davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1892-03-24
Can Criminals be Reformed?

The old maxim, "Once a criminal
always criminal" is not founded in
human nature. The fact is, as shown
by the uniform experience of the men
who have devoted themselves to the
study of prison discipline, that, of
the aggregate number of those who
are sentenced to prison for crime in
any civilized country, not less than
eighty per cent, on the average, are
susceptible to moral influences; that
is to say, their character and habits
are such that when every possible infu-
ence that their surroundings can exer-
else is of the best, they may be expected
to become decent, selfsupporting mem
bers of society. The experiment made
On large scale by the British Govern
ment and the thorough revision, dur
ing the last twenty years of their
entire system of prisons, has produced
a result that is fairly represented by
this statement; and it is confirmed at
all points by the experience of such
institutions in the United States as the
Elmira Reformatory, in which the
same general principles have been
duOpLSu IL Lie CRIMINAL the most
terrible punishment is to be taken in
hand for reformation. The criminal
classes protest against the Elmira
Reformatory as they never protest
against our state prisons; it would
seem, therefore, that that form of
penalty is likely to be most eficacious
which the criminal likes least. ..:.
In Great Britain, sixty years ago,
previous to the reformation of the
prison system, convicts were generally
transported to some penal colony, like
Botany Bay. Pending transportation
they were confined in what were called
"the hulks," in the ports of Great
Britain. Very often they were not
transported at all, but were kept in
the hulks during the whole period of
their confinement Then, gradually,
a prison system was built up to take
the place of transportation but, by
the intercourse between the prisoners,
by the neglect to isolate different
classes of prisoners so as to prevent
the association of hardened criminals
with first offenders, and by the lack of
suitable employment for them, the
prisons became themselves, to a large
The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1892-03-24

extent, schools of crime, and there was
very little Improvement in the general
results. of the prison system until Sir
Walter Crofton attracted general pub
lie attention to his plan, the principal
idea of which was the reformation of
such prisoners as were susceptible of
it.
Beginning with the Crofton system
successive years have shown continual
improvements in the prison system of
Great Britain, and now that system
seems to have reached a point far
nearer perfection than the penal system
of any other nation of which we have
record. Its grand results are seen in
the statistics which are officially pub
hshed by the Home Department of the
British Government, and which show
that, while there has been a vast
increase in the population of Great
Britain during the last generation,
there has been decrease of something
like one-half in the criminal popu1a-
ton of the Island. This immense
change may be due, in part, to emigra-
ton, and you may say that it is in
part due to the decline of intemper-
ance and the growth Of other whole
some influences. None of these agencies,
however, account for the greater part
of the change, and, in order to under
stand it fully, we must look at the
change in the penal system, particu-
1arly of the prison discipline. There
wa find C11Cr1o 4n for ~ o11
The first thing that has to be i'm
pressed on man who has fallen into
criminal life is a sense that his own
future depends upon his prison con
duct; and it is usually necessary to
impose upon him very severe disci-
pline for a considerable period of time
before that fact can be fully and pro-
perly impressed upon him. In the
British system he is confined in sol
itude, at hard labor of the most
monotonous character, for nine
months, and no alienation of his
severe lot is to be attained at 11except
by diligent, faithful labor No senti-
mental pledges or promises of refor-
nation avail him anything He must
earn his release from that condition
by nine months of persistent, hard
work. If he loses any time, is refrac-
tory, idle, negligent, the time is simply
prolonged until his conduct is salts
factory. After that hecan be employed
in what is called congregate or .asso-
ciated labor, with other prisoners OF
the same general class-that is to say,
without permitting the association OF
. hardened criminals with those who are
susceptible to their influences; and by
diligence and good behavior he may
gradually acquire many alterations
of his condition, the greatest of them
being the shortening of the term OF
service, which perfect record of his
conduct secures to him.
The second great requirement for
such case is that the prisoner shall
be taught some form of industry, by
which he can support himself whenhe
leaves the prison. The large majority
of those who are so confined have no
trade, no profession, no business, and
are not fit for any. A period of educa-
ton for labor is essential, while, prac.
tically, it has been found that no less
than from three to four years of steady
discipline of this character can be relied
on as ficient.-CHARLToN T. LEWIS
Why Did Not Relapse.
.(For Prison Sunday.)
The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1892-03-24

