Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-01-14

cruel. for one Of the party on leaving
remarked: "This seems to be a kind OF
4 social club In England don't yor
know. a Jail is a place Of punishment
If l should lose my present position
think I should speak for the first
vacant place in the Kannebec Jail
| Now that the prisoners in our Jail are
furnished employment the social side
of life there is not so much in evidence
The "dog-hole" at the Maine State
Prison does not differ materially from
the one at the Kennebec Jail. The
writer has been permitted to test them
both behind closed doors and knows
| whereof he speaks. The "dog-hOle' at
| Thomaston is dry and warm, but it is
not burdened with surplus furniture.
The darkness is something intense. and
there is no orchestra to fill in the time.
Certainly it is not cheerful place; but
| it was not intended to be. It was de-
| signed as a place of punishment for
| Of every conceivable offense against
| society. Even these men are not
obliged to enter it, A large percentage
of the prisoners at Thomaston come
and go and never even see it. 1t is the
prisoner who deliberately and know
ingly disobeys the rules, the man
,,,1,a to- MT n
his keepers, who is put into the "dog-
hole" Even then his stay is often
very brief, if he decides to reform
which he usually does, for there is
something very stimulating to good
resolutions and lawful purposes in the
calm and peaceful atmosphere of the
"doghole"
Some years ago the Journal severely
criticised the Warden of the Elmira.
n. Y. reformatory for his treatment Of
prisoners, it having been shown in evil
dence that flogging of most brutal
type had been his method of enforce
ing discipline in that institution. The
same day that the editorial referred to
appeared. local clergyman, who had
formerly been settled over a church in
Elmira, n. Y, came to the Office and
Indignantly called US to task for it, He
said the Elmira Warden had been
leading member of his church while he
was in that city, and that he was, in
fact, a most exemplary Christian gen.
tleman. Upon the Journal editor re-
marking that if such were the case he
had a somewhat archaic way of show
ing it, he said. you don't understand
the case. He has under his charge
some of the worst criminals in New
that appeals to them. Without the use
of the lash it would be utterly impOs-
sblc for him to maintain discipline
among them 'I cannot agree with
you," returned the Journal editor.
"Wc have just as bad criminals in our
Maine State Prison, as they have at
Elmira. n. Y. Some of their know to
be 1iends incarnate, and yet the lash
has not been used at Thomaston for
more than twenty-years.
but surely you cannot have any
discipline there" expostulated the
visitor.
We FASTENED to assure him that
there was not more orderly prison in
the entire country. He was not con-
WINGED, and demanded to know how we
DID maintain discipline there, if we
had banished the lash. We explained
the "doghole" and it's workings; but he
shook his head incredulously. II can
not believe" he said. that such meth
DDS of enforcing discipline can be efec-
tive with hardened criminals There
must be sterner methods of which you
do not know" and he went away I'M
convinced.
Now comes the Waterville Sentinel
and declares that it is opposed to the
doghole though for some reason 1t does
not openly advocate a return to the
lash. This would seem to be its mean
ing however. for we assume that 1t
desires an orderly prisOn-and we do
not think it would seriously advocate
sponge cake and pink lemonade as the
best method of maintaining discipline
among the class of men confined there.
Does the Journal approve Of the
"doghole?" asks the Sentinel. We do.
emphatically. In our opinion it is the
only method Of maintaining discipline
in a prison that is at once humane and
effective.