The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-31
NoaK ron rnB oorrIors.
re Rrsvtae 70 Nay Reuuire m Eztrn sessiea sr
l. nndtnsn,s Lastsinturn.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Jan. 3o.-The question OF
now to furnish employment for the convicts In
the Indiana Ponitentlary, which has been
puzzlinR tho State authorities Of, late, bids fair
to require q special session OF the Legislature to
settle tho matter. The last General Assembly
OF the State passed q law abolishing all convict
labor. and since that time tho prisoners have
had nothing to occupy their time. As q result
several have already lost their minds from
solitary confinement and those persons who
have been authorized to make an investigation
OF conditions have reported to Gov. Mount that
unless some sort Of occupation DO provided for
the prisoners the prison will become little better
than q madhouse.
The prison is greatly overcrowded. there be-
Ing moro than 200 prisoners and but 800 cells.
The cells were originally constructed to accom-.
modate but ono man each. and tho increase in
tho number Of prisoners has made 1t necessary
to place an extra iron bunk in each. Tho rooms
are very small. and the space between the
hunks and the wall 10 barely largo enough for
ono man to walk in. As q consequence, IL is
necessary for one OF the convIcts to lie in his
bunk while the other secures exercise by march
ina to and fro In the narrow space. The pris-
oners are taken ont for q limited time each day
and walked about the yards, but this does not
give sufficient exercise, and one Of tho two in
each cell may almost constantly be seen pacing
back and forth In tho cell. The men have about
exhausted all their ingenuity In devising means
Of occupying their minds. With old files and
bits Of rope they have polished all the steel bars
and other metal about the prison until 1t shines
like silver. and no speck of dust or bit Of moist
whitewash which had accumulated on the walls
the walls nicely IiSp pai R'Saeo T En; s's arc or now o s'M We;s Sed
regularly with an antisoptic solution to prevent
disease, One OF the earlier occupations after
thn nhntiQhInRnf nf rnnvtpt lahnr xva1 TIM rnn-
struotion Of = chapel building. Comparatively
few OF the prisoners were engaged in the actual
In carrying material. Along line Of men were
engaged In carrying ono brick each, all day long;
and SO on. The grounds were kept immaoSiste.
~ clean by another, force. which carried away
small chips and brickbats. one piece at q time.
But these schemes for occupying the time and
and the list has long been exhausted. The dan:
Schemes for providing employment have been
presented to tho Governor, but his hands are
to seS s: a. es rsSfS 4 f a9t s & So pnsp On tho o ssarH ff Msr,
sSy; warden OF tho prison; Is anxious that The
the ase'G PRISON Rlson'qSs ui %HrSr,a as io he an say sn tSnt Se souf ID
prisoners, That more room is needed cannot
p SNo a' fanas." put warden saS 'o Harlsg ai S1'T Sas Is q
echoms for permanent employment which
isturo adopt Il Is the draining and eu ieEl:
tion OF several hundred acres of swamp land in
the n0rtnern part OF the state. he figures that
he could raise sufficient provisions to not alone
supply his own institution, but also to sell to tho
other State institutions. This land could be
purchased for q very small confederation. 1t
was upon this land that tho recent extensive
swamp fires occurred, and 4 e said that as a
State GeoloRist' Blatchley, has also evolved a
plan which he hos presented to the authorities.
tant public questions. He would have the State
purchase one of the numerous beds of shale in
western Indiana and from 1t manufacture paw
Ing bricks with which to improve the country
roads. He shows that at present 1t costs $1,000
Q mile to construct good gravel roads. and that
with the vitrif1ed brick turned out with the
prison labor tho cost Of paved roads would be
but 50. 800 q mile. Such q road, he holds, would
last twenty-five years or longer. He says that
for some years California has emp we'd her
prisoners In preparing materials for he con-
struction of public highways. and that the plan
has proven successful from all standpoints.
The action of tho Legislature in abolishing
convict labor was tho result of years of opposi-
tion to the plans in vogue. The latest venture
OF the State had been renting the labor to O b.
cycle manufacturing company. and as q result
Of the. now law the State 10 now involved in
litigation with this company. The company
had q ten years contract with the State, and
but three years Of tho time had expired when
the convict labor was withdrawn. The busi.
With ordinary labor. and as y consequence the
firm failed and sued the State for breach Of
contract. Previous to this contract the ~peniten.
tiary had manufactured all sorts of novelties,
these being sold broadcast until popular preju.
dice nut an end to it.