Evening star., 1898-10-22

ables and fruits not to exceed enough for
two ordinary meals.
The laws of Ohio provide that all prison.
ers sentenced to death by the state courts
shall suffer the penalty in the state peni-
tentiary, TO which prison they sent i'm
mediately after being sentenced. The ex-
treme penalty of the law is enforced in
what is known as the annex" located at
the end of one of the cell houses. The laws
of OHIO also provide that the death penalty
shall be inflicted between midnight and
o clock a m, and about two years ago the
state Legislature substituted death by cleo
trocution for that by hanging, the first
eiectrocution taking place April s. 1897
SINCE then four eectrocutions have &C.
CURED at the prison, and thers IS now in
the condemned cell of the annex young
colored man, condemned to he clectrocute ed
in about three weeks time
warden Colin believes that educ alton is
a most effective agent in the reformation
of convicts, and one of the most carefully
conducted branches of ths penitentfary is
school attended by the uneJucatad pris-
oners at night. The last annual report of
the institution Showed that over 100 pris-
oners We're admitted during the year, the
average membership being nearly 100
divided into two classes each class attend
ing on alternate nights. There are twenty
four teachers, all drawn from the prison.
ers, who are active and effective in their
work. During the past year an Indian
class, taught by a captive Indian chief and
a Chinese class were formed. The ages of
the attending convicts run from sixteen to
eighty, and the prisoners exhibit an earnest
! desirs to attend.
The Parole Law.
There is another law other than the
'good-time" law which holds out to the
inmates Of the prison a great inducement
to properly behave themselves while there,
and that is the parole law. Under this
law every convict who has been impris-
oned under q sentence other than for mur-
der of the first or second degree, and who
has not previously served a term for felony
is subject to parole, provided he has served
the minimum term provided for the crime
or which he was convicted and has con-
tinuouSiy been member of the first grade
for at least four months. OF course after
being paroled he remains under the con-
troll and in the custody of the board of
penitentiary managers until the eXpirat tion
OF his term. and may at any time be re-
taken and recommitted to the prison upon
the order of the board. Last year eighty
prisoners were released on parole and the
records of the last twelve years show that
only about one in ten granted paroles has
been returned to the prison for violations
of the parole. This system of paroles be-
ing state law does not therefore, apply
to United States prisoners, and such CON
| Vlcts must serve the sentences imposed
upon them with only the reduction allowed
| Tor good conduct. The effect of the sys-
tCHl upon tHe reformation OF prisoners is
| SO great however, that the officials of the
! penttentiary deeply regret that United
| states prisoners are not entitled to its
| privileges.
Such Is the Ohio penitentiary and while
| Warden Coffin is criticised for exercising
| as ms critics allege, too much leniencv in
/ MS treatment of the men and women un-
| der his charge, yet his course has accord
| ing to the statistics of the prison passed
| the theoretical stage and its wisdom an
| pears to be well established. For instance
| during the month of July, 1896 236 prison
| ers were punished by solitary confinement
| while year later the number was but 2s
J and is now still less Indeed it freouently
| happens that the little court presided over
| by the deputy warden has very little tc
| engage its attention, sometimes absolutely
| nothing. Yet the inmates of the great
! prison represent every crime in the crimi.
| nal laws.
| Have We asked the warden. in con.
| Versation with The Stars representative
| any moral right to use harsh violent
! cruel and painful measures toward ON
| shut-n population? We deprive them OF
| their liberty, but ought we add torture tf
| Imprisonment? If crime is disease as
SO many philanthropists allege. shall We
| punish the afflicted one for what he canno,
, heip? If your child is sick, will you strik,
him for being so? VIII you attempt a cure
| with club? | think not"