St. Paul daily globe., 1893-02-18
Minnesota Lawmakers Take a
Run Throu gh the Big
Jail.
A Bounteous Feast Of Fine
Viands Is Spread and Dis
posed Of.
The TWine-Making Plant Wins
the Admiration Of the
Solons.
Climpses at Notable Charac-
terS Confined Within
the Walls.

When the Legislators of Minnesota
take day of to enjoy themselves, they
generally play the limit in that direction.
And such Was the case yesterday, Oh
he occasion of the biennial trip to the
state prisou at Saltwater. At 10 a. m.
he members of the house and senate
and lEeir friends, in all over two hun
,rtd people. piled into six coaches cCm-
posing a special train on the st. Paul II
Duluth railroad. The reception and
3arQuet Of The night previous had tired
ma " of the lawmakers, and they re-
manned in st. Paul to rest. But those
,thO went over showed no signs of wear
ness They were bubbling over with
1ccd spirits and anticipation of the
pleasant hours ahead.
An hours run landed the party almost
at Tie prison gates, and i'll short order
,hey were sWarming all over the stone
walled. iron-barricaded buildings.
Scnftor O'Brien and Mr.. Temple, two
If the managers, were on the train, and
Representatives Booren and Noyes, OF
Washington county, with Clark Cham
GERS. of Owatonna, the prison agent,
also acted as escort.
On arrival, President Dunn, Managers
NorriSh and Hall, Warden Wolfer.
Deputy Warden Lemon and several at
taci;eS Of the institution took the visitors
n charge, and away they went in squads.
IN and out OF paSSageWayS. up and
town stairs, along and around the cell
rLGm platforms, men and women
,ramped-,ramped until it seemed to an
observer on the ground floor that an
army OF invasion was
LoOtinG Bastile.
FXclamatiuns of wonder and surprise.
iulerspersed with laugh and jest, rang
through the main corridors. a straight
hundred yards in length; and the cross
sections were not silent. either. Many
Of the parties missed their guides and
doubled on their tracks. good-naturedly
beginning again tour in another direc-
ton.
The cells and their furnishings were
curiGuSly examined by many who had
never been inside prison walls before,
and the running comments on their APP
pearauce and the probable character of
The occupants were nothing less than
amusing 90 the prison people. The i'm
mehSe kitchens, clean and odorlesS,
with their shining labor-saving ap-
purtenances, ELECTED many an admiring
remark. The convicts at work paid lit
tie or no attention to the inquisitive OBJ
servers, but went about their work in
hu>inrSs-llke fashion.
Having in some degree satisfied their
curiosity. the SOlOnS and ordinary citi-
ZenS surrnumdPd many invitlng-lOOking
ana bounte ously laden tables. Then
only the sOuud OF knives and forks was
heard for while. The neat-louking.
smuuth-S!aVen, attentive walters moved
Systematically and without friction,
serving oysters, cold meats, salads, the
sweetest kind of bread and rolls. made
inside the walls, coffee, pastry, fruit.
ever ythng almost that appetite could
crave. There were no drinks beyond
coffee ana water. however, as anything
even approaching Indulgence in stimu-
iants Is forbidden by the prison rules
anhhabiIually tabooed by the legislators.
was being enjoyed in a prison. Lunch
Gisncsed Of. the tour of observation was
tesumed. The
G0ng{css' u ming ES oOm
was a great attraction, and was soon
crowded in every available standing
place. OHly since last October has this
pature OF prison life been introduced at
saltwater. Formerly all the prisoners
;.te their meals in their cells. Now only
the third grade or incOrrigible men are
compelled to do this. The rest-frSt
and second grade men-after washing
Gp in their cells at meal hours, are
marched into separate rooms at The tap
Uf a bell, and occupy seats and tables !
much after tie fashion of old-time i
chOol furniture.
These seats are arranged in rows and ,
& c men Sit very close together Before
theY arrive a squad of walters has placed |
On the table plentiful supply of food,
and at tap of the bell the men fall to.
Yesterday at noon the bill OF fare pro-
vidtd for boiled beef, baked beans.
bread, pickles, bread pudding and water.
Many Of the convictS cleaned their
plates speedily, and by raising their
Lands were supplied anew by the
walters, who stand facing the feeders,
ready to respond to all calls. Heapng
boxes of bread and immense pans full
Of meat, beans and pudding were in re-
serve, and they were not nearly eX-
hauSted when all were satisfied.
he two Younger boys eat in the first
grade room, as do most of the life prts-
ortrs. SO do Cope j. Snapp and j. p.
Davis, the st. Paul embeZzlerS. In the
second grade room the only Indian in
the prison feeds, and in the back rows
tie cOlored prisoners take their meals.
These is no waste of time in CONVERSE
ton. neither is there any hurry. Forty
minutes is allowed for eating, and not
until the last rattle of knife and fork
las ceased Gi e; the bell tap for the re-
turn march 10 the cells, to be followed
iii few minutes by the march to the
shops. I his dining room innovation
must surely be destined 10 have a good
effect at Saltwater. 1t would kill
dyspcptc TO see some Of these men get
on the outside of the solid food in reach.
And many of them ate with the fork,
TOO, deftJy, as of long usage. While
some of the faces were bad, judged
by accepted standards, there were nu
merouS exceptions, and the observer
who was there TO view things with
critical eye could not help wondering
what raised the devil momentarily, but
So disastrouSly. in souls that looked
fair enough through the natural viii
doWS.
Some Notable Inmates
Nicholas Kill, the Ramsey county
murderer, who was first sent to the i'll
sane asylum, is third grade man. He