Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-12-17
$40, ,93S.21 $40, 93S. q


Net department gain 1OSS 6S
Total. O,93S. .21 $40, ,93S. q
The report of Warden Hilman Smith
reads in part as follows:
To the Honorable Governor and Council:
Gentlemen / have the honor to submit
for your consideration. my first annual
report of the Maine State prison for the
fiscal year ending November 80 1897. In
assuming the duties of warden. | found
the number of convicts in the prison to
be 165 the number of insane u. making
total of III. During the year just closed
the number has been increased TO 206 con-
victS, which with the II insane make a to-
tai of 21S now in the prison. A few cells
in the insane wing of the prison are un-
occupied, but in the prison proper every
cell is occupied. with several sleeping in
buEks temporarily placed in the clothes
rooms. -
OF the ninety convicts who have been
sentenced to the prison during the past
year, eighty-eight of them had no knowl-
edge of mechanical work. but they have
all been put at work in the different
shops under efficient overSeerS. who are
laboring to make them of some use to the
State. and themselves before their term
of service expires.
One of the vital needs to successful
management. is permanent employment.
as idleness leads to moral terpitude. and
mental and physical decline.
OF the number of convicts in the pris-
on at least 80 per cent of them comply
with the rules without complaint, while
few are always ready to make what
trouble they can for the officers. That
class of criminals are occasionally made
to see the error of their ways by being
placed in punishment, although no undue
severity is allowed in the punishment OF
convicts. only such measures being used
as are necessary for the maintenance of
thorough discipline.
The money appropriated by the last
legislature for repairs has been expended
on IS buildings owned by the State, by
the prison inspectors and myself. using
our best endeavors to have the work
thoroughly done. and the money judic-
iously expended
In the subsistence department from
twelve to fifteen hundred dollars are paid
out every year for milk hay. potatoes
and vegetables, which in my judgment is
unnecessary as the larger part OF it could
be saved if the State owned few acres
of land as there are more or less con-
vjcts who are of no value to the State.
on account of old age or physical inhrm-
ites who might be of some use raising
vegetables.
Respectfully submitted,
HILLMAN SMITH,. Warden.
The chaplains report shows that good
work is being done in his department.
Inspector Burke of the Boston pollce
force appeared before the governor, ana
asked that requisition papers be granted
allowing him to take Il. ID. Lancaster OF
Pittsfield. president of the MOosehead L.
Sebasticook r. r. to Boston to answer TO
the charge of forgery, an indictment haV-
ing been found against that gentleman
bv the Suffolk county grand jury.
r W. Manson. Esq. of Pittseld. ap-
peared for Mr.. Lancaster and objected to
the papers being given. upon the ground
that MIR Lancaster is not fugitive from
Justice as the plaintiffs cannot prove tnat
he was in Massachusetts at the time .le
alleged forgery was committed, that
they are not sure the z. d. Lancaster
mentioned in the warrant Is the MI. Lah-
caster of Pittsfieiu, as none OF the piaih-
tiffs can identify him. ,,;o,,,;,,r
,rbe governor after carefully reviewing
+ha matter. decided he could not grant
the papers citing several just sucn cases.
where other chief magistrates OF other
states had refused. e .ho
| The alleged forgery grows out VI ri,e
| o,d trm1bles of the railroad company
against which civil suits are now pend
inc and it is claimed that Mr.. Lancaster
| forged the name OF uhe ensins me-. ~, ~,
charge of the road building; TO ceItain :
documents. Many express wsntea te is to get
tha gentleman within the limits OF tns
on,,monwealth onr of Massachusetts, ana
| thereby effect a settlement.
,,o covernor's remarks in full Were'
.I have read something about the con,
trovarsy between Mr.. Lancaster aha tha
other gentleman; ;..f,rosd gro@dns as | presume
almost everybody else has IN the Sta.e ii,,
7 have examined these papers somewnas .sd
carefnlly: and L wish to state mere nra anu
naw that if believed the papers oo Were err
n,,hst s,vM ntialIy correct. and II l became
sat;sted that the man had commltlea e,
grave crime 1 should be SION ~ traHii
here refuse to grant aceoamt she of AMY
arU assumed technicality. | am not aMarG s,a'i
snoro~shy of %eht sas asted sl sTa The
univ 1nI u treatise upon it that ! nave beva peen
o,s ah,s to find is this work whicn ,l.io haye we
% face of hs sad
in this case !I.a' E;rst there is no allie
ston ioe but The gaP,ss at any hae 3me osa
near,s an two years has elapsed since .nnS tmis
alleged utterng Of af%ays f9rsss strike p me as
Soonnd ns.11 # is matter OF puDl:c p: recond and
tbat niv;, suits have been @ Penoihhs, he,,yann aan
nh ! think some are now penainig fsnor of
H., .il,,n ns.+ies am not much IN iayor ,, VI
| tHe PdTl!!.;i III cases by indictment. sup