Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-03-23

eral others are washing and greaslng
buggies, the vicinity seeming to be de-
voted for the time being to the improve
ment of the transportation department..
The crematory is a little farther on, and
an examination of this, accompanied by
an explanation Of it's workings, is inter
and profitable. From here, the
harness shop is next visited. Fifteen to
twenty convicts are to be seen here, and
all buslly working. Some of them learn
the trade rapidly, and have become
quite expert at harness making. The
state receives 40 cents a day for the ser
vices Of the men, and as it costs, accord
ing to an estimate made recently, %
cents a day per convict, to feed them, it
will be seen that the ones who are en-
gagged here are self-sustaining, at least.
The harness shop is quite an extensive
plant, more SO than is generally supposed,
and is in every way a credit to the peni-
Tertiary.
From the harness shop, the next move
is made through the wall which sur
rounds the prison and out into what
might be aptly termed the farm yard. In
the horse barn are to be seer the steeds
owned by the institution, all nicely
housed, and their appearances bearing
evidence Of care in their keeping. Sew
eral ~convicts are busy here, in the con-
.struction of an addition, and the buzz of
saws and the rapping of hammers sound
continuously. just outside the door is
Peterson, the Pembina wife murderer,
tall, gaunt and restless eyed, engaged in
gathering up stray boards and debris
and doing a sort of general policing. AS
with the other convicts, he does not look
up, but occupies himself solely with his
work. His thoughts would perhaps be
interesting, could they be known-the
haunting memory of a cold blooded
murder IN the past, and the, at least dis
agreeable, prospect Of a lifetime of i'm
~prisonment before him. The a~trocity of
the mans crime renders him an inter-
esting study for the moment, but he Is
forgotten in another moment, as the
visitor is shown the COW barn, where on
each side of q general manger stand a
dozen bovines, each munching busily the
hay which lies before them all, and all
evincing that thorough contentment
which seems more pleasingly evident in
them than in any other animals of crea-
ton.
The sounding of a bell within the pris-
on walls at this juncture is the signal for
the close Of the days work. It is now
$50, and the visitor may see the several
groups of c%onvicts approaching the rear
door of the building, from all parts of
the grounds, each group in charge of a
guard, who has been with them during
the day. They pass through the door,
into the cell house and each to his own
cell. Two of them pass along the rows
OF cells with water cans, the spouts OF
these are inserted between the bars OF
each cell door in turn, and wash water
is thus distributed. During the course
of this operation, Chief Keeper Stewart
makes q tour OF the three tiers of cells,
counting the convicts and locking them
in at the same time. If the count
reveals the presence Of the total number
Of convicts, the sounding of the bell on
the outside the fact, and calls
the guards in from the outer walls, and
at 6 o'clock the tables are set, and all is
ready for the serving Of supper.
At 6 o'clock, a gong within the build
ing sounds once, and simultaneously
ninety cell doors are opened by as many
convicts. Again the gong sounds, and
the same number of convicts step out
from their cells, each holding in front OF
HIM his chair, which he carries to the
table with him. A third sound, and the
march to the table begins, the "tramp,
tramp" of feet sounding clearly and regu-
larly on the polished floor. And after
the arrival at the table, one signal is
followed by the dropping Of the chairs
and a second by the dropping Of the
men into them. Aglance down the long
table reveals a row of faces, each OF
which is an interesting study, and very
few, if any, of which, seem out Of place.
Near n end Of the table is a lad of 16,
who is serving a sentence for grand lar
ceny. His condition and surroundings
do not seem to interfere at all with his
appetite, and he attacks the meal vigor.
ously, as do the rest.
The visitor at the p%enitentiary is i'm
pressed with a number of facts. The
cleanliness everywhere evident about
the institution; the systematic manner
in which all Of the affairs are conducted;
the excellence Of the discipline which is
preserved, and the courteous manner in
which he is treated by Warden Boucher,
Deputy Warden Haggart, Clerk Edger-
ley and others with whom he comes in
contact. Pages might be devoted to the
peculiarities Of some Of the c%onvicts,
--1 = $50 ! - Eg. = Ee.. . ,'-.r#- a. 49,