Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-10-23
MARlon,s lMpREss,ohs 81 PEN.

The Forum Man Writes interestingly
OF the Visit to Boucher's sanitarium.
Fargo Forum: What to do with our
criminals is q question which promises
to become serious soon. The growth
Of crime with the corresponding rapid
growth Of the state has resulted il the
taxing OF the capacity Of the state
penitentiary at Bismarck, and should
there be many convictions and subse-
Iquent sentencing of defendants to long
terms at the forthcoming session Of
the district courts throughout the
state, the condition Of affairs would. be
most serious. 4 sss. 4. - .s ,t
Already overflow meetings'' are the
rule at the state pen. A room origin
ally intended as a chapel is now being
used as quarters for about forty pris-
oners and where any more men in
stripes could be accommodates until
after the hospital building is completed
is problem which even Warden
Boucher with all Of his resourcefulness
has not been able to solve. IS . i: {:
n The North Dakota penitentiary at
Bismarck is paying concern for the
state in actual dollars. The receipts
from the twine plant more than pay
the cost Of operating the punishment
factory, to say nothing Of the worth of
the Institution to the state as a home
for undesirable characters, 81.
As an Indication Of the, growth Of
the population within the walls of the
pen, 1t Is stated that the number Of
prisoners received there during the
past year was nearly as great as the
number received during the entire four
years preceding.
The work on the new hospital build
ing is progressing rapidly and in the
basement OF this building will be pro-
Vided cells which will provide temper
airy relief from the great rush to War
den Boucher's popular resort. The
new building is being constructed en-
t1rely by convict labor and 1t is inter.
esting to note the interest the convicts
appear to take in the work on the new
structure. Even John Young, the
troublesome John who once threatened
to escape from the state institution
and come to Fargo for the purpose of
not only burning the town but also de.
Driving the place of several legal
lights, is contentedly engaged each day
in escorting bricks from the ground to
the upper works. r
The appropriation for the new build.
Ing by the last legislature was $12, 900
and IT is safe to say that there never
was a similar sum Of money as profit.
ably expended
Recently experiments have been
made at the penitentiary in the manu-
facture of the cement brick, and with
great success. The new brick is said
to be far superior to the old burnt
brick and, because the convicts nav
engage in the manufacture of the prod.
,lct In the penitentiary yard instead OF
going out to the brick kilns under a
heavy and costly guard as at present
the new venture may be engaged in
extensively hereafter, especially If the
new bricks are found as excellent as
the first manufactured indicate.
The farming operations of the con
victs this year have been most success
fM. Great crops have been secured
from the penitentiary leased lands and
the health Of the convicts has been
benefited no little by the out of door
exercise necessary in the carrying on
Of the farming operations. =