duced into this country, and more
done to help the discharged prisoner,
who, when regaining his liberty, often
closed against him, and is too gener-
ally met with suspicion and fear. The
cost of crime, ever entailing an aug
mented burden on the body polite,
and it's increase in our country, there
being now one-third more convictions
for crime than twenty years ago,
point the necessity of taking the mat
ter for prayerful treatment into the
pulpit. The forces which. make crini-
nails are found in the social and moral
atmosphere which environs them. AS
Christians we are charged with the
improvement of this; and hence the
missions the church seeks to institute
in the worst sections of city and
country. s.-.
The despair of prison-reform is one
of the obstacles in the way of doing
more to improve our prison system
and to labor for the reformation, of
the criminal. 1t would be well, if we
thought not only of the sin of those
in our prisons, but also of our sins in
having done so little for them We
are not advocates ofany maudlin SEN
timentality which makes a hero Or
martyr of the man convicted of crime;
but we do plead for the rescue of our
penitentiaries from the control of pol
iticians, the introduction into all our
prisons of classification and reforma-
tory methods, and the ceasing to al
low money-making to be the measure
of success in prison administration.
Let the ministers visit the jails and
penitentiaries nearest to them and
learn for themselves the culpable de-
fects in their condition and conduct;
let them carefully familiarize them
selves with the principles so successful
~ in vogue in the Elmira Reforma-
tory, and the great advance made by
Ohio in her prison system and there
would be at once better public sem
timent in reference to this whole mat
ter. Remember them that are in
bonds, as bound with them" LET
the signing of the prison come before
thee" These scripture injunctions
are the warrant for the solicited OBJ
servance of Prison Sunday.-REv. M.
NJ G. DANA, DID,, in Golden Rule.
The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1892-03-24
The Curse of Drinking Father on His
Children

The Curse OF Drinklng Father on f1iS
Children.
A writer in the FortnightlY on
Phrases of Crime in Paris says that al
cohoGc insanity is twice as prevalent
in that city as twas fifteen years ago.
Nearly one-third of the cases of lun-
acy are from this cause. He says,
drinking has so increased that during
the last ten years that a new type of
criminal has appeared-the children
who haveinherited homicidalinstinc
from drinking parents One of these
instances, as for illustration of hun
dreds which have come within his
knowledge, he gives as follows:
A few months ago | was present in
DR.. Carriers consulting room watch
ing the prisoners from the depot fill
ngpast. Wewere informed that child
had been brought in by it's parents to
be examined These people were
shown in. They belonged to the re-
spectacle working class and were
quiet and well hammered. The man
was a driver of dray belonging to
one of the railway stations and had
all the appearance of a stalwart
working man. The boy was barely
six years old; he had an intelligent,
rather pretty face, and was neatly
dressed.
"See here, Monsieur lie Docteur, -
said the father, eve have brought
you our boy he alarms us. He is no
fool; he begins to read, they are sat
isfed with him at his school, but we
cannot help thinking he must be in
sane, for he wants to murder his little
brother, a child of two years old.
The other day he nearly succeeded in
doing so. arrived just in time to
snatch my razor from his hands"
The boy stood listening with indif-
ference and without hanging his head
The doctor drew the child kindly to-
ward him and inquired, "Is it true
that you wish to kill your little broth
err"
With perfect composure the little
one replied, ~ will kill him; yes, yes,
I will kill him"
The doctor glanced at thefather and
asked in a low voice, ".Doyou drink"
The wife exclaimed Indignantly. "He,
sir! Why, he never enters a public
house and he has never come home
drunk"
They were quite sincere Neverthe-
less the doctor said, ''Stretch out your
arm"
The man obeyed; his hand trembled.
Had these people told lies, then, in
stating that the man had never come
home the worse for drink? No, but
all through the day, when ever he had
called to leave package thepeople OF
the house had given him something to
drink for his trouble
He had become a drunkard without
knowing it, and the poison that had
entered his blood was at that NOM
ent filling the head of his little child
with the dreams of an assassin
The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1892-03-24
A Prison Agent Appointed.

