Telegram-herald., 1891-08-04
No KIND OF DISCIPLINE
Warden Davts' Weak Point IN
Prison Management.
CONTROL SLIPPING FROM HIS GRASP
Gostrsst Between the Past aad rrsssat
W p-Ess sarstnattoa Held
a. Premium InssF the
rrsseat Re. ass.

poTtance aud sinks INTO comparative IN
significance as your correspondent
drIyes further ia bis investigation OF
the management of the Michigan Peni-
tntiaFy, in this eity. under the reign of
Warden Davis. So scrupalously close
Is the true condition of things kept.
that il s with the utmost difficulty that
the facts are asceFtz ned. When the
preseut warden sailed into town with
banners flying. aud lsndiy Proclaimed
that the prison, under Republican, rule,
vas FAR from what 10 should be, and
that ae would "a rfeet q mighty change
Tor the better. quite furor was created.
This was before Mr.. Davis realized the
enormuiiy OF the undertaking before
hlln, or had penetrated the science of
handling large body of the or
scouTings of society. Under Warden
Hatch the deputies had reached high
sgate OF proficiency by SIX wears ex-
penence. No penal institution in tine
United States Was better managed. Toe
discipline vas perfect. For some time
after beng Installed, Warden Davis had
tie benefit OF the knowledge possessed
i'y the assistants OF his predecessor,
bat so LerCely was he forced 10 let them
No one 10y one TO give places for the
hungry horde of Office seekers, that he
hegsn to ind himself surrounded by
inen who were
Ignorant of the work
before them. With bitter tenaclty. how
ever, ne ciung TO three or tour lndls-
pensIbles, but TOR which the nature of
things would have been much worse
This number Was reduced To one with
great reluctance. The manner III which
Warden Davis set out To control the
men and the method he pursued 10
responsible for tho present rotten con-
ditlOn. The matter Of discipline is the
weak point in the administration of the
present incumbent. and tie mas sd-
United tins much. For some years there
has been a course observed by which a
prisoner violating any of the rules, is
gwen ticket. No matter what
the otfense. this ticket con-
veys the intelligence 10 the war
den. who judges the perpetrator.
III the hign mogul decides that the
ticket shall stand against the offender,
five DAYS for the tirst two years Of his
incarceration Is taken OF from tha
good time made. After the first two
years seven days are deducted. IL the
msdemeanor is such that the prisoner
deserves punishment the warden de-
termines what 1t shall be and it is
meied out to him. By diligent obser-
walton Mr.. Hatch discovered what the
A1en could do and certain tasks were
given ~ them In the different shops.
which they were compelled to do. IL
this was not the Gaze, It would not pay
contractor 10 do business inside the
walls, because the men are shirks at
their best. For failure to perform his
task, Mr.. Hatch always punished a
man, and the consequence was that few
reports were filed against any Of the
conyicis for failure 20 do their work.
The contractors were satisfied, now
they are not, And their reasons are as
follows: When Warden Davis first
took the helm and men were reported
for failure to perform their tasks, ne
simply patted them on the back, told
them 10 90 hack. do the best they could
and he good boys. This was something
80 extremely strange that tho convicts
could not comprehend II. 1t spread
through the prIson like Wild fire and
each and every convict began to
understand that he was not ex-
pccted, under the new regime, to
perform his amount Of labor. Now
comes the result. The behavior of the
eonvicts suddenly altered.
Keepers We're Chased
Around the shops with snovels and the
prisoners showed their disdain for
tickets by saying that they did not care
how many were piled against them. US
toe warden would lift them ali. The
keepers were not being sustained ln
their efforts 10 preserve order and force
discipline. One, in particular, Keeper
Phelps. had nearly every action Of his
rescinded. Those under hIs charge
laughed and scoffed at HIM when he
told them TO do certain work. THIS is
the keeper who was pursued with a
shovel. The contractors observed the
unfortunate change, but for a spell re-
NAMED silent, n the hope that the
difficulty would be overcome. Their
snhcipatIons were 10 vain and from n
well disc pinned institution the Michigan
penitenHsry has been reduced until 10
now contsins wild, lswless, ungOy-
ernable mass Of feions, Who shlrk their
work 10 such an extent that the con-
tractors claim that they arc losing
money. Last Tuesday or "Wednesday
the Phillips h Cuddy contract, Fargo
shoe contract, and the Wilmington &
Cooley contract, held q meeting and
took action rsm0nstrstlng against the
manner III which the men were con-
trolled. The result of their indigns-
ton will be presented to the
board of prison inspectors.
when meets tomorrow. In passing
through the Fargo shoe contract IN
company with Warden Davis. Your
representative left him talking sslth a
red -naoustached individual wao had
the appearance Of being very inIpor-
tant parsonage and stepped over to one
of the foremen. II am here from the
TKTEeRsM- HERsLp of Grand Rapids,
investigating the prlsoa- How ~ the
Geportment OF the men, eff you wish
90 find out snything you should not
come here whea lfs q VITA yeu,'
was the reply. "Is the discipline hsdF'
well. | should .sv so" Just a. thls
rolnt the wise sookins msn With whom
the warden vas taking stepped over
ard said: "Be csFefui Of what You are
saylng. yoa are taking a. reporter.
"fher- isn't snythlug to conceal. a
thereg'' vas asked. Then speaking 10
the warden, the reporter said You
haven't anything 81 keep secret, have
Won Mr.. .svisr NO. ar" was the
nervous reply A moment later the
~srden walked sfew feet away and sd-
vantage vas tsken Of the opportunity
b. speak - the strawberry hionae.
"You can't hnte the fact tast The vay
den q short on - pine. You Know
that e his weakest point, DO yea not
ssph well now NJ