Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-17
Talk OF R[F|)RNAlORY
General Assembly Will Likely
Discuss Subject of That
Needed Institution
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED
While the Bill for the Creation of That
institution Fared Badly Last Session
the Interest it Awakened Still Is
Made Manifest-Reason for Need Of
Reformatory.
special to Times-Republlcan.

Special to Times s-Republican.
Des Moines, Aug. 17-The plan to
have created in the state of Iowa an
institute to be known as a reformatory
in distinction from that of a prison or
penitentiary is likely to be revived with
added interest during the coming WIN
| ter before the session of the general
assembly The bill having for it's pur-
| pose the creation of reformatory far
ed badly at the last session, but ii
served the purpose of arousing a great
deal of interesting discussion on the
subject. The bill was beaten into the
earth by a handful of influential old
fogy lawyers who went on the princi-
pie that all criminals should be treated
alike and that the methods Of five CEN
turtles ago are good enough for Iowa
in this day. Warden Hunter OF the
state penitentiary, at Anamosa, In his
biennial report just made, makes 4
strong recommendation In favor of a
reformatory. He would have this in
stituton for first offenders. He sails
attention to the fact that a great ma
jority of those who are committed to
the penitentiary for the first time are of
Il class distinctly different from the old
offenders and that they should be treat
ed, not as confirmed or hardened GRIM
mails. but as persons subject to reform
atory influences. The plan is to estab-
c rafr trr1 fnr
not in fact confirmed criminals. and
not to send them to the penitentaries.
Warden Hunter makes strong plea for
this in his report. During the bien-
NAL period just closed he reports fifty
seven paroles, and of these only four
have been returned as unworthy of the
paroles issued. Six others previously
paroled had been returned during the
period. But the discipline of the peni-
sSntiarv has been excellent, not one
making an. attempt to escape. though
one, who had previously escaped, was
returned. There was a decrease of 60
per cent during the period in the
number of those who had to be punish
ed by the solitary. There are All in
mates at the penitentiary, Of which
twenty are females. The increase in
the period is only thirty-one. The larg-
est number from any one county in
the northern district was from Linn
county, fifty-one, with Woodbury., fifty,
Dubuque. thirty-one, Webster fourteen.
Fayette eleven. Bentor Blackhawk and
Clayton ten each. Chickasaw and Ply
mouth nine each, Floyd and Jones eight
each, and no other county more than
seven. OF the "lifers" in the peni-
tentiary since the beginning there were
siXty-four for murder in the first de-
gree, seventeen for second degree. four
for rape, one for assault to commit rape
and two for robbing the mails. Nine
persons have been in the penitentiary
under death sentence and of these. two
went back to the sheriffs under the old
law for execution, three had their sem
tences commuted to life Imprisonment,
two got new trials from the supreme
court, and two are still awaiting ac-
tion by court
The financial showing made by the
penitentiary management at Anamosa
is an excellent one. In four years the
cost of management has been reduced
over $4,000 for the biennial period and
at the same time during the past year
the convicts did work on public build
ings valued at over S141.000. The cost
of running the penitentiary in the BIZ
ennial period ended June 90 1899 was
$254, 4,S34.S5; the cost of the next bien-
NAL period had been reduced to S204,-
791.0S, and in the period just closed It
was cut to $177,075.12. This economy
was effected in the face of the we'll
known fact that the cost of all the
supplies has greatly increased the past
four years. The appropriations asked
for are divided as follows: Steel for
completing new cell house $l7,S50:
heating and lighting same. $4,000;
closets and plumbing SS,S00; new
building for shop. 100000; miscellan-
eous supplies including clothing and
pay for prisoners on discharge, $14,S0O;
salaries of foremen, $1,000; total S13,-
$50. This is for the biennial period.
S,,perintendent b. j. Miles, of the
bows school at Eldora, makes a strong
recommendation in his report In favor
of the establishment at that institution
of a printing shop. On this subject he
says:
Your superintendent has long
thought that a printing office should be
established here where class of boys
could learn the printers trade.
With the building of our new shop,
which is now being erected, ample room
will be provided for a printing and
binding establishment, in which not
only the work of the institution could
be done. but the printing and binding OF
all state institutions
The state owns one printing estab-
!ishment-at Glenwood. The boys there
have made good use of 1t. and all the
institution printing is done there AT
Anamosa the prisoners have print
shop and there a paper is printed. But
far more could be done at Eldora than
at either of the other institutions, and
it is believed that the legislature VIII
take kindly to the suggestion made IN
the report Superintendent Miles asks
for $4,000 with which to purchase ma
terial for the beginning of his printing
establishment.
Eastern insurance journals report
that local boards" have been formed