At last, after several years agitation
of the subject, an agent has been
appointed to look after the interests
Of ex-convicts. At the joint meeting
of the boards of managers of the state
prison and the state reformatory held
at the capitol on the 4th inst, Col
Clarke Chambers, of Owatonna, was
elected State Prison Agent by a unan-
imous vote. His salary will be ST 200
year and expenses. A committee
consisting of Supt. Myers and Judge
Keith, of the reformatory, and Warden
Garvin and Gen. Norrish, of the state
prison, was appointed to prepare rules
to govern the agent in his actions
The agent should be man thatcan
enforce fair treatment for his wards,
and he should have charity enough in
his soul to overlook such faults in an
ex-convict as are excused in those who
have not had the stigma placed upon
them. 1t should not be left alone to
the agent to put the discharged pris-
oner on a safe footing, but every good
citizen should, in aid of public welfare,
give their influence to help the work
along, if not for humanity's sake then
for the sake of the mighty dollar.
The press of the state is lending it's
voice to the cause. The Evening 'Trib-
une, after commencing the appoint
ment, says, editorially:
Reformatory work within prison
walls is almost worthless without
supplementary aid to the prisoner
after he has gone out into the
world again. The average poor mans
struggle for livelihood is discourage
ing enough at the best. How utterly
dark must be the prospect to him who
goes forth under the approbious bur
den of a convict's name He may
obtain employment by concealment of
his record, but one day his betrayer
will pass that way and his instant
dismissal will follow. Driven from
pillar to post, the poor fellow, how
ever earnest and honest his intention
to reform, is soon broken in spirit and
bereft of hope. Crime or starvation
become his only remaining alterna-
tives, and the penitentiary gates event
ually close upon him again. Many
man is thus driven into the ranks of
professional criminals, who, if aid had
been extended at the proper time,
would have been redeemed to good
citizenship.
The object of punishment Is sinnn1v
The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1892-03-24

The object of punishment is simply
to prevent the criminal from injuring
anew his fellow-citizens, and to deter,
Others from committing similar irjur-
les; and those punishments, and that
method of inhicting them, should be
preferred which, duly proportional to
the offence, will produce more efica-
cious and lasting impression on the
minds of men, and inhict the least tor
ture on the body of the criminal.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-08
NEW ADvERTIsEl1ENTs.

Z PO1DA i
Silk Windsor 7' plain s00 always sold at '}s Sd., price, l2lc
Tourist Ruching. yards piece regular price lEC
Swiss H. Founcing, AZ inches wide, worth soc, ncC
White Null Ties, beautifully embroidered, asc INC
Narrow Hamburg Edging, &C, &C and &C., &c
Ladies' Handkehefs, beautifully embroidered inc
worth aoc, Friday price, III
Ladies' An-Iincn Handkehes hensttched worth 1azc &c
Friday price,
Ladies Japanese Silk Handkerchief beautifully l1Ic
cred, worth a5c, Friday price, IZ2
length, Mousquetaie Gloves cnC
regular price 81, Friday price, JU
Ladies 0buon length Suede Mousquaire Kid Cloves Cl nm
worth s15o, Friday price, Ol.UU
Ladies' Cotton Hose warranted full regular, regular I9Ic
price &c., Friday price, IZ2
Hose warranted fast Stainless lcC
worth a5c, Friday price, 10
Ladies' "Onyx' Black Cotton Hose, regular, regular l0C
Friday price, ID
Ladies Hesdof and "ony Black Hose, Riehelsu ribs, 9Ec
regular price Friday price, "a
Ladies' Blacksn Plated Hose, regular price 7sc Enc
Friday price, 5U0
Chldrens Hose, regular price 1sc, &C
Friday price, j
chldren's Hose (1C
81, regular price a5c, Friday price, IZ2
Chldren's BlackR Hose double knees
quality, and seyiceabe, and just the
thing tor school wear; prudent mothers viii DO well to -
s5e p but we shall sell them them e on Fsdty ZO'
Chldren's Black Ribbed Cotton Hose extra long, guaranteed
stainless, white feet all sizes from 9 regular price 00C
4oc, Friday price, ~
Misses "onyn" Black Ribbed Hose all szes s ocC
regular price 45c, Friday price, %
Fancy Silk Plated Hose warranted fast black regular Enc
price 75c Friday price, CU
Ladies Ribbed Cotton Vests regular price aoc ln1C
Friday price, IZ2
white cream, pink and blue loC
lar price Friday price, 10.
regular price soc. Friday price, %
Silk very article black TIC
pink and blue regular price s1' Fridayprice ~
Infants Bibs, &C
The regular SC Quality,
Infants Zephyr Knit sacques, lQC
Infants Zephyr Knit Bootees &c
Regular price ssc 10
Null Caps, regular price ssc, inc
price s15o, Friday price. u
Infants ''s'" Short Coats regular price s." Friday price, S.9S
Infants ''''" Short Coats regular price S. Friday price, S298
Infants Coats beautifully regular CT 90
price 81 md 50, Friday price, D4. 10
Chemes, tucked and embroidered, regular ZcC
price 75c Friday price, ~
Drawers with wide torchon lace, TIC
regular price ST. Friday price, ~
Ladies' Muslin Drawers tucked made $780, ncC
Friday price, ~
Muslin Night trimmed with cambrc ruAe, oQC
sold under Friday price, 20
Night tucked and embroidered egu- TIC
lar price st. Friday price, ~
rIrI0IInnlN j. mn
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-08
A NEW FEATURE
For Our Poor Mans Sale,


