The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-25
PRISONER HAS HIS RIGHTS.
THE DAY OF GAN EYE FOR AN
EYE, A TOOTH FOR TOOTH"
IS GONE.
PRISON SUNDAY WELL OBSERVED.
Union Meeting at the Church OF the
Redeemer-Lemke POstmor-
tenn Held.


ing behind the iron bars of prison
cells.
1t was prison Sunday, and every
where throughout the land where re-
ligious bodies gather the unfortunate
criminal, whether he be so through
force of circumstances or from choice,
was remembered by that society from
which he is an outcast, but to which
he may return if in the future he shall
choose the narrow path which leads to
an honorable and righteous life.
1t was prison Sunday in Minneapolis,
and the occasion was observed by
monster meeting at the Church of the
Redeemer, where, in addition to the
regular congregation of that church,
We're those of Park Avenue and Plym-
outh Congregational churches gath
cred. The church was crowded to the
doors, and upon the platform were
Revs. Dr. Shutter, Dr.. Beach, DR..
Black, Rabbi Friedman, H. H. Hart,
Judge Young, Warden Henry Wolfer,
Frank NJ. Nye, George D. Holt, DR..
Atwood, of the Canton Theological
seminary; ex-Gov. Perham, of Maine,
and others.
Rev, DR.. Black, of Park Avenue
church, opened the services by the
reading of a Bible chapter and pray
er, which was followed by an address
of welcome by Rev. DR.. Shutter, who
introduced Judge Young, president of
the Prison Reform association, under
whose auspices the services were held,
as the chairman of the evening Judge
Young proceeded Immediately to in
troduce the speakers of the evening,
the first being Warden Woifer,
of the state penitentiary. After the
preliminary remarks about the
G o b e S recent disclosures, which
are printed on another page, Warden
Wolfer said:
THE altruistic spirit of the nine
teenth century," said the speaker, "in
it's social and political strides in the
line of progress, now recognizes, as
never before, that the prisoner has his
| rights. That, though he has violated
the law, and by this act openly de-
clared himself an enemy of society, he
still has well defined rights in which
the state undertakes to protect him.
Prior to the present century prisoners
had no rights. They were treated with
great brutality and harshness. Bru-
1--WE remember how the first family Of
the human race was violently torn
asunder by the foul crime of murder.
Thus the garments of our first parents
were stained with innocent human
blood. Then began the warfare be
tween sin and crime on one hand, the
development of justice and the su-
premacy of the law on the other A
warfare that has been steadily going
on ever since. For centuries outraged
law meted out in the name of justice
punishments that were purely retri-
butiVe. They were more savage in
their nature than the old Mosaic law,
AN eye for an eye and a tooth for Z
TOOTH yet crime 1ourished and in
creased in proportion with the savage
and brutal severity practiced in its
punishment. Enlightened England OF
! today, who can justly boast of having
solved some of the most difficult prob
lens in the government of her GRIM
inal classes, was once so stepped In
crime and so savagely brutal in the
administration of her criminal laws for
the punishment of crime that it makes
ones blood run cold to read her his
tory.
students of crime and criminals are
pretty we'll agreed that two of the
most potent forces that operate in the
production of the criminal classes are
heredity and environment. If this be
true-and l believe it is-when we con-
slider the brutal savagery displayed in
the punishment Of all social Irregular
tiles during the past 200 or 800 years,
with the relentless spirit of retaliation
prevailing, we wonder, naturally, not
that we have so many criminals, but
that we have so few. Environment,
good or bad, plays powerful part in
every life, and has great deal to do
with the development or suppression
of crime tendencies.
THE crime, public trial and eXecu
tiCn of Harry Hayward, here in your
city, with all of its sensational fea-
lures, has had and will continue to
have and develop various phases of
criminality in this community The
history of his criminal life and sensa-
tionaI ending has planted seeds of
crime, many of which lie dormant, but
they will ultimately bear fruit in gen
erations yet unborn. If hanging must
be resorted to, let there be less public
ity, and let some righteous laws be
enacted that will effectually eliminate
that spirit of hero worship for the
criminal"
Warden Wolfer then took up the sub
ject of punishment. Punishment, he
said. should be inflicted, but the intel
ligent purpose of it's inf1iction was 10
correct and strengthen character and
not to punish for punlShment's sake.
The time must soon come when def
mite sentence for specific crime must
cease Under a definite sentence it
frequently happens that the very worst
criminals get the shortest sentences.
The shrewd habitual criminal fire.
quently avoids publicity and hides his
previous criminal history by pleading
guilty and throwing himself upon the
light sentence.
1--WE are turning prisoners out of
Saltwater every month" said Warden
Wolfer, that have no notion of leading
honest lives. They are criminals from
choice, and regard Imprisonment as a
temporary inconvenience only, and as
simply so much time lost for Which
society will have to pay as soon as they
regain their liberty. You have an in
stance Of this very close at hand. Only
four days ago there left the state peni-
tentiary one John Moschik. He had
been sentenced to five years imprison-
ment for highway robbery, beginning
his criminal career at the age of six
teen. He is now III Jail on the charge
of murder, committed but two days
after gaining his liberty.
THE protection of society and the
reformation of criminals are the basic
principles of all true reform and GRIM
inal and penal administration. All
prisoners should be released on proba-
ton or parole, and his ability and pur-
pose to lead an honest life should be
we'll tested before his final discharge
A helping hand should be extended
the ex-convict in all that the term i'm
plies, not by the giving of means for
his support-unearned- by manner
of giving that weakens self-respect or
dependence, but he should be given