The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-31
YEARS RECORD AT
UTAH PENITENTIARY
Prisoners Made 144,000 Socks
and Other Things.

Judging from the quiet aspect of the
state prison, the casual pedestrian who
passes those grim nineteen foot red
rock walls, which today enclose 1853
convicted men, would be led to believe
| that the house on the ,hill' was yirut-
ually unsenanted. l.t-
While such a surmise would be in
correct it is pleasing to note that the
number of prisoners confined this year
is less than that of twelve months ago
by three men, and that in the face
of the growing population of the state
of Utah. 1t is "a tribute to the fair sex
when the fact is noted that the wom-
ems quarters in the prison are unten-
anted.
All the men who eryter that grim arch
way are supposed to work, although
as a rule, close upon 10 per cent are
incapaciTated for serious labor, through
physical ailments or old age. There is
plenty of work for the unfortunates
upon the $50 acres of land belonging TO
the prison, while those who have not
yet earned the trust of those in au-
thority, find ample scope ITO forget the
unpleasant present irr,wieiding tools
in the workshop and fashioning finished
articles from the raw materials at
hand.
As before stated the total number of
prisoners on hand aggregates 1863 as
against III Jan. /, 1899. ~
of these there are serving eighty
seven less than four years; hfty-one
for -four. wears and less than ten years;
thirteen for ten years and less than
fifteen years; four for fifteen years and
less than twenty years; five for twenty
years and twenty-five years; eight Tor
life: one under death sentence. The
prisoner under death sentence being
James Morgan, alias Abe Majors, the
slayer of Captain Brown of Ogden, and
now awaiting the action of the supreme
court.
The life men are: Thomas Williams.
confined since May. 1888; Charley
Lung, confined since October, 1881;
Parlin McFarlane. confined since No
vember. 1899: August Nelson, confined
since June, 1892; Fred George. confined
since September. 1895; Charles NJ.
Phelps. confined since April 1898; John
d. Douglas, confined since May. 1898;
Frank Connors, confined since OCTOBER,
1889.
During the last year the number OF
prisoners actively employed in the
workshops has naiptained an average
ranging between twenty five and nifty
men. who have been steadily employed
in making up clothing ard SHOES Tor
the institution and the state asylum
Among the numerous articles which
have been manufactured and marketed
were over 5000 dozen pairs of cotton
socks. dozens of hair saddle clncness
shoes and kindred goods.
The farm. also under the tickling Oh
the convict hoe, has been very produc-
tive. and some 200 tons OF lucern cay
have been harvested, with 1000 bushels
of potatoes. tons of beets. carrots, cab
haee. parsniDs and squash
To accommodate this amount of pro-
d1ce the prison labor last summer
eracte5 a large barn and sheds at a
cost of about. 81. 500 on the materials
An ice house, store rooms ana a re-
frigerator have also been bulH-
DR.. a. Darlington Young Oh tne
prison reports that the health OF the
prisoners has been exceptionally good
during the past year, and tnat uhere
have been no deaths, compared Will
Two in 1898.
since the pipe line, $500 feet long,
has been brought into connection with
Parley's canyon conduit and the Far
LEWIS irrigation canal. the water sup
ply at the institution has been very
Satisfactory, not day passing out
there has been a large flow ana a gooH
pressure IN case Of fire.
During the past year 1O3 PRISONERS
were received and 100 discharged, SIX
teen of these being pardonsd ana TWO
having their sentences committed
Two escapes were recorded during
,r,e year. one of whom, Golden SroWn.
being subsequently, recaptured ana re-
turned. On the other hand PRISONER
Bishop got clear away on the stormy
night preceding Decoration DAY.