Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-10-06
The Anamosa Penitentiary May Be
Transformed Into Reformatory
For Younger Criminals.
Industrial and Educational Features
to Be introduced Trades Could
Be Taught.
Nomination of G. 7. Hancock by Du.
buque Republicans The Fifty.
first Iowa's Return.
special to Times-Republican.

Des Moines, Oct 6.-It is possible
that Anamosa penitentiary may be
transformed into reformatory such as
some of the eastern states have estab-
lished and found to be so successful in
dealing with the criminals who have
not become hardened to all good influ-
ences or honest ambitions--in short, to
those who are not habitual criminals
The plan would be to put into this in
stitution the convicts on short sem
tences for first offenses and to send
there in the future such convicts as
these and who give promise of leading
a better life providing they are sup
piled with the opportunity to earn an
honest living. The institution would
have a school in which the elementary
branches would be taught and would
have various industrial features in
which trades would be taught. An age
limit would probably be put upon the
leonvicts sent there. In other states 1t
lis usually those between the ages of 16
and 80 or 35 years. They are given an
lindeterminate sentence, so that it de-
pends upon the convict himself when
he is released Ii he makes progress
both mentally and morally and learns
! a trade by which he can support him.
self he is then released, his release de-
pending upon the Judgment of board
whose duty it is to be informed in re-
/ gard to the merits of all the convicts.
( Under this plan the penitentiary at
Fort Madison would continue to be a
lprison and all hardened criminals and
| long time men would be sent there.
4 The convicts now serving sentences
| would doubtless be required to serve
J out those sentences, but they would be
Immediately classified if this plan
should be adopted and the short time
men would be turned out much better
prepared to resume life with fair
chance Of success than they are now.
! 1t will be necessary to provide some
! kind of shops for the Anamosa peni-
] Tertiary during the next two years.
1 The work on the building Will be COM
| pleted before that time and the com
'lvicts viii be left idle unless some pro-
vision is made FOR their employment.
] Some means will be found TO make
them at least partly self supporting, so
i tthey Will not be a burden on the tax
payer. SO far the policy of the state
4 has always been to hire the men out
4 oy contract to some manufacturing
5eoncern. There has always been seri-
Gus objection in Iowa to the state en-
tgaging in any sort of manufacturing
business on its own account. The risk
lis great and success cannot be expected
1 without the employment of first class
eNpert managers. At first it. was
Thought that binding twine plant
might be established profitably and
without much risk or large investment
at the Anamosa penitentiary but in
vestigation shows that the state would
Inave TO inSest more than a quarter OF
a million dollars in this enterprise, as ii
would be necessary to do as the state
LOT Minnesota has done, carry a large
credit account With customers. The
dealers are unable to pay cash because
they cannot always get cash from
farmers who use the twine. So the
manufacturers are obliged to extend
| product 1t is altogether unlikely that
Iputting in a binding twine plant at
Il
TO doing this besides the heavy invest
ment required, and that is the risk of
having ali the machinery rendered use
less by new invention which will OBJ
lyiate the necessity of importing the
be done.
The convicts in the Fort Madison
| ,IJ
ployed during the past year, but ar
lrangements are now being made for the
|employment of about $50 men convicts
lis closed the convicts in that prison will
be kept as busy as they can be.
| Charles T. Hancock, member and
lformer chairman of the republican
state central committee, was yesterday
nominated for state senator by the re-
publican convention of Dubuque coun-
lty. Ii Mr.. Hancock accepts this nom
4 Iination, and ii is presumed that he will
1T being too late to nominate any other
man. he will make a right lively cam
paign in democratic county and his
election would not be at all surpris-
ling. In such a city as Dubuque person
al popularity goes u lOnS way toward
success in an enterprise like this, and
There is where Mr. Hancock is strong
4 though for some reason the Dubuque
Times has not been friendly to him fol
some time.
The Fifty-first Iowa regiment viii
not stop at Honolulu on its way home
but will follow the current which takes
the east-bound steamers 600 miles NORTH
of Honolulu. The boys will not see 8
thing but salt water after they leave
Yokohama until they arrive in Sar
Francisco. That has been the exper.
ence of other soldiers returning from
Manila by that route. Adjt. Gen. BY.
ers thinks the regiment will arrive il
San Francisco about October IL or Is
as all the conditions appear to be favor.
able for the best time. 1t is still un.
certain whether the regiment will have
its mastering out work done on boart
ship, so it can leave San Francisco il
a few days, as soon as its accounts arr
, settled. If this has not been done it vii
;. be doubtful IL the boys can get home ii