The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-03-06


date of 1858, the writer came
across an article on the Massa-
chusetts state prison situated at
Charlestown, which he believes will be
of general interest to the inmates of
this institution and will enable them to
make comparisons between the present
methods of dealing with prisoners in
penal institutions and some of the ideas
prevalent half a century ago.
The article in question is illustrated
with number of cuts of the institu-
tion showing the general character and
arrangement of cells, kitchen, yard,
etc. One of these pictures presents a
convict in his prison dress. This dress,
in which all the prisoners were clothed,
was half red and half blue, so that on
one side they appeared red and on the
other blue. The third grade suits in
use at the Saltwater penitentiary, and
which are very seldom worn by over a
dozen inmates at any one time, are
dress suits as compared with those
blue and red affairs in which the old
bay state robed her convicts in those
early days. And the cap they wore!
Made OF the same two eolors as the
suits, it was built up to about three
stories, and came to an apex something
like an old-fashioned loaf of sugar.
The original structure of the Charles
town prison was built in 1904 and 1905.
In 1926 another wing was added to the
main building. 1t was built on what
was then known as the Auburn system,
and at that early day was looked upon
as a model of humanity and propriety;
-'yet at the present day." 1850 says the
writer, with the increased knowledge
of prisoners and prison discipline, it is
looked upon as barbarous, from the
coffin-like size of its cells, its narrow
areas, and its gloomy portfolio win
dows in the exterior wallis" The outer
windows on the old parts were mere
slits or loopholes in the massive walls
admitting little air and less light. The
cells in themselves were narrow and
with very clumsy entrances, having
doors mostly solid, which gave the in
mates but small allowance of light
and air admitted from the outer win
dows.
The report of the Loard of inspec-
tors for the year 1858 says: "The pris-
oC oil
have been prompt, orderly and respect
full. Many of them have shown an un-
usual and most encouraging desire to
form fixed habits of industry and be-
havior, so that on regaining their lib
erty, they may be prepared to lead vir-
tuous lives" These convicts were
imbued with the right kind of motives
and intentions, and if they lived up to
them after their release they no doubt
became exemplary citizens. The re-
port then goes on to state that no cor
poreaI punishment had been inflicted
for two years. Previous to that period
the favorite mode of punishment was
to strip the prisoner to the waist, fasten
him to post and then play the devils
tattoo on his back with cat o. nine
tails, until either the recipient tainted
or the wielder of the whip desisted
from sheer exhaustion. Corporeal
punishment is still inflicted in large
number of the prisons and convict
farms of the southern states. The
laws of these states prescribe the num-
Der of blows that shall be inflicted on
the convict's bare flesh, and also desig-
mates the size and weight of the strap
to be used. The state of Delaware
uses the whipping post for the punish
ment of minor infringements of the
law.
In 1857 the good time law went in
to effect. As to the excellency of
the law, the report says: "This wise