St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-15
CONVICTS IN CLOVER.
Prisoners at Saltwater Had
Everything They Wanted
Except Liberty.
Their Cells Full Of BroadaXeS,
Knives, Razors, Jimmies
and Saws.
st. Cloud Is Visited by a
Most Disastrous Confla-
grafton.
Pathetic Letters Read at the
Inquiry Into Mrs. Laird's
Suicide.
Srnoin1to the Glohe.

SIecial to the Globe.
SALTWATER, Feb. 14.-When per
son enters upon new duties it is Gus
tomary to view the surroundings, and,
accordingly, when Warden Garvln ana
his deputy, Mr.. Lemon, took charge of
the affairs at the prison, a search of the
cells was at once instituted, Mr.. Lemon
thinking there might be something to
find. Three trusted guards were ap-
pointed to search the premises, and the
investigation of every nook and corner
in the prison lasted three days, Feb. =,
8 and /. When the search was COM
pleted. an interesting lot of articles
were exhibited. 1t seems thPt with this
quantity of knives, slingshots. raZors
and things of this sort on hand, it would
have been an easy matter for the con-
victs to create decided disturbance. n
GLOBE representative asked Warden
Garvin few days after the
search as to what had been
found. He replied that several things
had been secured which were not al
lowed the prisoners, but added, Il guess
will say nothing about it," To-day
the reporter found Deputy Warden
Lemon at his office, and he kindly con-
sented to show every article which was
found. Under table in the deputy
warden's office were displayed articles
of every description, such as
Saws. Files, Bits,
burglars tools, axes. ratchets, dumb
bells and avis. This was not all, and
at length he opened a safe which was
standing in one corner of the room and
took therefrom a great number OF
knives and razors, jack-screwS used for
springng the cell door bars, sIungshots
and hammers. The collection is GER
talnly tit for museum. Some
of the knives were made Of
steel files, and had blades
from three to ten inches long. Many of
them were dagger-shaped and as sharp
as raZors. The reporter, thinking that
this was all, startedtO leave, when MI.
Lemon requested himto come with him
TO store house adjoining the prison.
Here was found nineteen boxes hlled
with brass castings, fancy wood, cleo
trio lights and wires, tools, strips of
copper, files. steel taps, turning lathe,
and other articles too numerous to men
ton. The boxes were about three feet
in length. twenty inches wide and
eighteen inches high, and were found
III the dynamo room and
Under the Engine House,
and were labeled Albert o. Norton, Co
kato. MINI. To say that the discipline
of the prison has been light expresses it
very mildly. 1t certainly seems from
this that prisoners were allowed to
carry things into their cells whenever
they wished. Mr.. Lemon, a few days
after taking charge of affairs in the cell
room under Mr.. Garvin, asked one of
the prisoners, a cOlOred man known as
George Washington, what he knew in
regard to brass castings which had been
stolen from one of the buildings owned
by the thresher company. He replied
that he had not taken any OF the cast
ngs, but knew where some of them
could be found, adding that number
of them were slowed away i'll
Warden RandalPs barn. An in
der pile of straw was found
about 700 pounds of brass castings, some
of them very valuable. Senator Mott was
shown through the prison by Deputy
Warden Lemon, and was also shown all
of the articles found in the cells. Mr..
Mott could hardly believe at first that
such an endless variety of articles could
have been stored away, and was very
much surprised. Below is given a par
tial list of what was found in the cells:
A Fine Array.
155 files, steel. from to IA inches long,
three-corned, round and square.
67 knives blades from 3 10 1O1nches long.
3 sets of dumb bells.
2 2ten-inch jack screws.
s decks Of playing CARDS, some made by the
prisoners.
20 bits.
frat drills.
rolls of leather bolting.
monkey wrenches.
20 fine steel saws for cutting bars.
6 pairs scissors.
S coal chisels.
20 carpenters chisels.
l tool chest containing tools Of every de-
ycription.
20 punches and scratch avis.
"a hammers.
2 hand braces.
pieces planning irons.
6 carpenters planes.
! double -bladed ak.
! copper welded counterfeit cell lock key.
bars of Babbitt metal.
set of dice.
gcreW-driYers.
20 electric light carbons.
belt punches.
l coil brass wire.
Half a bushel Of hinges, screws, lather-
Ing brushes, bolts pieces of steel. fine clock
springs, etc.
1 wooden mallet
set burglar Aippers for turning keys.
2palrs compasses.
set steel drills.
The above articles were found care
fully tucked away in the cells, on
shelves and in the beds.
Senators Crandall, Nelson, Mott, Nc
MILAN, Leavitt, Wood and Brown. com
prising the regular prison committee
appointed by the senate, paid the prison
visit. Most of their time was spent
In looking over the prison and shops.
They also spent considerable time in
securing figures relative to the tub and
pail factory. From what was ascer-
tanned, this committee is in hurry to
get its part of the prison work settled.