Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-01-25
Annual Report Of Board
Of inspectors,
As Submitted to Governor and
Council, Tuesday.
Interesting Statements Concerning States
Penal Institution al Thomaston.

| SpectOrS Of prisons anu JaIlS, shows
| That during the year 62 prisoners We're
received at the Maine State prison at
| ThomastOn; ~ were discharged by ex-
piration Of term of service. one was
pardoned and two died The largest
| number of prisoners at any one time
was 1S1; the smallest number, 161; and
the average daily for the year. III.
The following shows the crimes for
which the convicts are serving SEN
fences: Adultery, one; arson, seven:
assault. two; assault and battery,
four; assault with intent TO kill, 10;
assault with intent to murder. one: as
Sault with intent to rape, four; assault
with intent to ravish, one; assault with
intent to rob, Two: attempt to commit
burglary. two; attempt to commit
murder, two; assault and battery and
| obstructing railroad, one; burglary,
three; breaking and entering. four;
| breaking, entering and larceny, 81;
burglary and larceny, two; cheating
| by false pretenceS, one: conspiracy,
| one: counterfeiting. one; compound
larceny, 10; common thief, five; en-
bezzling national bank funds, one;
| forgery. three; forgery and uttering.
four, incest, two: laSciviouS cOhaDita-
| tior. one; manslaughter, 10: murder,
81: ObStructing railroad. one: polyg-
| amy, four: rape, seven; robbery,
| three; setting fire to pile of lumber,
| one; smuggling. two.
| Thrty-three persons are serving life
sentences; one. IS years; two. % years;
| four, 20 years; one, IS years; ten. 10
years; 49, two years: one. one year
| three months; two. one year, one day;
three, one year. Among the Occupa-
tons of the prisoners prior to convic-
ton We're the following: Laborers. &C;
farmers. Il: painters, seven: shoemak-
erS. eight; sailors, six; BARRIERS. four;
cooks, four: carriage carpenters. four:
harness makers. three. Seven of the
| prisoners at the time Of their cOnviC-
| tons We're over GO years of age; four
between IS and 60: five between so and
| Ja nine between As and 80: 16 between
40 and -; u between So and 40; 16 be
tween 80 and 80: 81 between % and 80;
IS between 20 and %; % between Is and
20.
! OF the prisoners when committed 15i
| could read and write and - could not
read and write: Ill used intoxicantS
and G., did not use intOXicants; 1J4 used
| tobacco and "A did not: 81 We're mar
| ried 10G We're single; nine We're widow
ers: two We're widows. Seventy-seven
cnnvirtS We're born outside the State
and IL" in Maine.
| The following shows the counties
from which the prisoners We're COM
mitled: Ambrose oggin, II; Aroostook
six: Cumberland, 81: Franklin. seven:
| Hancock, three; Kennebec. Is; Knox
| four; Lincoln. three; oxford. three:
Penobscot. %: Piscataquis. six; Saga
1ahoc. five: Somerset. eight: Waldo.
| three; Washington. six; York, 49,
| There are nine United States prisoners
i'm custody. six having been received
and five discharged during the year.
There are now % persons i'm the insane
ward of the prison. four having been
admitted and one dying during the
year.
| The report Of Rev. c. A. Plummer,
chaplain Of the prison. says:
| within the past year G2 persons
have been sentenced to the prison for
| terms ranging from one year to 20
years. Nine of them could neither
read or write; two could read a little
bu; could not write: 2S had attended
| the common schools q few terms or
years; three had been instructed in
private institutions: ten are graduates
| from grammar schools. academies or
commercial colleges. Thirty-four We're
| occasional, moderate or inVeterate
drinkers of all intoxicating drinks.
The other IS profcssed to be total ab-
stainers.
NO change has been made in the
| regulations respecting the admission
of the weekly papers which are care
fully read by all who can read. a
number Of volumes have been added
L" the library byjpurchase and others
by gift. The men are allowed the
| use of two volumes each week. The
| alphabet is taught and the student led
forward as rapidly as his ability ana
the circumstances will permit. The
advancement of most has been COM
mcndable
| "The privilege of receiving letters
| from relatives and friends of EAR
licr years and of writing one letter a
week in reply is of ineStimable value
in retaining a love for home and the
helpful associations Of earlier years.
The cultivation of such love. with other
helpful influences, has led up to the
purpose to lead manly life in many
instance. This privilege is appre-
ciated and is improved by large per-
centage of the men.
Religious instruction has not been
neglected. 1t has been our endeavor
to so present the truth of the Gospel
of Jesus the Christ, i'm our personal
association with the men and in the
Sabbath services. that those almost
wholly ignorant of all moral obliga-
tions and others having more or less
knowledge of these obligations may
come to understand apd be governed
by the knowledge of his relation to
the creator and fellow men. We have
reason to believe that the teaching
has not been in vain.
The report shows that the prison.
for the first time in many years. was
run at n nroft and that part of the