The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-05-17
FEW GILLIAN CRIMES
refreshing the Memory of a Very
Bold Thief.
MODEL PRNITENTIARY
Who're Murderers Are Buried Aliye-The
Very Sad Story Of very Rich
Young Man.

capital to which the citizens point with
pride is their model penitentiary. 1t is al
enormous structure of red brick-a rare
building material in these parts, the houses
being universally Of stone or adobe covered
with grayish plaster surrounded by 6
massive wall of the same, on top of which
soldiers are continually pacing to and fro
The visitor hardly knows whether to be
most impressed by the immensely of the
concern, 1t being nearly large enough tt
mold the entire population, its scrupulous
cleanliness, or the dead silence that prevails
as unbroken as if there were not living
creature within hundred miles, though al
present there are about two thousand
human beings inside the walls.
AS our little party fled in between q
double row of -glittering bayonets and the
great iron gates, closing with crash OF
bolts and bars,
SHUT Us IN AMONG THE CRIMINALS,
the usual stale Jokes, common to such occa-
slons, were exchanged. First we were
conducted into large, well-furnished re-
ception room, lined on all sides, from cell.
ing to floor, with thousands of photographs.
Every prisoner must have his picture taken
on entering this place, and again when he
leaves and these are put in cases on the
walls each labeled with its number Dur
ing his prison life the convict is known by
that number only, and never hears his
name. The records are kept in a score of
big boohs-each mans number being fol
lowed by his name, the particulars of his
crime and everything pertaining to his his
tory that can be ascertained.
Gazing around this Rogues' gallery my
attention was attracted by two fresh and
handsome young faces, evidently those of
husband and wife, and 1 asked the superin-
tendent who they were. 81 will soon tell
you all about it," he said. Taking down
one Of the big books he ran his finger down
the pages till the number on
THE PHOTOGRAPH WAS REACHED
"Oh, yes" he continued. "This case. re-
member, was rather interesting one
They were newly married, down in Valid
wa; couple who stood high socially, and
OF whom everybody thought well. Want
OF money was their undoing. For small
amount OF it the husband murdered an aged
relative, and the wife assisted in hiding the
corpse. They had funds enough to fight
VIC AdN Al al bAS SOuIbS, DuI dlLer GeD6dLGQ
trials he was sentenced to be shot, she to be
compelled TO witness her husbands execu-
ton, and then TO remain in prison ten years
longer.n
The sentence was carried into effect, and
the story may be clearly read in the photo
graphs. Next to the youthful couple is a
picture of the criminal taken on the day of
his execution, the wild eyes and hageard
face showing that he realized his doom and
beyond that is the face of the widow ten
years later, prematurely old woman with
the expression of one who
HAS NOTHING TO HOPE FOR.
Another face was that of an innocent.
locking, light hearted school boy, appar-
emily not more than seventeen wears old
Certainly this was never a criminal?'
said. He was one of the worst I ever
KNEW" replied the superintendent "In
bit of rage he beat his fathers brains ont
because the latter refused to let him ride a
favorlte mare; and then deliberately muir
dered his mother because she knew of the
facts and might tell them. He was con-
oemned to be shot seven years agop
Truly, this gruesome art gallery upsets
ones ideas about the face being an index of
character, eyes the windows of the soul.
and al that sort of thing, for the most hard
ened wretches o. the lot wear looks Of baby
innocence. There are a great many women
IN the collection, and we are told that the
so-called gentler sex Of South America com
nit large proportion Of the murders-ieal-
ousy being the moving cause.
Then we went to the work shops Through
HUGE IRON GATES WITH PoNpERoUs LOCKS
and bars, each guarded by soldiers with
loaded muskets, into an immense circular
patlo, or inner court yard, surrounded by
massive arches. Each arch, closed bv an
other iron gate and guarded by soldiers, is
the entrance to smaller yard, in the rear
OF which is the shop. Between these minor
patios are high walls of red brick. like those
outside, and on the top of them watchful
sentinels are forever pacing, SO that no man
could stir out OF his place in any part of the
grounds without being instantly covered
by gun barrel. There seems to be no pos
sible chance for escape, and the superin-
tendent said that during the seventeen
years he had been here not single attenpt
has reen made.
In the shops everybody was working
snentiy and steadily, his eye bent upon his
work, not a whisper being permitted or a
moments pause of the busy fingers. But
when we entered, at a signal from the over
seer of each department. every man made
military salute ard remained standing
until
PERMISSION WAS GIVEN TO RESUME WAX
Among the hundreds of prisoners one sees
few really bad faces-end most of those
seem TO have been made so by some care
lessness of Dame Nature in cutting out
their features. There were few with the
Cain mark of crazy Guiteau-abnormal
creatures, born to crime, and, therefore.
perhaps no more responsible for their deeds
than other lunatics. Doubtless the iron
hand of epvironment-the force of circum
stances that none of US can escape-led
most Of these into error. 1t is q question
sad as puzzling, whether crime should be
treated as disease-a sort of mental or
moral leprosy, and a cure sought rather
than punishment.
Certain it is that IL the majority of Chill
ian rotos (the word literally translated
nearing ragged people,, here used to des-
ignate the poorer CLASSY were confined for
a term OF years in the Santiago peniteutiarv
their condition would be vastly bettered.
They would be sure Of shelter, sufficient
food and clothes enough to cover their max
edness-
VERY UNCERTAIN BLESSINGS
in their present state: besides being COM
PEELED TO keep tolerably clean for the first
time in their lives, and made to worl, at
something useful All are obliged to learn
trades-black- smithing, carpentering, shoe
making, etc. There is school also. where
even the Oldest and most densely Ignorant
are taught to read and write; and chanel
where all receive religious instruction
After a year or two here, the roto who
came in ragged, dirty and worthless TO a
degree, may go forth clothed and in his
right mind" having formed new habits of
industry, and with resource against future
want IN the trade he has learned.
Nor is this all. Those who never in their
palmiest days of freedom possessed a dollar
that they did not steal, may actually have
money laid up with which to begin life
anew. Good conduct does not count here