Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-03-01
IOWA prisons
ARE Filling UP
The Number Of Inmates Of the
State Penitcntiaries Now
Exceeds 900
THE LARGEST SINCE 1908
LARGEST SINCE 1908
Gradual Decrease Had Boon Noticeable
Since That Pcriod-Anamosa Peni-
tentiary May Be Converted Into a
Reformatory by tho Next Legisla-
.ture-eoard Of Controls Wow.
special 10 r,mes-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. March f.-For the first
time since May, 1903. the number OF
inmates in the state penitentiarles
went above 900. This figure was ex-
ceeded in January when the number OF
prisoners was 908. The number for
January has not been exceeded since
May, 1901, when the number was 916.
When the board OF control was Great
cd the first report for July, 1898, shows
q population Of 1852, There was q
gradual decrease In the population OF
the two penitentlaries for the next
several years. During the summer the
population is always less than IN the
winter. but during tho winter OF 1901
and 1902 the number did not reach 9O0.
For the past four or Ave years the pen
tl,,lum has been swinging the other
way and there is a slight increase up
to the present figures. There is no rea-
son assigned for the change so far as
members OF the board can discern.
While no action. Of the board OF con-
troll has been taken looking to recon-
mending to the next Legislature that
the Anamosa penitentdary be turned
into n reformatory and the Fort Madi-
son penitentiary be the only prison in
the state, the bohrd is likely to main
tain the attitude on this question that
1T has taken in the past. The recon-
mendation has been made by the board
to other legislatures and Will likely pc
made again. It is believed to be step
in advance in penitentiary regulamon
to distinguish between the hardened
criminal of whom there is no hope OF
reformation and the new beginner OF
whom there is hope. It has been re-
ported In some of the papers of the
stale that the Ananosa penitentiary
viii after the completion OF the new
cell house have capacity OF 2OOO IN
mates. This Is erroneous. There VIII
he about 500 cells and the best prison
management is for but one person 10
be placed in a cell. With two as the
limit the capacity would be 1,SO0. The
capacity at Fort Madison is somewhat
less than that at Anamosa.
II the ideas Of the board OF control
are followed the Anamosa institution
will be made into a reformatory much
after the ideas followed in some OF
the older states. In the reformatories
the prisoners between the ages OF no
and 30 or IS are kept, provided the
older ones show signs OF reformation.
In the refornatories greater emphasis
is nut on schools for the education OF
the prisoners and manual training
schools especially. Along with the re-
formatory idea is linked the idea or
the indeterminate sentence and the
other ideas tending to put prisoners
on their honor and give them added
incentives to behave themselves. II IS
understood that Warden Hunter at
Anamosa is very much In favor OF the
reformatory idea.
A prominent politician from Lucas
county, who was in this city a couple
of days ago, said he wrote to Con-
gressman Hepburn some time before
the Corning farmers institute and tolo
him that IL an election were to be neid
then in Lucas county Mr.. Hepburn
would not get ten votes. Furthermore
he saws he knew several other men
who wrote letters to Mr.. Hepburn OF
the same tenor. 1t was these letters,
he thinks, that were largely respon-
sible for Col. Hepburn's returning to
Corning with his certificates OF char
acter.
The difficulties of Company + and
Company A of Des Moines seem ike
ly to involve the entire guard before
it is concluded. National Guard poll
tics is something very difficult to see
thru. The things that govern in ord
mary politics do not rule in the guard.
Things lust are in the guard. There
is no particular reason. Howard u
Karns. of the adjutant generals office,
who resigned as captain OF Company
rF recently has been reelected, but has
not decided to accept and says he Will
not likely take the position. Mr.. Karns
is the only one of the captains OF the
Fifty-fiftf regiment that refused to
sign the petition for the reelection OF
lanes Rush Lincoln as colonel OF the
Fifty-fifth. An effort has been made
to get Cor Lincoln to settle the diff
culties between Company A and Com
pany f over the armory question, bu,
Col. Lincoln has sent word that he Is
t.sick" and can't come. Company r
and Company A and the First Signal
Corps company all used an arrnory or
the west side which they rented joint
w. Each company wanted to drill or
the, same night. The states gives each
company sum of money for armorJ
rent ana requires them to have an ar
moryl There is a question whether
Col. Lincoln or Gen. Thrift or any
other guard officer has any legal righ'
to take any hand In the troubles here
between Company i and Company A
The proposed banquet and rolftica
meeting Sof the democrats for thi
month ilit this city brings out an ex
pIanation bf no the delegation secured
the s175 that s proposed to spent
On the banquet larry Evans 'eeF'