Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1898-06-29


Ing bililt. Since the Beginning sor,,e
1900 eVihoers have served time" Al
present mere are 6Sl conylcts. OF whom
seventy mine are for life These are
all murderers except three (rape). There
was one United States prisoner
charged with desertion-no trihine Of
Tense our newly enlisted boys shonld
remember-but the president has mar
doned him. Jacob Fuss, the clerk. las
held office for twenty -four years and
has all information at his tongues end
Some of the conyicts have spent a life
time within the walls. Jim Crook. a
murderer, has been there since 1862.
and Johnnie Bendwall. who killed his
father. came the year following Twelve
men have been behind tie walls for
over twenty years. But the population
is ever changing. There are some 900
admissions year. OF course, most Of
them are for comparatively short
terms OF the present number 80
are for twelve months sentence only:
16 for three years. A for five years. and
only for thirty years. OF All received
in the twelve months before Oct | last.
50 were born out of the country. When
the term is up the convict is provided
W "A
earned, sa.5s in years term; SIT ~ in
three years. etc, and ticket to any
point in the state he desires. But there
is an appalling need in Wisconsin for
society to aid these men, many of whom
would take hold of life honestly IL they
had fair chance. But their money Is
soon gone and every mans hand is
against them.
Would you are a convict about your
home? / don't mean ought you give
him trial, but would you? Those
who have investigated the cases of
right-minded ex-convicts seeking work
say the Nemesis that follows them is
pathetic. No sooner do they get po-
sition than some busybody discovers
they have once been ~ Waupun At
once there is fright. Timid people con-
ceive that they will be murdered in
their beds. There are many men of
blameless record who seek the posi-
lions, SO the miserable fellows are set
adrift and there is nothing for them to
do but to take Ito the road" In New
York and other states there are assoc
Citations to aid these unfortunates to
find a niche in this selfish, crowding
American life. Four attempts have
been made in Wisconsin to organize,
but at present advice to be good" is
all that we are doing for ex-eonvIcts.
Nothing to Do but Work.
1t is no fun to be a convict. The
day starts at $50. From z to 6, With
an hour for dinner and rest, the men
are at work in one of the three shops
shoe, tailor or knitting. The principal
industry is the making of shoes. The
contract firm agrees to pay so cents
day for at least 300 hands, and more if
furnished, and with these work many
citizens" from Waupun-skilled oper-
ators. Some of whom get 81 day.
The evenings convicts spend in their
cells, save that about one-fourth at
tend school on certain evenings. The
men are nearly all smokers, but there is
little conversation except with the next
cell. There is one man to cell, save
that In a few cases they are put in dou-
BILE on account of a lack OF cells. There
are usually from five to fifteen in the
hospital, and there are five or six deaths
year, some from old age. There are
at present two convicts OF so years of
age.
The present warden, Roberts, came in
with Governor Upham. He Was a mer-
chant for twenty-five years in Waupun,
has an excellent war record, and his
efficient deputy, ]. B. Vosburgh, was in
the same regiment. The STAFF con-
sists Of but forty-two persons, includ-
ing the turkeys" the keepers, wall
guards, etc. The latter, eight in num-
ber can be seen on the lookout, SOL
dierly looking fellows, armed with
rifles; but they alone are presumed to
be armed. The keepers in the shops
carry strong sticks, but no firearms, the
theory being that should fighting con-
Wet secure possession Of revolver he
could do as much mischief as the off.
Ger. One is surprised to see a room full
of working convicts, perhaps fifty Of
them, guarded by but one nan, usually
a big, strong official, to be sure, seated
on an elevation at the door where he
can command the whole company, yet
armed with only his stick. There are
occasionally outbreaks of desperate fell
lows, but usually with each other. They
run amuck with knife or anything
else handy. The fact is, however, the
discipline is very stern in these prisons
Why Convicts Behave Themselves.
One is struck at once by The law of
ptIFICS. lueFe 10 no lalklIS IN the
shops, except about the work. Fear is
large element in the discipline. / saw
the dark reoms-holes in the granite
wall--where offenders are placed on
bread and water until they yield. More
serious cases are strapped up by the
wrists day In or day out until they are
ready to work, for ugly fellows some
times refuse to make themselves use
full Not long ago there was convict
who damned some of his fingers under
machine rather than work When l
was there the doctor was treating
the wounded hand and the other hand
was strung up" Under the Philadel-
phia plan the recalcitrant convict is left
in solitary confinement with some work
to do. He Is given food. though 1t Is
of the simplest kind. He stays in this
uncongenial environment until he is
ready to be decent There is no ele-