Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-06-28
Until Recently State Was Not
Far Removed From Russia in
Its official Atrocities
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT PAST
Management Of Penal Institutions
Now Use More Human Methods in
, Enforcing Discipline = Des Moines
to Appeal to Carnegie in Solving It's
Library Problem.
Special to Times Republican.

| Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines June 2S.--Iowa is not
so very far removed from the inqulsi-
| ton of Spain and the present atrocities
| in Russia, according to the testimony
of some of the state heads of state in
| situations at the conference with the
| board of control. Superintendent Fitz-
| gerald, of the girls industrial school
at Mitchellville, in the discussion fol-
lowing a paper by Warden Barr of the
| Anamosa reformatory said that he
| we'll remembered when incorrigible
boys at the state institutions We're
sentenced to thirty-nine lasfes for mis-
demeanors and misconduct in the state
institutions. This was following the
scriptural injunction of forty lashes
save one. The boys were stripped and
tied to a table face down. Every
stroke of the lash cut. the flesh open
and on this account no boy was con-
sidered strong enough to be given
more than FIVE lashes at one time
When he had recovered from his
wounds he was given five more and
50 on till the, full thirty -nine were adj
ministered.
Warden Jones of the Fort Madison
penitentiary, stated that at Fort Mad
ison Immediately before his term of
office, 1t was the custom to practice
the most severe corporal punishment
upon the prisoners Among other
things 1t was the custom there in
Furnishing a prisoner for misconduct
in the penitentiary to hoist them to
the top of the tower by rope and
then dropping the prisoner six
feet or so at time, catching them
again. with the rope, and thus lower
them to the ground. He stated that
rarely if ever was prisoner able to
go thru that ordeal without being
permanently injured for the rest of his
lie.
Both of these men intimated that
there had been worse atrocities than
those that they related practiced be-
fore their eyes which they could not
bring themselves to relate at that
time. The discussion followed a paper
by Warden Barr on Some Reflections
on the Evolution of Penology," in
which he outlined the advantages and
the Improvement in prison discipline
by the present methods which abolish
absolutely all corporal punishment, but
the discussion showed that within the
life Of the state Iowa has practiced
corporal punishment and must con-
slider itself but a recent convert when
it is horror stricken because the lash
is applied to the back of some poor
Russian for lese majestic toward the
car.
Des Moines will probably try to
solve its unused" river front library
problem, by inviting the aid of An
drew Carnegie. Thru his close per
sonal friendship with President White
of Cornell, State Librarian Brigham
has learned that the Laird OF. Skybo
Castle is still looking for some light !
mate and worthy method of getting
rid of his surplus wealth in a way |
that will do good to the country. In |
accordance with his ANNOUNCED inten- |
tons many years ago he has given lib
orally to cities and colleges to build !
This has not eaten up his
money and he is still canvassing the
field.
The great problem in cities of the
size of Des Moines and larger is to
get the Libraries used. When a city
gets so large that the people have to
change street cars to get to the IL
brary, they don't get to it. AS a result
the sS50000 city library here, standing
in a beautiful spot on the river front,
is not used to anything like the extent
that 1t should be. In some cities they
have instituted system of distribut-
ing the books thru drug stores and
located in the residence dis
riots.
Johnston Brigham, state librarian,
has investigated the problem and
inds that many cities are making. a.
success of building branch Ii
,raries in various sections Of the city
md distributing the books thru these
He believes that four library buildings
costing probably $4,000 each could be
20 placed in Des Moines that the
greater per cent of the people could
each them by walking and the citi-
:ens would thus have all the advan-
ages Of the library building and read
ng rooms and the like, with the BEN
fit of the advise Of the trained librar-
an Every city library has several
copies of each work and it makes no
Inference whether they are distrib-
tied about the city or all in one build
ng.
Mr.. Brigham Is quite confident that
Andrew Carnegie could readily be In
Iuced to furnish the money for erect
ng such buildings in Des Moines and
believes with strong representation
rom the various interests and ele-
nents in. Des Moines would not fail
o get favorable response from Mr..
carnegie. The present library build
ng. which has been occupied but
ew years, was built by the tax pay
rs of Des Moines.
POULTRY MEN MEET.