The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1899-07-07

the institution. The plan Of sequestra-
ton which has been adopted by War
den Coffin for these four men is an
entirely new departure in pc ialology.
It has always been the custom Of PEN
itentiary managers to conhne men who
have been guilty OF marked infractions
Of the rules Of the solitary cells, It is
true. But the rule has been that after
the proper punishment the prisoners
have been returned to the common life
Of the institution, to share in a de-
gree the privileges given their com
rades until a fresh outbreak costs them
even the slight degree Of freedom thus
enjoyed. But Warden Coffin, under
whose humane sway the lives Of the
convicts under his control have been
made in some degree more bearable,
has determined to separate the sheep
from the goats, so to speak. Convicts
who are believed to be beyond the
reach Of reforming influences are to be
separated from their fellows, and their
opportunities Of ~depraving the less
hardened among their associates will
thus be lessened. Mr.. Coffin believes
that among the 1900 felons under his
care at least $50 Of them are past re-
demption. They are men whose en-
tire lives and whose every talent have
been spent in crime. and who do not
care for any other life. Many Of them
are life prisoners, who have no hope
in this life. saw to escape, and who,
as shown in the case Of Atkinson and
the three O'Neills, whose attempt to
escape cost the life OF Guard Lauder
baugh last November, are thoroughly
desperate and ready to embrace any
opportunity to get beyond the walls OF
the institution, no matter at what cost
encouraged by the decision Of the court
in the case referred to, where 1t was
held that unless generalization could
be shown the extreme punishment
could not be inflicted upon convicts
who took the life Of an official of the
penitentiary in an e%ndeavor to escape.
This decision is strictly in accordance
with the law, though It cannot be
doubted that the next legislature will
make it a capital offense 10 take life
in an attempt to escape from the pen
itentiaTy. Pending that h~oped-for
change, however, Mr.. Coffin proposes to
protect his guards so far as it may be
possible. His plan, as stated to the
board Of managers Of the penitentiary
at their last meeting, is to build a
stockade or set apart a portion Of the
prison enclosure. to be occupied ex-
clusively by the hardened criminals re-
ferred to. This plan was given the
hearty approval Of the board, though
no active steps will be taken at pres
ent beyond providing for the four men
named above. AS fast as others are
considered beyond the reach Of better
influences they will be confined In the
same manner For the present, there
fore, the most desperate characters in
the prison may be considered as on
probation.
The tiger cage" as the guards have
named the enclosure which IS to con-
fine the four desperadoes who are to
be the first to come under the new
plan. will be built in the penitentiary
annex. In this gloomy spot the execu-
tions take place, and it is accordingly
dreaded by the other prisoners. Most
Of them have little regard for religion,
but are still amenable to the influences
of superstition, and the bare thought of
confinement in the annex Is enough to
uneasy dreams. For the present
a portion Of this annex will be sepa-