Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-19
REFORMATORY TALES.
How the Inmates ct q huntington Chew
Shoestrings for Tobacco.
THEY LIKE TO WRITE POETRY.
Some Clever Parodies From the High. Strung
Young Scapegrsces.
WHAT THE BALL AND CHAIN Is LIKE
rwRrrriN ron THE p1srArcR.i


sequence of moral disease, and Is treated
employment agencies and missions through
out the United States are standing remind
ers that the primary object of our penal
system is not to punish criminals, but to re-
claim them.
The climax; of penological triumphs Il
the industrial reformatory for the amehora-
tion of young offenders Reformatories by
no means include those moral pest houses
for the breeding and dissemin alton of vice
and crime known as ''houses of refuge, " Of
which almost every State has at least one
too many. Of reformatories proper there
are but two, one at Elmira, n. Y, under
the management of z r. Brockway, the
other one at Huntington, Pa, of which Mr..
7. B. Patton, formerly postmaster at
Altoona, is the superintendent There are
one or two slightly similar institutions in
the other States known as reformatories,
also girls reformatory at Indianapolis,
but they are not worthy Of consideration
under the head of true reformatoriea
Story Of the Huntington Institution.
Nearly 15 years ago the Legislature of
Pennsylvania made an appropriation for
the erection ofa new penal institution to be
located ut Huntington, and to be known as
the '..Middle State Penitentiary of Pennsyl-
vania." Later, at the Recommendation OF
the State Board of Charities, the name and
purpose of the. institution were changed,
and when, three years ago, it was opened as
the Pennsylvania Industrial Reformatory,
Major R. w. McClaughry. then warden of
the Illinois State Prison at Joliet, Secretary
of the Wardens' Association, and we'll
known as one Of the leading penologists of
the world, was urged to take charge of the
place. Out Of sympathy with the work and
Major McClaughry accepted this offer, and
when after more than two wears of conscien-
tious and unremitting toll, his declining
health compelled him to seek new sphere
of usefulness and he resigned the superin-
tendency of the reformatory to accept that
of the Chicago police force. he had made
the Pennsylvania Industrial Reformatory
what it is acknowledged to be, the model
penal institution of the world.
No similar institution has ever received
so much attention from the press, but the
daily life of the inmates, their recrestions
and other phases of their existence remain
to be accurately described. The rules gov
erning the reception and discharge of pris-
oners are too we'll known to admit of but
brief mention here. The system of indefn-
lite sentence prevails and the length of q
prisoners incarceration depends solely upon
his behavior during his first years impris-
onment, twelve months perfec. record en-
titling him to parole, thatis to 60 outside
of the reformatory Bnd be practically free,
subject, however, to its control until such
time as the authorities are satisfied that his
reformation is complete, when his final dis
charge from further liability is iss aed.
stricter Than in Penitentiaries.
The rules governing the prisoners con-
duct are undoubtedly very rigid, more SO In
fact than the regulations of penitentiary.
This. however, is absolutely necessary in
order to effect the purpose OF the reforma
tory. The most unpopular as well as the
wisest rule is the, absolute prohibition of
the use of tobacco. To many of the prison
ers tobacco is the sole object of existence.
They arise in the morning with but one
care upon their minds-Where will they
get a chew? Will it be "new" or a
second hander?" And after they have
got one, where, oh, where will they get an
other? No miser ever cherished his gold
more carefully than the prisoner his tobacco.
They have secret receptscles for it in their
the walls of their cells They chew q piece
of tobacco until it is reduced to shreds and
then dry it and roll it (with tissue paper)
into cigarettes to smoke if an opportunity
should offer.
In spite of the vigilance of the superin-
tendent and his assistants great deal of
tobacco finds its way into the institution.
just how, it is hard to say. The guards are
all honest and efficient men and are above
suspicion, and an inmate found with to-
bacco In his possession invariably says he
found it. 1t is supposed that most Of it is
dropped purposely by visitors who are be-
ing shown through the reformatory.
Chewing Shoe Strings for Tobacco.
In lieu of tobacco some of the boys adopt
curious substitutes About year ago Mr.
De Forrest, the Chief of the Commissary
Department, purchased a lot of porpoise-
hide shoe strings which to his positive
knowledge were more durable than those he
had been using hitherto. But strange to
say the demand for shoe strings increased
four fold. Wishing to trace the cause of
this he. said nothing but dealt out shoe
strings to all who asked for them, until one
day little fellow, emboldened by success,
came for his fourth pair f-shoe strings in
one week. The boy was taken before the
superintendent and after little question
ing admitted that he had chewed the shoe
strings because they tasted like tobacco.
Other boys being called up, made the same
admission, and the old style Of shoe strings
was soon readopted.
The reformatory maintains q well filled
library to which extensive additions are
made monthly, the admission fee of visitors
going to replenish it. 1t is under the
supervision of Profession j. H Likens and
w. c. Odiorne, both men Of great scholarly
attainments aud superior literary tastes.
The boys at Huntington have an advantage
over the inmates Of Elmira institution in
the fact that they are allowed to select
their reading matter themselves Litera-
ture is taught in the schools, and great
many boys accustomed to revel only in the
exploits of such heroes as Deadwood Dick,
j Jessie James and Old Sleuth, by following |
q judicious course of reading laid down for |
them by the Superintendent or moral in |
structor, lose their. liking for the ''blood |
and thunder" style and learn to appreciate |
the beauties of the higher order Of litera- |
ture.
They Get Craze for writing.
Some of the boys, in fact, cultivate a de-,
cided literary bent, and it is no unusual |
occurrence tor an inmate to approach the |
Superintendent with the request to be al |
low ed to keep pencil and notebook in his |
cell thnt he may relieve his overcharged |
brain by transferring to paper few of. |
springs of his imagination. Scarcely day !
passes that the editor Of the Refornaatory |
Record does not receive an article designed |
for publication from some inmate The
poetry is nearly ell built on the refrain that |
there Is (or there is not, as the case may |
be) hope for the poor prisoner behind the |
bars The lines run on indefinitely until |
an onnorfunitv nreaenfa itaelf of clo.inr