The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-08-01
49, ON. :
Wifi ,a;lgle
SOME PRISON SYSTEMS.


VARIETIES OF TREATMENT IN EU-
RoPEAN COUNTRIES.
Methods Of Working and Furnishing Grim
inals-Belgium Seems to Have the Most
Sensible and Humane System-New Call
edonia.
The British penal system is, though in
some respects the most equal, unquestaon-
ably the most severe. The misdemeanant
sentenced to two years' imprisonment with
hand labor cannot obtain single days re-
mission By gncd conduct, and he is not
allowed to spend in Prison the SMALLEST
fraction of the money wnieh be esrns his
choice of work is also limited mostly TO
matmaking, tailoring and shoemakng.
He NAV be a skilled mechanic or artist, or
q matchmaker, turner, carver, enSraver,
miniature painter, or GraUghtsman he
will find no employment for his talents
within juil, and may. in fact, be set to
work which viii spoil his hands, and Tor
time CRIPPLE his power Of earning his living
after his discharge. The felon condemned
to penal Hsrvitrce stands in the same case
with respect to work He may earn pro-
motion to second and first class with small
improvements in his diet and eventually
ticket-of-leaye by good marks; but unfit
ness for the task allotted TO him or i'll
health may render him incapable OF earn
ing the daily maximum Of eight marks,
and thus place him at a disadvantage beside
old and cunning prison Hands" In all
foreign countries the discretionary powers
allowed to prison governors for the treat
ment of their captives are much greater
than in England.
CHAOS IN FRANCE.
In France political changes have pro-
duced so much haphaZard legislation that
the whole penal system has been reduced to
chaos. In 1872 it was resolved that con-
victs Of the worst kind should be trans
ported to New Caledonia. There they
were to be employed in public works or
agriculture, and after a probationary
period they were to receive allotments of
lands. with permission to marry female
convicts or sweethearts at home who cared
to go out and join them. If already mar
RED, their wives and children, and suppos-
ing the wives to be willing, were to be sent
out to them at the state expense.
This philanthropical scheme, which
made the lot Of the murderer, the incen-
diary and thrice convicted felon much pref
cradle to that CT the reclusionniste, SEN
fenced to five or ten years solitary confine-
1nent (reclusion) for felonies Of the second
degree, proved the incentive to a number
of murders in and out Of prison; convicts
in the French penitentiaries began to COM
CTS In order TO be sent lover the water
while burglars, when caught, deliberately
attacked their captors with knife or revol-
yer, so as to aggravate their crimes and
qualify themselves for transportation.
The legislature had at last to interfere
by enacting that no convict should be tran
sported for any offense committed within
prison walls, and subsequently an act was
passed compelling convicts sentenced to
lengthy terms Of penal servitUde travaux
forces) for murder to undergo the first five
years Of their punishment in reclusion.
But, as a consequence Of all this, the
French penal system has got completely
out of order, and additional confusion has
been thrown into it by the arbitrary man
ner in which mitigations, renissions and
pardOns are now granted.
These irregularities are made much
worse by the fact that French prison gov
errors are themselves in these days gener-
ally the nominees of members of parlia-
ment, and either out of gratitude or in
expectation of future benefits they curry
favor with their patrons by pettIng the
prisoners whom the latter recommend. 1t
follows that the convicts who have no po-
litical friends to care for them spend a
very bad time indeed. The governor, by
his rigor toward them, makes up for his
leniency toward his proteges. If sentenced
20 reclusiOn they are like men intOmbed.
BELGIUN's PERFECT SYSTEM.
In Belgium the system Of solitary con-
fnement has been brought almost to per-
lection by keeping up the constant stimu-
lus Of hope in the prisoner. If he have a
trade lie works at it; if he wishes to learn
a trade he Is taught by a skilled instructor;
if he have no special aptitude for handi-
craft he is employed in work that can be
easily learned in few lessons.
This plan Is also followed in the prisons
of Switzerland, Germany and Austria and
Hungary. IN these countries, as in Eng
land, there have been occasional outcries
about the competition between prison
labor and free labor, bat when it is consid-
cred how small a proportion the popula-
ton Of prisoners bears to that of free men
the latter cannot be said TO have griev-
ance. The Austrian system is however,
much less humane than the Belgian, in
that it AeSves a conyict's liberation to the
mercy Of the prison authorities. There are
no marks, but once a year the governor,
chaplain, doctor and chief warder meet to
draw up a list OF deserving conviCts, whose
names are submitted to the emperor.
According TO all reports these lists are
drawn up fairly; still the fact remains that
a prisoner must occasionally owe more to
favor than TO his own deserts. Again, the
code Of prison discipline is much harsher
in Austria than in Belgium, where the
dark padded cell is but rarely used, and
where deprivation of work and pay for one
day or more Is generally found an all suffi-
Gent punishment. To begin with, in Aus
tria every oonvic5's sentence bears that his
punishment shall be ''sharpened' by a Ger
tain number Of fast days. The anniver-
sary OF the crime for which be was con
demned Is always spent in a dark cell, with
not a norsel OF food. but only water, for
Sygenty-four hours. In some eases a pris-
oner has TO undergo one of these fast days
per month, and they are frequently in
fiicted by the governor for insubordina-
ioR.-Temple Bar.
The Musical Strand of Cape Ann.
This singular tract of seashore sends ont
q faint musical sound as the foot steps
upon its particles of sand. 1t is SSSd that