New-York tribune., 1897-10-24
IN PORTLAND PRISON.
JABEZ BALFOCR AND WELLS, OF MONTE
CARLO NOTORIETY. DOING THEIR
TIME

| immense excavations and wardens with rifles at
| the shoulder silhouetted against the SKY IA
they watched from every eminence OVERLOOKING
the stone workings. Next rumbled 10y the
neatly kept cottages OF the wardcrs. and. turn
| ing sharp to the left. pulled up in front OF the
prison. a sentry with shOuldered rifle paced
| to and fro under the shadow Of the high walls
| ~ picture in striking contrast To that on the
| opposite side OF the road, where half dozen
| aged convicts were quietly wedding ana hoelns
| in an old Fashioned garden. rich with the scent
| of roses. mignonette and double stock. one
| could not help rejecting on the peaceiulness of
| the scene. and imagining the difference between
| the innocent occupation II those old fellows a!i
| the possible guilty callings in the pursuit ol
which many had grown gray and feeble. Inc
| almost contcntcd look on their worn faces was
the first surprise Of many experienced that DAY,
for one H. ant To entertain grewSoin" IDEAS ds -
the life within a convict prison that are some
what dlssipatcd by such visit as Nn at
| tempting To describe
The two things which impressed me most
inside the Jail were the silence and the clcanli-
ness. the one as painful as the other Wher-
ever went. In the shOeinakcrs shop where
the men sat In long rows working with surpri5-
ing diligence. with only one warder to consider
ably over nfty conNicts armed with tools that
might easily bc turned into murdcrous weapons
in the bakchouse with its occupants moving
quickly and nois"iessly in felt slippers. and In
the kitchen. where steamed huge coppers OF
,e. and cocoa soup and Cruel mo self respecting
wardcr Is ever betrayed into speaking OF
"skilly'o. in each department ther" was THIS
dead silence this painful cleanliness. one pos
itlb'lA N'tfn"l 10 see 4 Sb'fh OF ulTt on NHe
blcn'hed boards or On the FURNISHED cans and
cups in the little cells and 10 hear one of those
gaunt figures burst the bonds OF his dr mbues'.
Gaunt seemed nearly every one OF the convicts
We saw in Portland and there were close upon a
| thousand. gaunt not because they were thin OF
III fed far from II. but the close cropped hair
and the beard Of Il day or twos growth. as IL
appears uhe fact IL they shave" with sort
OF horse clipper. which always leaves "stubble).
coupled with the palcncss of those not working
in the open. gives the features a drawn ex-
preston. Ike a man on sick bed
1t is surprising how difficult IL Is To recognize
In the sombrc prison garb and with the closely
cut hair the faces of those who. after maybe
"A brief notoricty and much figuring in the illus
tratcd papers. are now paying the penalty of
their transgrcsspns I'm this penal establish
mcnt There is "A rule in licr Majesty's prisons
that none Of the inmates should be specially
pointed out TO visitors. but there are ways II
knowing without adopting the rude and ele-
mcntary method of pointing the finger. And 50
IL vas that at one end Of the tailors' shop.
where rows upon rows Of silent workers piled
the needle. saw Mr. Wells of Monte Carlo.
engaged in the peaceful and by no means ar
duous pursuit Of bookbndng Although was
/ present in court when he received his sentence
Of penal scryitudc. altogether failed at first TO
recognize in the drab form bending over one
of the volumes Of the convicts library the man
Of address and fashion who broke the bank
at Monte Carlo His hands. however are still
as white and delicate as ever. by his side sat
Il man engaged in compiling catalogue Of the
prison library in hand which would have
lit up with satisfaction as the warder asked
him for some specimens Of his work to show
to the visitors. Another convict had wrought
"a beautiful stone altar piece for the Catholic
chanel and a third. whose duty il WAS 10
! FURNISH the handouts and chains in the arm
ory." had exercised his ingenuity so cicVeriy
that the words Portland Convict Prison were
formed by the artful disposition of the steel
implements red baze background. some
Of the more sensitive convicts bend their heads
when a visitor enters. but they need have no
4 ion us | have said. iS almost I'M
p,ssiblc Who for instance. would have i'm
agined that squat figure working with the
utmost energy in the adjoining quarry was the
onc, rotund and rubicund Jahez Spencer i'a-
four now I'm the pink Of condition. ana certain
L. engaged in an honest days lahor. III was 4
sight which would doubtless nave gone some
way toward rcconciling many of those poor
shareholders to their losses. Far away from
the cx-M y. at the other end or the prison
estate WAS his old friend Hobbs. engaged in
carpcntering. at which he Is. | understand an
expert. a., g.,
u,ue system which places "A premium on good
cnnduct Good behavior will earn for mar
cxtra food and such "A luxury as afternoon tea
will secure more liberty IA to writing letterA
and receiving visits. and besides shortening his
term may gain for him what may be styled
the order of the blue coat. the wearer OF winch
has an extra three sovereigns IN ms pocket
when his sentence expires questioned u
wardcr why he addressed all his colleaSucs
with Sir" and he answered. III we SHOW re-.
spect to each other the convicts respect us
We visited the refractory cells. and out or all
that motley gathering Of convicts only thres
had so misbehaved Themselves rs to warrant
their incarceration in that part of the prison.
Tho better educated are the best behaved 1t
anncars and il was rather a surprise to learn
that some of the old offenders give the most
trouble Nearly every cell We pecped into-all
thr conyicts were out engaged in the shops or
the ularries-contained volumes from the
prison library. some aS many as half dozen
and one prisoner evidently improving ms
acquaintance with French. for n dictionary. n
grammar and n story book in that language
stood on the narrow shelf. In the chapel.
.'Nontc Carlo Wells. | learned often plays the
or1 .,;J my otiida with an air az prilp.