The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-08

not to be found in any prison in the
United Kingdom
And right here a word may be said
upon the general aspect of crime in
Ireland The entire convict population
of the country, male and female, num-
bers fewer than 500 people. More than
SO per cent of the convicted prisoners
i'm Ireland are sentenced for terms of
imprisonment not exceeding one month.
while about per cent are sentenced
TO terms OF Imprisonment not exceed
ing three months. Drunkenness. lar
ceny and assault are the commonest
charges in the calendar, and drunken
ness is accountable for at least so per
cent of the convictions. In the whole
of Ireland last year only 107 males and
eight females were sent into penal
servitude, and the largest number of
sentences were for the shortest terms
of penal servitude namely. three
years. These facts are not insignifi-
cant.
II is In truth a grateful and refresh
ing experience to pass from the casual
study of crime and criminals I'm Eng
land to the casual study of crime and
criminals in Ireland. There are no
penal Institutions in Ireland to COM
pare with the superb prison at Worm
wood Scrubs, or with the great con-
Wet establishment at Portland; but the
fact i'm explanation is that while we
cannot do without these places i'm Eng
land they are not wanted in Ireland;
and the further fact i'm explanation is
that crime, as we know il in England.
is practically non-existent in Ireland.
our great guilds of crime-the bands of
professional burglars, the financial con-
spirators. the adept forgers. the trained
thieves, the habitual LEVERS OF black
mail, the bogus noblemen, parsons and
ladies Of family; the long firm" prac-
titioners the hotel and railway sharps,
the "magsmen." hooks" and "boun-
ces"-these are almost entirely unrep-
resented in Ireland. In word so far
az habitual and professional crime Is
concerned. there is not as decent a
country in Europe.
IL is desirable TO be explicit on these
matters. Ireland's crimes have nearly
always been in manner peculiar to
herself. and those that have stained
the pages OF her history most deeply
have been. almost without exception.
crimes arising out of agrarian evils or
deep-seated political discomfort. Crimes
such as these have been recorded
against communities i'm which the gen
eral standard of morality was high and
I'm which all ordinary brea ches of law
were of extreme infrequency.
In a quiet season discipline Is easily
maintained IN kilmainham. The staff
OF warders at present numbers only Is.
and this serves for a full complement
of prisoners. But Kilmainham under
went very strange transformation
about IL years ago. The period In ire
land was without a parallel i'm modern
history. and equally without a parallel
was the internal condition Of Kilmain-
ham. The great central ball. where
scarcely sound is heard but the meas
ured voice OF the warder. was noisy
and very cheerfully sO-from morning
until night. \ long table down the cen
ter of the hail was Uttered with the
newspapers. magazines and books OF
the day: draught boards. chess boards.
BACKGAMMON boards and packs of
cards The same table at the dinner
hour bore a cloth OF snowy linen. was
decorated with fruit. flowers and Gu;
glass. and upheld weight OF excellent
hot dishes and wines OF many kinds
1t might have been a succession Of
horse show week in Dublin. and her
majesty's goal Of Kilmainham turned
over to some enterprising caterer who
had converted IL for the nonce into an
elegant hotel. IL might have been. but
IL was not. Kilmainham prison was
Kilmainham prison still. hut with a
rather considerable difference. The
persons for whom games.and the news
paperF Of the day were provided, and
who Jared thus sumptu0nsly every day
were-the political suspects whom hos
tile press lin England as i'm Ireland
represented as ''piniEg in British dun
geons."
1t was an extraordinary time I'm Kill