Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-11

OF peaceful Norway, seems too monstrous for
belief; yet the man who perpetrated all these
multiplied horrors is here before us, plodding
through his daily task as quietly and content
edly as any honest workman in the town.
Il think myself that he ought to have died
for it, he concluded, "but the death penalty's
very rarely inflicted among us nowadays. Ev-
cry condemned criminal has the right of ap-
peal to higher court, and thence direct to
the king himself, who almost always COM
mutes the sentence. We've had only one ex-
ecution here for years past, and that was. a
convict in this Jail, who killed one of the
subinspectors. Most of this present set are
serving short terms for theft and the like.
We have only four or five in for life, whom
I'll point out to you in passing. Now, shall
we go through the other rooms?" ~.
On we go accordingly, finding everywhere
the same silent and diligent industry, almost
every trade being fully Represented tailoring
in one. room, shoemaking in another and
straw-plaitiHg and basket weaving in third.
Here are dozen men nimbly fitting togeth-
er light chairs and tables. There quiet little
man, in spectacles, with the look of school
teacher, who has already served two of his
five years, is hard at work upon the vanishing
of sideboard.
'"Theres warder in eacha room, you SCI" !"
says the sub-inspector, "who has to see that
they do their work properly, and that they
| don't speak to each other except when the
necessities of the work require it.
| Down in a kind of vault below we come
upon srnithy. which, dark as it is, seems
quite lively with the genial fire glow and the
hlithe clink Of metal Next to it is a larger
and lighter room. where various small arti-
eles, work baskets, writing desks, knapsacks,
etc., are being very dexterously manufactured.
II is curious enough to see what pride these
strange workmen take in their own skill, and
how pleased they seem when we stop to adj
mire it.
''Do these fellows make any profit on their
work?' l inquired.
"Not in money" answers my guide; but if a
man works hard, and shows himself clever IN
! bis own line, we grant him certain indul-
gences-books and newspapers, for instance,
tobacco, fruit, an extra half hour in the court
| yard now and then which make it quite
worth his while to do the best he can. We
have storeroom in the Jail, where the things
wishes to buy. Would you like to see it?"
"Very much" .
The inspector opens a small door leading
into the courtyard, and. plotting us round
lscorner,s .enters~a long, low, wooden building
at the back of the prison. Here we find {
museum of miscellaneous articles, worthy o
one of those ingenious London storekeeper
who are constantly advertising their ability
4 to furnish gentlemen with any, necessary
from wife to warming pam" Clothes
boots, slippers, satchels, fishing baskets. ehest
lof drawers, chairs tables, carved racks ant
picture frames fill the whole room to its yer.
door. >, ~
NOW, SlT, sdlQ lily Buiuc, N.tH iIS JpIi!
laugh, as he sees my eyes wandering over thu
rows of strong boots in the farther corner
'sdon't go away without buying something
It's the duty of all visitors from abroad t.
, encourage native industry. YOU know"
The argument was irresistible, and anothe
minute sees me fitted by convict shoemake
with specimen of his own work. at the Ger
tainy not exorbitant charge Of twelve Norwe
eian crowns labout S3).
"You were asking Just now about our prison
discipline, by-the-by," says the sub-inspector
as we pass the door of his Office on our way
back to the main prison Perhaps would liki
to have copy of our rules-they1l tell yol
all you want to know on that head"
/ He hands me big, offieiallooking broad
sheet (which is still in my possession), and
read as follows:
! a Prisoners rise at $50, wash. comb aut
dress themselves.
% Work goes on from to s. when hal
an hour is allowed for breakfast
80. Work again from $50 till u; then din
ner, after which exercise in the courtyard
till 1.30.
a. Work resumed till 4.30, when half al
hours leisure is allowed and slice of breat
is served to each man.
90 Work resumed till 7,30, when it ceases
for the day, and supper is served.