Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-07-28
VIZ

wv VT AhAL0llNb n AhlhiNALs
and tho average honest man morose Even
In Its system Of police the old empire had
no idoa Of the proper way in which 1t
should copo with the criminal
To read of tho old style policeman OF ia
pan was to learn about careless and
brutal officer says tho Now York Journal
Old Japan's police used to ontch Grim
inal, II he resisted them, by inclosng him
with square fence Of bamboo ladders,
over which they fought him until ho was
subducd. No old Japan policeman ever
thought Of such thing rs going on post
without his bamboo ladder over his shout
dor II criminal was met, tho policeman
called for assistance and, with half dozen
Of his follows, surrounded the poor
wrotch and with swords either murdered
him then and there or carried him away
to tho secret horror Of n yornin filed dun
geun, where the prisoner either died or
went mod
Burning at tho stake, docapitatlon, solf
murder by cutting open the bowels were
everyday punishmonts, Tho ontiru system
seemed TO DO based upon tho old idea uf
vengeance or Of retaliation, which John
Stuart MIN Unco characterized ns inscpara
bio from the idea ot modern justice
That In 20 years or oven less tho en-
pro should do away with tho ideas which
prevailed for 900 years Is bright gnm
in hor crown Of progress, Tho old systom
Of prison management began In tho first
year OF Taiho, or In tho year 1881 Of tho
Japanese era, whom tho Shugokushi, or
prison bureau, wns first started. This was
In the reign Of his majesty Bumbutunno.
In 1903 the mikadO Of Japan established
the modern Shugokushi, or prison bureau,
as q division Of the old Shugolsushi. This
hO soon replaced by tho division OF tho
Shihosho, or judicial department, of Japan,
under which all tho prison systems were
merged.
But this plan did not work vol, and
the system was lately transferred To the
Nnimush0, or department. for homo affairs.
under which 10 is now administered. Tho
first ldoa tho now rulers OF tho Japanese
conylcts hit upon was that all conyiots arc
reasonable human beings, and that thoy
should bo treated as such, 1t was believed
that crime prevention makes II necessary
that penalties follow orimo commissions.
But II was further thought that, while
convict was being punished, tho duty Of
tho government was 10 develop II possible
all tho better characteristics of the Grim
inal. This could only be- reached by an
educational system, and so from tho dark
horrors Of tho old methods has arisen tho
present systom, which has as It's basis tho
watchword punish, but odlVntc Then
YOU will not have TO punish hgAn, for odu.
cation tolls tho criminal tho futillty Of
crime.
Japan's strictly convict prisons arc di.
Nidod into four Glasses. They consist OF
detention prisons, correction places, prls.
ons for females and prisons for the sick
Juils for the uncOrreoted arc aubdiyided
into three classcs. They comprise prisons
for tho sick, for males and for fumalcs.
Tho main jail OF Tokyo is not far unlike
any American or European prison. In tho
first place, It is, like all other PRISONS sur.
rounded by n high stone wall. In tho
ocntor of tho wall Is tho PRISONS main
building, n ono story and mnnsardllko
rooted Nlfnir which spreads over at least
fyo ncrcs OF ground. From tho main
building stand separated by little courts
half u dozen other buildings, also one story
In height.
Tho question Of personal responsibility
for tho care Of prisoners goes to an OK
tromoly fine point In Japanese prisons,
Every hour day and night, a lieutenant Of
police carefully lnspOots tho prisons. Once
day the chief iailor goes over tho institu.
ton A commissioner OF police makes a
trip through tho institution every month.
and tho Same careful Inspection Is made
once yoar by tho minister OF tho home
depa, unent.
II any abuses oxist It is an easy matter
to fix tho responsibility. In the kanso, or