The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-03-14

ers to talk with each other Is
strictly enforced at Auburn Prison
or all the rules for the government
of the New York State convicts this
is the one that afflicts them most,
and for the violation OF which the
greatest number OF them are punish
ed. 1t is the complaint of many OF
the prisoners that they never become
accustomed to this enforced silence
The Prison Department officials 1t
Auburn Prison deny that since this
rule of silence has been adopted
there has been a noticeable increase
in insanity or in attempts at SELF
destruction among the State convicts
Many of the convicts believe that the
silence rule is almost, If not quite,
as bad as long solitary confinement
and that many prisoners are made
irresponsible desperate by 1t, IL not
driven to actual lunacy.
The following is written by a young
man Just released from Auburn
Prison. This ex-convict, Morris
Knaut, is well acquainted with New
York state Prison life. His recent
incarceration OF two and half years
at Auburn was his second experience
inside that grim citadel. In 1894 he
went from this city to Sing Sing on
a ten years sentence and after
some years there was transferred to
Auburn. He came under the silence
rule only in his second term at Au-
burn. Knaut is an educated man,
though a product OF the rough life
OF the Bowery. He speaks and writes
four languages and is Jealous
education he obtained in the idle
evening hours in prison. lie is the
prisoners view OF the terrifying
rule of silence in the States prison
at Auburn: 81
!'When a man is conyincted of g
crime In this state he is sentenced
to imprisonment and hard labor
One OF the rules of Auburn Prison
adds severe form of punishment
to this sentence. This rule forces
the convict during his entire term
to absolute silence. ! am convinced
that in the few years this rule has
been in practice there has been an
increase of insanity among prison
ers. This conviction base on
what saw and experienced al
Auburn IN serving a two and hall
year sentence there. After months
OF continuously enforced silence
the prisoner becomes desperate
morbid and often refractory. This
is especially true of the illiterate
convicts, these who cannot busy
their minds at idle times with
reading.
"Some years ago-previous to
1907 am informed prisoners al
Auburn were permitted TO converse
with each other at frequent in
tervals during the working days.
sThere are about twelve hundred
convicts in the prison. divided into
twenty-five companies. AT $50 a
M the bell rings and the prisoner
arises. At z the companies, .eacf
under captain, are turned out o
their cells and marched to the din
ing room.
"rhe first company arrives a
the dining room soon after
utes later. AS the first arrivals
o'clock, the last some twenty min
reached the tables it was formerl,
the custom to allow them to con
verse each man with his neigh
bor This was a highly satisfactor
relaxation. After the meal, at 7:4
as the companies began leaving tn
room for the workshops, those re
naming were permitted to talk
This allowed to the last to leav
some fifteen minutes of converse
ton, since it takes about that tim
for all the companies to march out
At 11.45 the bell rings and tn
men form and after washing go I
the dining room. all reaching ther
at ~. In this interval those stand
ing or seated at the tables avail
ing the arrival OF the others wei
permitted to talk. 1t was so ais
at the breaking up of the day {
the factories before returning
tnc cells at 8 p. M.
Now at none of these interva
is any talk allowed. The men mu
stand or sit beside each other
absolute silence, like dummies. III
face OF his neighbor has perhal