Heretofore we have always held our poor
always set aside Friday rs the day for selling
good clothing to the poor people at special
extra low prices. This has been our custom
for the past two years, and every Friday the
crowds have been growing bigger. A great
many people have written us that they
loss Of time to them, and Others have said
that they would be better prepared to buv
on Saturday, and Saturday really seems the
best day when the poor people can reap the
benefit from our offer So, to meet all de-
mands and satisfy everybody, giving all an
equal chance, we will hold our poor man's
sale on Friday and Saturday-two days
Read the prices:
About 80 mems good suits (coats, pants
and vests), plain and fancy patterns.
Friday and Saturday price. So 80
A fine line of mems light and dark sack
and cutaway suits, many in the lot
guaranteed all wool, little checks and
price sl2. Friday and Saturday price. s 90
About 600 boys fancy cashmere suits,
pleated and plain, well made (sizes4
to lA). Friday and Saturday price . 50
Only 400 pairs mems chevior pants, sizes
to flt all. Friday and Saturday price. 30
Eighteen patterns in mems neat striped
and checked cashmere and fancy
worsted pants, value $s. Friday and
Saturday price. .........................1 l ID
Bows knee pants at ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 2l
Boys long pants, suits and confirmation
suits, Friday and Saturday, at. Q go
A big line of spring underwear for men,
plain grays. clonded and striped patterns.
All these goods can be found in our we'll
lighted basement.
p. c. c. C., Clothiers, corner Grant and Dia-
mond streets.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-08
JOHN LIS BOSS BAGGEn
fe634

He Knocks Down . Citizen, Resists Arrest,
and Lands in Jail.
BLooMINGToN, ILL, April John L.
Sullivan and the Duncan B. Harrison Com
pany played here last night and left this
morning for Decatur. At Clinton big
crowd rushed on the train to see Sullivan.
One of them, prominent citizen, pushed
against Harrison, who knocked him down
twice.
The citizens held the train, got out war
rant and sent the Marshal after Harrison.
He tried to throw the officer off the train,
then came to Harrison's aid, but was kept
back by the officer striking him with q
cane, and Harrison was taken from the
train, the company proceeding without him.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-08

nothing but the choicest qualities OF malt
and hops in the manufacture of its fayorfte
brands of lager and Pilsner beer. This beer
is guaranteed to be four months old, un-
adulterated and most delicious beverage
Fifty thousand barrels of it on hand in the
vaults of the Iron City Brewing Company.
Purity, age and quality combined.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-08
FOR DYSPEPSIA
Use Horsford's Acid Phosphats.

DR.. j. J. McWilliams, Denison, Ia, says:
81 have used it largely in nervousness and
dyspepsia, and consider that it stands un-
rivaled as a remedy in cases of this kind.
l have also used it in ca ses of sleeplessness,
with very gratifying results"
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-08
New Kid Gloves!

