The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-03-08
W.4RDEN no PRISONERS.
The Locls-step to BE Abolish ed Other
Changes i'm Prison Discipline.


| Changes i'm Prison Discipline.
! Albert Garvin, the new warden at
| the state prison at Wethersfield, met
1 the prisoners in body in the chapel
on Sunday morning. 1T was Warden
Garvin's first Sunday at the prison.
! Chaplain Hall conducted the services,
which began at II o'clock and lasted
nearly an hour. Prison Directors
James w. Cheney (the chairman of the
board, w. o. Burr and Frank c. Sum
| ner were present, and occupied seats
on the platform with the chaplain,
warden and deputy warden. The SER
vices began with the singing of the
Doxology by the prisoners, led by the
choir, composed of first grade convicts.
The hymns, Sweeping Through the
Gates" and Nearer, My God, to Thee"
were also sung. The singing was char
acterized by a spirit of devotion. Some
of the voices in the choir showed a
high degree of training and finish.
Chaplain Hall led the congregation in
earnest prayer. The chaplains sermon
was a plain practical discourse on the
necessity of having faith. He took for
his text the eighth verse of the fourth
chapter of the second epistle of limo
thy. 1t was easy to see from the ex-
preston on the faces of the convicts
that they paid the closest attention to
what the chaplain said.
When the benedction was pro-
nounced by Chaplain Hall, Warden
Garvin stepped in front of the platform
and addressed the convicts. He spoke
briefly and concisely, his manner maxi
ing it plain that he meant every word
he said and nothing more. TIe said: II
don't think that I need an introduction
to you. I think you know who + am. I
Will just say that good record means
a good deal to you, have thirty years
experience, and I know what a good
record is. / know it we'll enough to
protect it. I will not go behind the
returns. I know how to punish men. I
will have order at any cost. I want
as little friction as possible, and it
remains with you whether or not there
shall be friction.
Nov about the rules. + want you
all, when working in the shops, to con-
tlilut WCIhlIS WilGH Tic NdIdeu SHlSlo.
Do not quit work because / am present.
Also, when passing through the yards
do not stop when you meet me. After
this week mail will be delivered to pris-
oners each evening instead of every
Sunday. About the lock-step: / saw 1t
first thirty years ago, and I do not like
it. 1t will be abolished in the first and
second grades. The lock-step will con-
tinue in the third grade until the men
get out of it. The officers in charge will
instruct the men in the new step, which
will be the military one of twenty-eight
inches, and I hope by next Sunday the
first and second grades will have be-
come perfected in the new step"
The convicts, when the warden made
these announcements, broke into ap-
plause by clapping their hands,
Hold on said the warden, and his
had the effect of suppressng
the applause.
Continuing, Warden Garvin said:
1.-THE new step will be twenty-eight |
inches long, and the men will keep their |
arms by their sides, with their hands |
on the seams Of their trousers. have |
noticed the good order maintained by |
the men in chapel and I have no doubt |
that the third grade can be further de-
creased No one will be put in the soil
tary unless he loses grade or possibly |
two. / thank you for your attention"
On the conclusion of the warden's ad-
dress the prisoners clapped their hands
for several seconds. while their faces
beamed with pleasure.
The warden directed the rst-grade
men. about sixty in all, to remain in the
chapel after the other prisoners had left.
He gave them further instructions, and,
in charge of officers, he took them into
the yard where they were given their
first lesson in the new military step
Times.