The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-18
PRIVILEGES FOR JESSE POMERoY.
The Life Convict to Have His SoIIta-
ry Confinement Relieved.
From the Boston Traveller.


From the Boston Traveller.
Jesse Pomeroy, whose fiendish crimes
startled the public over twenty years ago
is about to enjoy a relaxation to a degree.
of the rigorous life which he has led in
the state prison at Charlestown since his
sentence was committed from death by
hanging to solitary Imprisonment for life.
Pomeroy was found guilty of numbering
two children by heinous methods and tor
turing another in a bloodthirsty manner.
His Imprisonment has been very close,
and during all its years he has borne it
with seeming indifference. He has been
closely guarded, and all possible avenues
of escape have been zealously looked af-
ter. Owing to his fiendish nature, his
keepers have regarded him as a partic-
ularly dangerous prisoner, and have never
allowed him any visitors, and have paid
more personal attention to him than to
any other convict.
This close surveillance, it is said, has
given Pomeroy the impression that he was
considered an important prisoner in the
strictest sense of the word, and as con-
sequence his bearing toward the officials
has been bold.
Pomeroy's sentence contained one condi-
ton an equal of which is found only in
prisoner who is now in the Lowell Jail for
life having been convicted of poisoning
her family.
The condition allowed Pomeroy an hour
in the yard each day, under the guard OF
an officer. Pomeroy refused to accept
the condition, stubbornly declaring that
he would not go into the yard unless
he could go alone and fraternize with
the other prisoners. Since then he has
remained in his cell, visited only by
the officers of the prison.
Now, however, Warden Bridges, who
has just finished a very successful two
years administration of affairs at the
prison, proposes to shed a little light
into the life of Pomeroy, believing that
it is wiser and better policy TO do.
AS a first step, Warden Bridges has
removed Pomeroy to one of the cells
in the new addition, which has just been
completed. This addition is a building
designed on an extremely modern plan
for refractory prisoners. The cells have
all the requisites Of prison life, and are
lighted by means of narrow opening
in the roof. The walls of each have
been covered with such a fine coat or
whitewash that the slightest attempt to
escape through them would be at once
noticeable. The isolation of the prison.
er is rendered complete by means of two
doors, the inner one being constructed
of iron gratings and the outer a sliding
panel of very heavy oak.
The next step which the warden will
take for Pomeroy's interest will be to
get permission from the governor and
his council to give Pomeroy a certain
amount of work to perform each day.
This will be radical move, inasmuch as
1t is considered to constitute rearrange-
ment of the sentence. 1t is understood
that Pomeroy will welcome the expected
change with much satisfaction. Here
devoted to reading. He has read thou
sands of books during his imprisonment.
and that portion of the prison library
which suited his taste has been quite
thoroughly read by him. Besides the
books afforded by the library he has
been furnished with literature by Mrs.
Pomeroy, his mother.
Warden Bridges will also offer to Pome-
roy the privileges of turn in the yards
connected with the new addition. He will
be allowed an hour in the open air each
day, always accompanied by an officer.
The yards are, in themselves pecularl-
ty. They are arranged in a series, eXteno-
ing alongside one wall of the addition.
! They are merely clean pens, separted by
high brick walls. The idea embodied i'll
the construction of these yards was 10
carry out the significance of solitary con-
finement while affording the prisoners oc-
cupying the addition a breath of fresh
air.
The warden has not made up his mind
as to the class of work that shall be given
to the convict He says, however, that IN
his opinion various branches of work
might be taught him In a short time. War
den Bridges says that Pomeroy is in gem
eral an excellently behaved prisoner. lie
is of a taciturn disposition, and has Of
ten told the warden that he did not wish
TO see any one.
The warden says that Pomeroy is read
ing books OF a higher tone than was form
erly his custom. He said that Pomeroy
had told him that he was led TO commit
the crimes through reading the yellow
covered type literature He has expressed
10 the warden his regret that the puphe
should believe that he was born with such
fiendish nature.