The Springfield herald., 1898-09-03

tion, in II conversation with repre-
sentative of the Lcndville Herald
Democrat, made the following Interest
ing statements concerning the Stnics
prisoners:
"'rhc reformatory at Buena Vista is
in most excellent condition." said Mr..
Stonakor, "and the best part OF 1t Is
that every one of the ninety-eight boys
there are hard at work every day Ill
the open air. They work in the lelds
and you certainly cannot see 1iner
crops growing anywhere In the state
than the fields cared for by the pris-
oncrS ut the Bucnn Vista rcformntory.
They raise no end of vegetables ana
many of the boys there never had such
good food in their lives. They are fed
better than at the great majority of
prisons and rcformatories in this coun-
try; they sleep in cell house which
for sanitary comfort is uneXcelled:
they have II school and books and al
together they are mighty well cared
for. The work they do in such n fine
summer climate, with regular and
wholesome fare. plenty of hours for
sleep, puts them in the best physical
condition, and they 20 out on parole
greatly improved by reason of so
journ at Warden Hoyt's sanitarium.
"Contrasted with the prisoners at
Canon City, the rcformatory boys are
in great luck. Mind now, do not wish
to convey the impression that Warden
Cleghorn is not doing good work at
Canon for the old prison birds there
who have seen the insides of num-
Der of eastern prisons say that the
Colorado penitentary is far better in
every way. The Canon convicts get
| f.il, in N
fine bread and meat, they have a good
library, regular habits, and in discip-
line they are making a wonderful rec
ord. considering the conditions. Dr.
Dawson, who has been prison physi-
clan for many years, told me the other
day that there had not been ii case of
fever in the penitentiary in seven
years. The men gre required to drink
distilled water, and they are given reg
ular baths. They come to the institu-
ton with health and constitution shat
tered by dissipation and disorderly
lives, and they go out better in ply
sique than when they entered. In fact,
the regular hobo convict enjoys n So
journ there and goes out in fine fcttlc,
ready to commit some new piece of
rascality.
"Fully 80 per cent. of the 5SS men
ing second. third and in Il few eases
their fourth term in prison. Many of
them have done time before in that
prison, while others driftcd 10 Colora
| do after being released from other
| state institutions. They had to work
| and work hard in other prisons, but
| this state prefers to entertain these
guests without eNacting anything in
! exchange. Why, nn average of six
| hundred men convicted of offcnscs
against the people of this state should
be given n chance to learn how to
pass their time in absolute idlencss and
learn to become chronic idlers is the
surprising thing about our system of
punishment? Men who have worked
most of their days and who, while in
toXicated, committed an otfensc which
sent them to Canon are there taught
| in II year or more to live without work.
and they go out finally confirmed
idlers unable and generally unwilling
| to work hard any more. Old prison
birds whose reformation is practically
| hopeless have just rs easy Il time as il
is possible for men to have in their
| position.
warden Cleghorn is Il most tender
| hearted man, Il humane officer and
thoughtful of the welfare of his
charges. They all speak in the most
respectful terms of their treatment
there but their murmuring is against
their enforced idlcness The prisoner
who has the duty of sweeping down
the terrace steps is happy because 1t
| gives his muscles little exercise; the
sixty men who go out to the farm and
garden tract are cnvicd by the others
who have routine duties to perform
about the place. Warden Cleghorn dis
tributes the men about the place as
| well as he can, five men doing the
work that one man could easily per-
| form, simply to give Il little exercise
to ALL The men who have to "lay in"
for several days are put out when 9th
crS take their place killing time in the
cells.
For the discipline Of the prison. for
the welfare of the men and because
they should be compelled to pay for
| their keep, work for all should be pro-
| vided.
1T can be done for the educational
benefit to the men, for their financial
benefit for the benefit of the state,
and adjusted in a variety of ways. The
penitcntiary costs the state of Colora-
do 100000 per annum; it should cost
less than onc-half that sum.
Contract labor. of course, is out of
| the question. The makeshift of trying
| to find some form of labor which may
not antagonize' free labor ought to be
no longer ignored. These prisoners
must be kept by the people either out
side prison walls or within. They will
not work. at least n large proportion
of them, unless they are compelled to
toll. and taxpayers must feed and
| clothe them.
Furniture made in Lansing penitcn-
tiary in Kansas is sold in this state;
shirts made in Jackson penitentiary.
| Michigan, are worn by the men of
Colorado; prison made articles are
bound to be sold all over the land.
Colorado can do something towards
giving the prisoners hcalthful employ
mcnt without going wholesale into
contract labor or without Introducing
| expensive machinery or adopting some
single line of manufacturing. Warden
Cleghorn has n number of practical
ideas which he could Immediately
adopt. but he can do nothing for lack
of money. The appropriation is cx-
hnusted and the prison is now running
N credit M hp IISpI