The Washington times., 1905-02-27

she declares.
When asked is the expected to visit the
penitentiary, Mrs. Maybrick evaded the
question.
u do not know yet just what 1 shall
do tomorrow she said. Il shall return
to New York in the afternoon. Until
then l shall be with friends, and what
ever they suggest for my entertainment
shall do. This afternoon / spent quiet
~ at the Rittenhouse apartments, where
am staying. l visited no institutions
of any kind.
Has Examined Prisons.
Yes, ii is true that / shall probably
write a book on American prisons. l
have examined all the penitentiaries in
New York State and the Trenton State
prison. l find them all far more humane
than the English prisons: yet, even they
coulo be improved. 1 have heard that
,, your Eastern Penitentiary here Is the
most terrible prison in America. It is
surely so II it has not changed from the
time of Dickens"
When asked Ii she would visit the pen
itentiafy at any other time, If not now
and probably other Pennsylvania insti-
tutions, Mrs. Maybrick said she cid not
know My future movements are not
yet clearly def-5t'' she replied
What Is tfe most terrible feature
about the Ens..'.. prisons?" reporter
asked.
The silent system, without a doubt, -
SAID mrs. MaybricR- The prisoners are
forbidden 10 converse with one another
except once week, and then in the
utes.
Almost Forget Language
Life prisoners almost forget their
own language. The whole vocabulary
used by the prisoners in q year includes
perhaps not more than 100 words 1t IS
| terrible, this silence, worse than soli-
tude- Many persons have been driven
mad by IT."
| What do you think of Lord William
| Nevill's book on English prison life?'
| was another question
II Is very good so far as II goes, -
she replied. But it suggests only ply
! sieaf reforms, much needed ones to be
| sure, put not SO important as an effort
| 10 better the intellectual and spiritual
! condition Of the prisoners
/ Instead of endeavoring TO up1ift and
| Improve the prisoner. prison systems in
| both this country and in England
! though Tar more cruel there. tend to
crush out OF his mind Whatever OF in
! tsiligence or higher thinking il contains
/ The influence OF prison life is in the dI-
rection of making his mind blank, his
| soul void
yes, my whole lifework shall be to
| aid prisoners wherever / can. It is my
| one thought l have suffered and know
| what il means. II / can prevent suffer
| ing of others. 1t is my reward"
| some Like herself.
| Mrs. Maybrck would not say whether
| she believes there are many others I'M
| justly imprisoned as she was. She says
| there are undoubtedly some thus
| wronged by the law, but would give no
instances. She admitted, however, that
some such case had taken her on a
journey to Albany to the superin-
| tendent of the State prisons there last
| week.
Mrs. Maybrick does not impress one
as being a woman who would undertake
such a serious study as penology. or
such d weighty task as prison reform,
| unless her resolution had been fixed by
| her own terrible experience.
She is. more of the type OF society wo-
man. gay and needless, and such wo-
man she was before her arrest ard con-
Vfction. Despite her years OF imprison-
ment and enforced silence, Mrs. May
bricks voice has lost none OF its natural
charm. 1t is soft. modula ted, and she
has acquired a perfect English accent