The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-25
FACTS FROM PRISONS.
STATISTICS GATHERED BY TIE
wARDENS' ASSOCIATION

cal Exhibit For the Fair-CeIls Made
Famous In Literature.
From the Pittsburo Dispatch.
The secretary Of the MISREPRESENTATION.
Maj. R W. McClaughry, has recently
published a curious book called "The Crimi-
nal Statistics OF the United States and
Canada for 1890" The work is by no
means complete, as there are many ward
ems in the United States who do not belong
| 20 the association and some who do have
refused to aid. The idea originated with
Maj. MoClaughry, under whose direction,
| and at whose expense the stattstics were
| compiled.
At the close of 1890, all the wardens who
had agreed to assist In the undertaking mo-
titled the secretary as to the number of
prisoners they had received during the year
| and the major sent them a corresponding
number Of statistical cards to be filed out
| as follows: Prisoners name and register
number, color. nativity, descent. nativity
OF parents, prisoners age and date of birth,
occupation, religion, pane, nature and
cause of crime, length OF sentence, number
and place OF previous imprisonment.
| whether married or single, whether able TO
read or write, and number Of years at
| school. Yellow cards ere used for males,
and white cards for females.
The writer had the privilege of looking
over these cards some time ago aud CLEANED
from them some curious facts. For in
| stance: The way of the transgressor is
| comparatively easy north Of the St. Law
renee, the term of imprisonment Of a Cana
dian thief rarely exceeding sixty or ninety
| days, while a forgery or a burglary may be
committed at the risk OF a two or three
years. sentence. One-half the convicts In
Texas are horse or cattle thieves. Five
% 81. -
Dixon's lines are negroes, and only one
tenth of the colored convicts In the United
States can read and write. The majority
Of the assailants of women in the north are
white men, middle-aged, and with wives
living, while in the south they are almost
invariably young and unmarried negroes.
SOME FACErIoUs INFORMATION.
The colored desperate does not use 9
razor as much as is commonly supposed, the
| revolver and "billy" seeming to be his favo-
| rite weapon. The Nevada state prison at
| Carson City is almost entirely filed with
men serving short sentences for capital
crimes. A Jealous compiler noticing this
fact, wrote to local authority OF Carson
| City, with whom he was slightly acquainted,
asking what was done with the thieves
and evoked the reply that they were given
Christian burial" Some of the cards at
| ford considerable amusement In cases
where it IS impossible TO trace the prisoners
antecedeuts his own story must be taken
for what is worth, and strange incongru-
tles occasionally present themselves. The
states are supporting several men who claim
| to have been school teachers. but who are
unable to read or write, and Texas glores
In a clergyman who is serving his fourth
term for breaking one of the command.
ments. Dakota has convicted an octogenA-
rian of bigamy. In New England prison
| -. N hA
ceived his death sentence m 1890. penny
for his thoughts
| These statistics, IL continued from year to
year, will be Of great value, as showing the
increase or decrease OF crime. the cause Of
crime in different localities, and the infu-
ences that should be mbAtted to prevent
it. But although it is now time to compile
the statistics for 1891, it is doubtful IL any
steps will be taken in the matter at pres
ent. Maj. McClaughry has already ex-
| pended considerable time and mouey to
bring ont this first edition, and can hardly
| be expected to 90 any further until the
other members OF the association
for whose benefit he has been labaring
have manifested an inclination to share the
| expense
THE PRISON EXHIBIT AT CHICAGO.
A curious as we'll as interesting feature
Of the great Columbian EXPOSITION will be
|
original specimens and reproductions Of
every deFice and appliance for the punish
ment of offenders in use since the dawning
of the Christian era. In some respects it
| will bs a veri: able chamber OF horrors"
Every death-dealing machine from the
primitive saber OF Asiatic countries to the
| latest electrical contrIvauce used in the
| United States, every instrument Of torture
| known to tuan, from the cross on which
| ba ri ('hrlaFlana = /
the terrible rack and iron shroud" OF the
| Spanish inquisltion, will be on exhibition,
| while CHASTITY wax-work representations OF
| barbarous Oriental executions will do their
| hideous theme sucn justice as to fairy
freeze the blood In the veins OF the be-
holder.
But, for people less morbid in their
tastes far greater attractions are in store
The reproduction Of the interiors Of cele-
brated prisons OF the Old World will
prove On unfailing source OF delight to all
persons OF oultIre aud refinement. To the
dungeons OF the Chateau DIFF, the romantic
masterpiece of the elder Dumas has attached
an undying interest, ard what lover OF
Byron will gaze uhmoped upon the walls
VIII ca once inclosed the noble Downward.
the immortal "Prisoner of ChilIon." What
indescrlba emotions must stir the soul Of
the antiduary who enters the great Tower"
by the ORATORS Gate, or who pauses in
the labyrinthian corridors of the old
'Bastile" to shed sentimental tear over
the fate of the unfortunate Marie Antoin-
cite, or speculate for the thousandth time
on the identity Of the Iron Mssque."
PRISONS FAMOUS IN LITERATURE.
Admirers of Charles Reade will not need
to refer TO their guide books for an explana-
ton of those ponderous iron cranks with
the mysterious dial indicators overhead.
They were once used to extract fruitlees ex-
ertion from the inmates Of great English
prison where the system of solitary contine-
ment, prevailed, aud their abolition was So
cured by the publication of "a Terrible
Temptation"
The reproduction of the famous debtors
prison called the "King's Bench" as IL was
when Sir Richard Steele wrote his beautiful
essays from within its combining walls, and
FieIding's inimitabls creation "Amelia"
will be fraught with great interest for
scholarly people, but the readers Of Dick
ems who have wept with the Child Of the
Marshalsea" and laughed at the gerrulity
OF her optimistic old father will note. with
disappointment the absence Of the Marshal
sea Jail. But that cannot be reproduced.
The last distinct memory of it died with the
author of Little Dorritt."
The hall will naturally be OF most inter
est to members of the National Prison Con-
eress and Wardens' Association, who will
have an opportunity Of inspecting great
variety Of improved machinery for penal
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