St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-15

sentence is snort. employ tnem ABOUT
the yard, under the care OF a turnkey.
Mrs. I. b. Walker. of Minneapolis.
read very able paper on "Woman's
Prisons Managed by Woman" When
the law lays it's long, cold, unrelenting
hand on a woman, she is turned over TO.
the custody of men. A kind hand
it could not be. This disposal
of the prisoner presupposes that
the best and wiSest men were
sent to make the laws. But the
is not true. We will make no mention
of the dark deeds that made the life of
prisoners so terrible, or the dreadful
state of affairs disclosed by EliZaB6th
Fry, but jump to Minnesota and this
latter part of the nineteenth century.
Some subjects seem to have only one
side. Such an one Is this question.
When women, who are not mt tq ixoA
at large, are sent to prison for the good
of society they are at once put I'M
der the control of men, and this in a
Christian community. We have been
struggling for six years TO get our Of
ficials to see this matter as we see 1t.
Six years ago we petitioned our mayor.
and council for the privilege of caring
for the women and children who fell
into the grasp of the law. We have
urged that separate building be pro-
vided for them. We represented
the dreadful state in which
tue jail was Kept, and once
being in the condition Of the unjust
judge and tired OF our appeals, we re-
manned away a week, they sent us word
to come down, that all was done as we
wished, we rushed down with songs of
rejoicing on our lips, to find that they
had whitewashed the walls and bought
Il new tin washpan. We urged the ap-
pontment of
~ ' APoIice MatrOn.
and were met with the assertion that
''Only good women could fill that place
and no good woman would stay about
police stations. We offered our own
services, and after a long struggle sue
ceeded IN having a vote passed that
police matron should be provided
Then the candidates suggested
by these men were pecul-
iarly construed. One, whose sole rec
concentration was that she could knock
an OK down with her fist. Then the as
sertlon is disproved,if it ever were true,
that we will not felgn and aid fellow
woman. We have had $500 in the
Bethany home, some of the worst cases
in the city. They were free to go, no
locks or bars kept them. but they
stayed. We can tell of reforms
brought about by the grace Of
God and the interest of women.
We would like to see our woman's pris
on both penal and corrective: the in
determinate sentence and the ticket of
leave, with liability of arrest and rein
generation without further trial: the
board of managers chosen for their
ability, serving without remuneration.
with all the aids to reform that the
last forty years have developed.
The modern treatment of the insane
was discussed in paper by DR.. William
son, of Minneapolis, who said, Substan-
TALLY, that 100 years ago the matter of
the treatment Of the insane was first
discussed by DR.. Pannell, of Lon
don. Fifteen years later DIR. Took
had found very little improve
ment in the methods used. Since
thus gradual improvement could be
traced. Then the insane were supposed
to be possessed of the evil one; now in
sanity was recognized as diseased eOn-
dition as much as typhoid fever or pneu-
mOnia and demanded the same spe-
cial care. Hospital treatment seemed
the best in these cases as in many
others. Intelligent treatment and
care was demanded. So trained
nurses came to be needed and
school to supply these was started.
The rest cure was begun as an expert
ment ten years ago and had given such
satisfaction that it was largely used in
all insane hospitals at this time. Daily
bathing with alcOnol and water. Mas
sage was one of the later methods used.
DIR. C0nneiy has said that in
sanity comes largely from non-nutri-
ton, so diet is an important factor i'll
their cure. Certain foods are essential.
Prof. Parkes says that milk contains all
the elements of food in their most
easily adaptable form, so we iced them
largely Oh milk, hot milk and foods pre-
pared from milk. Reformation has not
reached large class of people who
are most intimately connected with
these unfortunate people. mean the,
relatives. They neglect them and all
sorts OF deceptions are practlced to-
ward them, so they become hopeless
and this retardS their recovery. Mrs.
Tomlinson, of ST. Peter, read paper
on Employment for Insane Women.
She has been connected with i'll
sane people for. the last five
years. The appalling idleness and
consequent lack of interest in life
that was the lot of insane women had
awakened her sympathy. She had
started a circle of Kings Daughters
among the patients. who worked for the
poor of tie town. The women became
Interested. and begged for work to pass
the time, and for fancy work,
for thread to CROCHET. or any
thing that would tighten the
unaccustomed idleness. They had pre-
pared all exhibit for the worlds fair.