Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1900-08-23
Visit to Nebraska Penitentiary.
UTICA, NEBRASKA, August9 9, 1900
Editor of Journal,

UTICA, NEBRASKA, Augusta 8, 1900.
Editor of Journal,
Extra, Iowa,
Dear Sir-As take up the pen to write
to the folks at home, perceive that the
greater part of the letter will be of general
interest, and will therefore submit it to
One pleasant August evening as We
We're nearing the city of Lincoln, Nebras-
ka, and muSing over the scenes of wealth
and beauty around us, our thoughts were
diverted by the grey walls of peaiten-
tiary, which, creeping like an evil thing
in upon the quiet scene. whispered of sin,
crimes. aud the miSerieS of confinement
The bright pictures of universal peace
and Christianized world which we had
been mentally painting, assumed dark
err hue.
Early the next morning we were grant
ed the privilege of looking through this
prison, upon which ! shall now briefly re-
mark.
The main Enclosure of the prison is
solid rock wall, % feet high. Upon this
wall are placed watch towers in which
yard. The wall in modified form, forms
the outer wall of the main prison build
ing. in which are found the various offices,
Office and quite an extensive library sup
t%red by The eonsie e Here IS aIao fonnd
dred convicts lie down nightly to dreams
of liberty and home. Even the red-hand-
ed murderer smiles when in a dream he
q
lonely rison couch. He fancies he feels
the touch of gentle hand, and starts,
m ,u,hau, If, "mother" u but ah, that
sorrow did hound her to the grave. The
retribution of crime falls not upon the
criminal alone.
convicts are confined when unruly, the
usher asked us to step inside. AS we did
SO he closed the ponderous iron door. and
for a moment left us in the filthy black
ness of dungeon, Friends, if, as some
claim, there is no hell other than the mis-
cries of the earth, this dungeon is certain
ly the hottest corner
We now passed on into the prison yard,
in the center of which is situated the pris-
on hospital; surrounded by fine blue.
beautiful Gamma flowers, verbenas, petun-
las, etc. These were smiling up at the
grated windows as If endeavoring to re-
poor convict, whose sallow face was press
ed against the cold, stubborn bars of the
hospital window
We next we were shown in succession
through the broom factory, brush factory,
blacksmith shops, button factory, etc.
The buttons are manufactured from
shells. the residue of which is ground into
the poultry food of commerce.
Each convict has definite amount of
work WHICH he must perform each day.
his cell, where his desires for reading mat It.
ter are carefully attended to.
II you have friend in the prison with
WlO1l YOU WISH TO communicate he is Ia
ken, under guard, into the Chapel where,
in the presence of the Warden, You are per
nitted to talk to him. If those chapel walls
could speak they could tell some heartren-
ding scenes.
On our way out of the prison we tarried
a brief spell in the Chapel. We noticed
there Il very young convict, the expression
upon whose pale but handsome face ca,ls-
ed us to ina CINE that that prison garb was
burning its repulSive stripes indelibly into
his soul. BY his side sat a young LADY, Her
arm was upon his shoulder. Her hand was
claSped in his, and they were both weep
ing. We judged her to be a sister or per.
haps a sweetheart or rare fidelity, whose
won it. In another part of the Chapel sat
an aged mother and father giving words of
consolation and comfort to fallen son.
Twenty-SiX of the COnviCtS in this prison
will never taste the sweets of freedom
again unless through compassion, per.
haps. they are permitted to wander fort II
when decript with age, and take a last
view of childhood's haunts, then sob the
remaining fragment oftheir blighted lives
away upon the bosom of Liberty.
We turned from the doors of this prison
able better to appreciate the PRIVILEGES we
enjoy, and more considerate for the hap.
happy we catch the spirit and become hap
Ply, too; therefore the true road to happi
ness is in making others happy. Tonight
we are camped among the waving corn
fields of Seward county, Nebraska and as
we gaze ont over the western hills beallti
fled by the after-glow of sunset ON
thoughts go back to the prison.
GRANT KNEss.