The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-30
ENGLAND 5 GREAT PRISON
LIFE AND LABOR IN THE PENAL
INSTITUTION AT DART
MOOR
NO FIDELITY AMONG coNv1CTs
Some of the Stories About Sensa-
tiOnal Escapes-CIeverest Es-
cape Was by French
officer.

Maj. A. Griffith, In the Pail Mall maya
zine, describing a visit to Dartmoor,
writes: Dartmoor is now before every
thing an agricultural colony. Perched
up here, high among the DevonshiIe
tors, at an elevation Of LOCO feet above
the sea level, it has become a model farm
under the intelligent and enterprising
control Of Sir Joshua Jebb, Sir Edmund
Henderson, Sir Edmund du Cane and Mr..
Ruggles-Brise, who have in turn been the
chief ADMINISTRATORS OF Englands prison
department. For nearly fifty years the
reclamation of waste or common land
has been carried on at Dartmoor In 1850
the complete cessation of transportation
obliged the authorities to seek employ
ment for convicts at home, and the old
war prison at Dartmoor was reoccupied.
Since then about fourteen hundred acres
Of moor and hog have been converted
into good arabic and pasture land.
AS we enter the farmyard We come
upon a characteristic scene full of tncl-
dent and color. In the open central space
surrounded by the timeworn buildings Of
somber, greenish-gray stone is great
group Of farm laborers, all convicts, stor-
Ing the carloads Of splendid swedes
brought in by prison teams with convict
waggoners. It is healthful, useful oc-
cupation-far better, surely than the
much-vaunted system of cell confinement.
These are willing, fairly contented work.
ers, and this in spite of their unhappy
condition, so plainly Shown by their
guardians with the Inevitable rifles, and
their uncouth, unfamiliar livery-the
same hideous caps, knee-breeches, gait
ers, and striped smock frocks, only with
the added glory of broad scarlet facings,
for these are "red-collar men, the best
behaved, most trusted convicts who are
nearing the end of their time, and who
are employed in semi-freedom about the
place. They are all "red-collar men, at
the farm; we come across them, every
where, in the cow house and calves
house and stables; one of them harnesses
stout cob into pony cart which is
to take me shortly to the most distant
works.
Meanwhile the farm bailiff, shrewd
Scot from Aberdeen way, shows me round
the buildings, and with pardonable pride
calls my attention to his filter mich |
cows, level lot, uniformly red In color
and mainly North Devons, the local breed !
most suited to these high attitudes, al |
though dash of other blood has been
imported, for good returns in milk are
as important as hardihood. Another house |
is full of calves, which are being caro-
fully reared for the market. Still more
attractive are the perfect little pony
stations, to whom come pony mares |
from all parts of the moor, and whose |
offspring are SO excellent that a prison. |
bred pony can be- recognized anywhere |
We are now more than g. mile and a
half from home; yet here in this SEEM
ingly isolated spot, far from help in case
of sudden insurrectien, with no safe
guard against some equally sudden rush
for freedom, but the + power to shoot
straight, couple of Yarders are work
ing twenty-five conviets. can see from
my point of vantage other similar parties
far away, stationed, like these on the
outskirts of the PRISON. lands, at long in
tervals apart. What keeps all in check.
all safe, within these limits? The strong