We have all the new shades Of spring
gloves, in buttons, hooks or mosquetaires
Our long suedes ar CSC, our flve-hook at SOC
and 81 90 are the best for the money ever of.
fered. Headquarters for P. P. Chaumont
gloves. RosENBAUM & Co.
rsrl
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-08

IT your room or boarding does not suit
you peruse the "To Let Rooms" and
"Wanted Boarders" in the cent-a-word
columns of the Saturday and Sunday DIS
PATCH
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-08
BUY WALL PAPER
At W. h. Barker's, sos Market Street.-The
Offers Rare Bareains

At w. ii. Barker's, 5O3 Market Street-He
Offers Rare Bargains.
This is the season of the year when the
cleanly inclined woman turns her thoughts
to the question of spring house-cleaning,
Almost invariably following in its trail, the
necessity of purchasing new paper for some
of the rooms presents itself to her. Then
she scans the papers to see what induce
ments are being offered. This yes.r there is
no reason why she should not be easily
satisfied, both in the price and quality Of
paper, because W. H. Barker, OF No. sos
Market street, is going to retire from bust
ness.
His retirement is bona fde one, and, as
he is not desirous of having any stock on
hand when he quits 503 Market street, he
has marked his large and varied assortment
fault, either with goods or prices To oon-
vince yourself call now on W. II. Barker, sos
Market street, because these are bargains
which will speedily be taken advantage of.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-08
Pendants,

Pendants.
for this season.
Fleur-de-lis,
Hearts,
Bow Knots,
Twists,
Stars, ETC., etc.
All diamonds, new for the spring trade, at
HARDY & HAYES, Jewellers,
529 Smithfleld street.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-05-19

The ST. Johns Republican. with
eommendnble enterprise, has been In
vestigating for itself the present prices
Of staple articles OF necessity as com
pared with those Of three years ago
with view Of disproving democrat MS.
sertions that the Mckinley law has I'm
creased the cost Of living and imposed
new burdens on the people. The Re
publican adopted the simple and con-
elusive method of going about among
local merchants and making the nee
essary inquiries. Some of the figures
obtained are of such significance and
general interest that we reproduce
them here.
In the matter OF hardware the Re-
publican discovered that not single
article Is higher now than In 1889.
Crowbars sell at six cents per pound
that brought cents in 1889; files cost
Is cents as against 20 cents three years
ago; three-tined forks can be bought
for 40 cents instead of fifty; moving
machines sell for Gas instead of SIS;
wire nails are now 81 cents instead of
A; and shovels that brought rs cents
three years ago now sell for IS cents.
One firm states that there has been no
advance in retail prices of tinware.
Imported crockery sells at the same
prices, while domestic crockery and
glassware are cheaper. All kinds of
dress goods are lower. and domestic
hosiery is cheaper. The st. Johns
Mercantile Company furnishes the fol
| lowing compariaon:
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-05-19
The secretary ofthe Home Market

The secretary ofthe Home Market
club of Boston, Mr.. Albert Clarke,
has been gathering statistics of the
output OF American tin plate works
Those factories nov, In operation man.
utacture 10000 boxes OF tin-plate
weekly-this including $50 boxes a
day from the famous works at Piqua,
Ohio. which the Democrats tried to
declare didn't exist, during the falls
campaign between Mckinley and
Campbell. They are in existence,
however, and have been steadily run
ming. There are works now building
which will give an additional 10000
boxes weekly. These $1,000 boxes are
more than two fifths of the amount
the United States consumes; and the
rapid establishment of this new indus
try is wonderful, considering the des.
perate efforts made by the Democrats
to destroy it.-,Blade.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-05-19

Richard Hoe in a recent converse
ton neatly punctured the free raw
material argument. Being asked
whether the cost of the raw material
was so much cheaper in England as to
warrant him running a second estab-
lishment in London, he said. the iron
and steel that go into SOS, 900 or
$50. 600 printing press cost nothing to
speak of, but "skilled mechanics /
can hire here Nondon) for n quarter
what can hire them for In New York,
and can build these presses in Lon
don for little more than ons-quarter
what l can build them for in New
York" Do American machinists and
other mechanics wish to do away with
the protective system which enables
them to obtain the kind of wages Mr..
Howe speaks off Are they anxious for
the leveling free trade system which
would put them on par with the
English workinginen3 Would they be
any better off if American newspaper
proprietors were able TO buy their
presses for one fourth as much as they
now pay for them. If their wages were
cut down TO harmonic with those OF
their British cousins2-Sdn francisco
Chronicle.