The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-03-05
LETTER FROM "WILSON'
A Voice Heard From Anamosa'S
Dark Dungeons.
The Former "Morning News" Edi-
tor ffas Thrown Off the
Opium Habit
Says Wife No. Al Will Find Him
Useful in the Kitchen.

R. B. Curtis, alias Wilson,
alias Ball, who is serving a five
years sentence in the Anamosa,
Iowa, prison for bigamy, and who
was one of the founders of the Man
kato Morning Ne,os, whose checkered
career ended last fall, has written a
Two column letter to the Lyle, Mimi,
Tribune. Mr.. Curtis, under the name
of I'D. H. Ball." was employed in the
Tribune office two years ago, before
coming to Mankato, and took an
active part in the revival meetings
being conducted there at that time.
Mr.. Curtis letter is almost entirely
descriptive of the prison. We take
the following from it, as we believe
that it will interest our readers.
ANAMOsA, IA, Feb. IA, 1897.
ED. TRIBUNE: 1t is with a little
hesiJancy that L undertake to write
for publication an epistle from this
place. However, as the request has
been made and as il is the dull season
for an editors news nose, l will at
tempt to relate few matters per-
tanning to the prison here.
This place is known as an unfinished
prison and has been running and I'M
der course Of erection since the fall
of 1872. COnvictS were so scarce in
the territory from which the men
come to this place, that the govern
or had to borrow % from Fit.
Madison so as to Adam
ize" the place. Whether the world is
growing worse or better, the count to-
day is sol inmates here and about the
same number at the FIT. Madison
prison, and more room is being built
here for the future generation, which,
according to the preparations that are
in sight. is to be scOrcher for crime.
There is a wOman's and an . insane
criminal department connected with
this place. Women are always good:
consequently we have but IA down
here. There are sc inmates in the in
sane department.. The sick
are we'll taken care Of, there being a
physician in charge appointed for that
purpose. A chaplain is also here to
attend to the spiritual ills Of the
many. 1t is strange sight to see
the number of boys here. Justice
must mete out her sentences with
false weights in a very large number
of cases. Men and women are sent
here from six monthssup to life. The
smaller the crime, as usual thing,
the greater the penalty.
l have no complaints to make. If
a man does his duty the best be is
able, am sure the officers will treat
him right 1 am a ''funky" in the
kitchen at present. and wife No. Al
will find me useful adjunct in her
kitchen, when she catches me, as L
suppose by the time my sentence ex-
pires the new woman" will have be-
come reality.
The food here is very good and
everything is kept clean. The health
is better than you will find in any
town with the same population. The
prison has it's own electric light plant
and each cell is furnished with a ten
candle power iucandescent, while the
corridors and yards are also lighted. A
steam plant supplies heat, hot water
and steam for cooking. | am
always glad to receive exchanges"
and appreciate the Tribune, and am
glad to see it flourishing. This place
beats the Keely cure for the opium
habit, and l believe it will never
conquer me again. By-the-way l have
never made an application for
pardon, notwithstanding reports to
the contrary. and my health is much
better than it was last summer and
fall, although [ am not as strong as
formerly. r. B. CURTIS.