The times., 1899-06-19
PUBLISHED IN PRISON.
First Number of n magazine Con-
Quoted by Convicts.

New York June 1S-All the inmates !
OF Greater New York's penal institutions
today received a copy of magazine edited
and published by their fellow prisoners.
1t is called the Prison Forum" Its ed
itcr is year term man in the peni
tentiary cn Blackwelrs Island; the con-
tIibutcrs are all serving sentences. and
the compositcrs and pressmsn wear prison
ga;b. The publication consists of sixteen
pages. three columns wide It is pro-
fusely Illustrated in half-tones and with
pen and ink drawings. and filled with spe-
ci5l articles grave ethical discussions and
prison. n-made poetry. One of the poets re-
marks in calling upon the muse is that
being already an inmate" of one of the
city's favorite institutions he can attune
his Tyre with impunity
Francis J. Lantry. the commissioner of
correction. devised the idea of Greater
New York prison magazine a year ago
The object of the publication is to in
terest the prisoners to inspire them to
literary effort, and to promote among
then that evanescent principle called es-
prit de corps
Mr.. Lantry issued a prospectus a month
ago, in which he set forth the advantage
to be gained from the publication of the
magazine. He asked those who wished to
contribute to send in their names to the
warden of the particular institution in
which they happened to be detained
Fifty of the prisoners sent in available
manuscripts, and some of the contributors
sent in two or three articles Mr.. Lantry
appointed as editor a young man who had
bsen the editor of the "Elmira Summary"
in an institution superintended by a Mr..
Brockway. The editor, being provided
with a large inkstand, paste pot and the
other tools of the trade, except shears.
entered upon his duties with enthusiasm.
He rejected manuscripts with great celer-
ity, whether stamps were enclosed or not.
He was somewhat embarrassed on make
up" day. Being a prisoner on Blackwell's S
Island. he found it hard 10 give explicit
directions about the management of a pa
per which was 10 be printed in the Kings
county penitentiary. The result seems to
have been successful. however for the
paper has been duly published
The title page is extremely ornate. It
was designed by a young man who is re-
lated TO an artist who has frequently ex-
hibited at the Academy of Design. The
young artist is something OF cartoonist
and he contributes several pictures deal
ing with the humors of prison life. The
commissioner had forbidden the pictur-
ing of striped clothing or prison bars.
Neither can the words convict" and
prisoner" be used in the columns of the
Prison Forum" All who are serving
sentences are spoken. of as inmates"
There is another artist on the staff of the
new magazine. He is an old man who
through misfortune has become an inmate
4 of the workhouse. He devotes his energies
TO landscapes and sketches.
| The editor has considerable latitude in
| the choice of subjects. but he must keep
in mind that everything is TO be written
| in a cheerful vein. Nothing is permitted
| in the columns of the magazine which
| gives a dark picture of prison life. The
editor has had a checkered career, vet
| judging from his editorials, he has a lean
] ing toward moral philosophy and ethics
| Most of his comments are upon matters
of conscience. The young man, for he is
! only twenty-siX years old, has been in re-
form schools, reformatories, and jaiIs most
of his life.
No names are mentioned in this maga-
zine. The contributors may sign their
| initials if they like. Most of the initials
however. stand for assumed cognomens.
By application to the warden any prisoner
may get as many sheets of copy paper
/ as he needs and a soft pencil. The prison.
ers are only permitted to write one let
editorials and stories they wish. The .edi-
tor is the only person who devotes his en-
tire time to the publication. The staff
must write in their leisure time which is
from until $3.50 O'Clock in the evening
The magazine is still in a formative
state. There are three pages devoted TO
editorial topics. including the salutatory
The editor outlines at considerable length
the method of preparing the paper. There
hrnn ,rtd tdlra ala fnIts
| trated. In one Of the pictures a convict is
represented toiling at pump with keeper
standing over him. This is the joke:
Inmate-Seems to be something the matter with
the sucker the other end Of the pump
Keeper-Go along. The sucker on the other
end is all right; the trouble is with the sucker
on this end.
six pages of the magazine are devoted
to various improvements in the city
prisons. There is an article on the new
shower baths recently placed in the insti-
tuition on Blackwell's Island.
In the prisons where the Bertillon sys-
TEN Of measuring and photographing pris-
oners is in vogue. the inmates will have
good facilities for making timely pictorial
contributions. They viii be permitted 10
use the cameras for photogrsphing sub
jeets which appeal to them.
Five thousand copies of this issue have
beeu printed Inere are between three
thousand and four thousand prisoners
under the supervision of the department
of correction. The extra copies win be
sent 20 various philanthropic societies and
will be exchanged for papers published at
other prisons Before the paper is made
up proofs are submitted to Neuville o.
Tanning. the deputy commissioner of cor.
rection. who acts as press censor. The IA
Per is not on sale and no advertisements
are published. Possibly the comptroller OF
the city Will be asked TO permit the sale of
the paper but no plans have been made.
MIR. Lantry does not intend that the paper
| ehall be a nroftahle hnsiness Neniure.