The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-09-14


the warden was enabled also 70
absent himself To execute the
change is this particular my constant
presencs, ~ vel IS that Of the entire
guard. has been necessary. After dinner
tine on Sundays ali tractabis convicss are
allowed 30 20 ont into the large area nosx
fnciosed By the additional stockade and
engage in athletic exercises Football Il
one of these. Boxing gloves are allowed
70 those who wish 10 engage IN spsrring.
Bat the turnkey and guards are aIways
present. 20 interfere II any Of the men
should lose temper Ia these contests OF
skill and strength Those who have no
inclination toward these diversions sit
around on the ground in groups and chat.
walk about, or amuse themselves sith =
sporsive black bear that is their pet The
more rneditatiye among them gather
around cage OF imported MONKEYS to re-
feet on the yerisimiiifude OF fate. This
Is all new to the eonvicis Of the Wasga
walla penitenfiary. Ii it Is wrong then
am eensurable.
IL Is not true that on any Sunday, or
any other day, prIzsfighting ever occurred
within the penitentiary walls: nor Is It
true that on any Sunday Was there ever
given an entertainment TO visitors .
feature Of which was boxing. On other
days and evenings, yes. A number Of the
convlcis Of aptitude for minstrelsy. others
of gymnastic training. and few colored
prisoners who ~ere born and raised at the
South, and who know many of the South
ern camp meeting hymns, have been or
ganized and trained by couple OF intelii-
gent ''trusties" in the clerical department
of the penitentiary, 50 rs to give an inter
esting entertainment. Whether there IS
any cruelty. barbarity or brutality in
this, the editor of the telegraph or any
other person may determine by witnessing
their efforts to please. The programme
headed ''S.ate PenStentiary Religious
Festival" which is printed in the Tsle-
graph as the programme Of an entertain
ment given by these convicts on Sunday
night. is in reality the programme of an
entertainment prepared for the members
of the Episcoprl convention held in WalIa
walla. Bishop Wells. of Spokane, and a
number of leading clergymen of the Epis-
eopal faith. were present, and expressed
both their enjoy ment ana approval. That
is all there is TO the Sunday night prize
fight.
THE PRTsos NOT NIsAASAGED.
been guilty of gross Encouragement. TT
answer would require more space for sta
tistical and other information than the
Teiegrdph would care 20 give. The prison.
ers are now well and cIeanIy clothed.
Their fare was bad and dear; it is now
good aud cheap. IL is greater in amount,
better in quality aud costs less per day.
All meat is now bought on the hoof and
!. L.
the pork the penitentIary uses is raised
there. All the necessaries formerly pur-
chased from neighooring farms are also
provided from the dairy. the barnyard and
the garden. A large orchard has been
planted.
Excepting the sick, all convicts wou
work. Every desperate criminal. formerly
locked up. Is now employed in the jnte
mill. The milder class of convicts are en-
ployed at outdoor pursuits. A photograph
gallery. shoe shop, tailor shop and a
number of mechanical industries have
been established. Within year, under
the training OF an exceedingly competent
convict artisan named Hinchley. nearly
n hundred skilliul brick and stonemasons
have been graduated. A well. capable Of
supplying an institution of twice the
needs with water. has been dug, and a
steel tank of 5000 gallons capacity has
been reared. Every bolt in this was driven
by convicts and not leakage discovered
when the test was made. The brickyard
has been overstocked. new stockade
has been completed. and fine hospital
erected within it, Both arc and incan-
descent electric light plants have been
perfected and are run by conyicts. Land
scape gardening has been started over q
large area fronting the institution; and a
house for the wardens for at least half q
century 10 come is nearly completed, at a
cost which will sunrise those who take
the pains TO investigate. All this and
much more, reference 10 which | do not
care to enter upon, has been done without
external expense or aid. except in the en-
ployment of three oyerseers. When the
last legislature met there was deficiency
of $65 600; when the next meets there will
DO none. All these Improvements have
been made out OF the labor of the convicts
The good cheer with which this work has
been done, aud the effectiveness attained
from assigning them severally to appro-
pirate labor, are due. on the one
hand. 10 the discipline exercised. and,
on the other, TO the rewards un-
expsctedly conferred upon them for
extra effort. Each man is carefully
watched, and when found jealous at his
work, as well as prudent in his conduct.
he receives. without intimation, some ex-
cepiional morsel of food, such rs a
chicken, for example. and, if he Graves it,
a little tobacco. Throughout all this.
such is the system of espionage among the
oonyiets. of which they are unaware. that
no mutinous murmurings or prison-break-
| ing suggestions escape discovery. Per-
haps tins system Of treatment may be de-
scribed as coming under the head Of
gross mismsnagement."
As TO another phase Of the manage
ment, which includes the guards and their
service. | have been subjected TO a great
deal of criticism because ci intolerance for
disregard Of duty or for indifference to
responsibility. have not allowed
partisanship or the i Endorsement OF poiili-
cal friends TO affect, warp or soften my
judgment toward such ofthese men as have
transgressed their orders or violated
them. Only ten Of the original corps
Of guards remain aud of the thirty
and odd others appointed since | took the
wardenship many have been replaced time
aud again. until nov / believe there are
few OF them who do not realize fully the
sincerity OF my purpose 10 carry on such
an administration of the penlsentiary as
will be creditaole alike to the humanity
and honesty OF the present state admins.
tration. Every one o. the guards dismissed
has naturally become 4 personal enemy.
hostile 10 myself and ray methods. one
guard who has been indastriously rnalign-
Ing me IN King coantv for seeks past, a