name is
| Nellie Sullivan, native of Minnesota, age
10; length of sentence six months. 1t seems
by the record that Nellie must have been
bad girl as she forfeited the time allowed
for good conduct. The fist man to meet
death in the prison was George Buffers.
He was shot by guard. for mutinOus con-
duct, on Oct. %, 1861. So on, continues
| the varied records, up to the present day. of
3.O75 cOnvictS, 46 of whom are women.
| These figures speak we'll for the compare
| tive law abiding spirit of woman.
| 1t must have been rather lonesome about
the prison for Warden Delano in 1857,
for at one time during that year the
prison was without a prisoner; and at
no time during his administration did the
number of inmates exceed eight. When
Minnesota became a state Warden F. r.
DelanO was succeeded by Francis O. j.
Smith. appointed March 4, 1858. Mr. Smith
remained in the office only five months and
was succeeded by H. N. Setter. who in
turn gave way to John S. Proctor, Jan. 1.
1860. Up to the time Warden Proctor took
charge of the prison it had been run on
rather loose plan. The prisoners, it seems.
had been without any regular employment.
and the prison had been used as boarding
house where prisoners awaiting trial were
sent for safe keeping from the counties
without jails When the counties failed to
settle the board bills promptly the Warden
liberated their prisoners. 1t is also said
that the prisoners were allowed to 90 out
and knock about the town during the day
time and that often when not returning be-
fore the gates were locked at night they
we're refused admittance and were COM
PEELED to lay out all night.
The order of things was changed under
Warden Proctor. At the end of his first
obi CTR finp no
port to the legislature of 1861 from
copy of which we learn that upon the day
he assumed the wardenship there were five
men in the prison. A board of three in
spectOlS is mentioned in this report. but
their duties are not clearly defined. Their
names are r. Lehmicke, F. w. NOyes and
Oliver Parsons. The warden found. on as
sulning charge of the prison. contract eX-
listing that had been made by his predeces-
sOr and John B. Stevens for the lease of the
work shops and unOccupied ground belong
ing to the prison, said lease commencing OH
the first day of May. 1859. and expiring on
the first day of Jan. 1864. at a yearly rent
| of 500. Mr.. Stevens had lease of all the
able bodied cOnvictS at seventy five cents
per day per man. Mr.. Stevens seems to
have been deeply interested in this prison.
for he had the contract for boarding the
convicts and guards. the former at 3d. 70
and the latter at So. 90 per week. 1t was
in the year 1860 that striped uniforms were
| first introduced in the prison.
Warden Proctor seems to have taken
great interest i'm the welfare of the prison
ers. for. in this his first report. he makes
several important recommendations. At
that time prisoners were discharged with
out receiving cent of money to keep them
until employment could be found or to take
|
allowed any Communication of sentence for
good conduct. He asks the legislature to
so amend the laws that the convict could
shorten his sentence by good conduct. and
that the warden might give the prisoner
five or ten dollars at the time of his release.