The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-07-28
Cause Was That Lad Went Swimming With.
out Having Obtained Permission.
HIS PET SPIDER CRUSHED TO DEATH,
Father Killed Il Whom Hs Found tho Boz PLAYING
With It-Thsn 10 RslIaVs MonoIow
Boz Sole a Watch.

New York, July 2s-Solitary conflne.
ment is the backbone of the penal code
invented by Frederick Rhoades for EN-.
ployment in the bosom OF his family
when his son Albert, aged ~. went
swimming without permission his faith
er sentenced him to weeks impris-
onment on bread and water
Albert was locked up in the attic.
with only stool for furnishing. no.
BODY 10 talk TO. no books TO read or
pictures TO look at. no pencil to scrawl
on the wall with, no ball TO play with.
no knife to whittle with no piece Of
paper even 10 tear into fancy patterns.
Being resourceful boy, he made
friends with "A little brown spider that
had built web i'm the window ledge,
nut his father found him thus employ.
ed one day, crushed the spider, and
swept its web away.
The youngster wept over the spider
and soon afterward learned to relieve
The tedium of Imprisonment by climb
ing out OF the window and taking ha-
zardous trips along the ledge of the
roof. I'm this way he reached the omen
IL
tered and was fascinated by the me-
chanlcal possibilities for time-killing
which lay within the case Of a wa n
he found there.
When he returned To his cell n, cs,-
REQ the watch with him. 1t made h;m
very happy. He took itl all TO pieces.
%amrcd and studied every part of IT.
and tried TO put it together again. Fail
ing In this task he essayed TO III vaTj-
us parts OF its mechanism In pretty
DIT useless contrivances. The permu-
CATIONS and combinations at this uur-
SUIT were Infinite. Albert did not love
.he watch as he had loved the little
Drown SPIDER but he found il stimu-
lallng IN greater variety OF ways
The thief was discovered: the N .igh-
DORIS made an outcry. Albert's father
FOUND the broken watch and lIbt-.
hlmselt was overtaken by new retribu-
tion.
His faith I'm the solitary confinement.
system not weakened. Rhoades the el
Ger increased his boys sentence 10 a
month. In order that the prisoner
might no. get out and steal anothsr
playth;ng, he securely nailed the WIN |
Iow sash so that IL was open just four
ihChcs. Another window, which han |
pened to look out upon a prospect that |
might please and interest the child. ne |
covered with stout curtain. whi,a he |
Albert now had very little sunlight |
ana very little air. Worst OF all. The |
wheels and springs that had made him |
happy had vanished. The atmosph .re !
IN his prison became very foul. He
often suffered from thirst. His only
means OF procuring water was by low
erinS bottle from the window by
means OF string. If some member az
the household happened To notice that
the bottle was empty it might be fllad
Tor MIN. Otherwise he waited. And
the hot weather made waiting a rJr-
ihent' He was also very dirty.
His mind weakened. and at night his
wailing disturbed the rest of the neigh
bors. They complained 10 the police.
ana two detectives visited the house
Yesterday. Mrs. Rhoades was ordered
to release the boy.
can't do that she protested. His
time is not up til the 2Sth."
And that led to the explanation Of
ler husbands system of solitary con-
inement for children.
Albert is in kind hands now and his
snfeebed mind will be encouraged 20
grow strong enough again to become |
'nBrossed In brown spiders and watch
'prings. His Parents will be attended
o oy the grand jury.