The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-10-01
EXERCISE is REDUCING The NUN.
eER OF MANICs IN LANSING
ARE ALLOWED 70 TALK.
SHOPWORK CAUSED INSANITY
In a Month Eleven Men Have Taken
the Treatment with Beneficial Re.
sults-The Time Relaxation Good
Thing. Too.

Iaayeuworth, Kan, sept a. The
new system OF treating insane con
viets is reducing the number OF pa.
tcn's In the asylum Of the Kansas
ponltcnua-y. within ;vo month, the
number has been reduced from twcu.
ty-,vo to ten, and j. X Coddng. the
warden. took charge Dee sent Dr. :. l..
down siill further
Soon after Mr. CoIding. the nov
warden Upuk charge he sent Dr :. bI.
AXton 10 visit the state asylum 70
study the methods OF handling In.
sane persons he found that plenty
~ exercise in the open air had a
beneficial effect and the prison man
agcmcnt decided 20 give this plan a
trial
When prisoner in thr United
States ciyil or military pcn,tcnuaries
becomes insane ne is taken az once 20
tho government asylum il Washing
ton The statutes Of Kansas provide
that the criminal insane shall be car
"a for 40 the state asyiums, but there
is generally a lack %. room or somo
excuse 10 refuse 10 take them and
They have 10 be held here
Il has been the policy Of the past
90 lock "a prisoner mp iu close en-
fincment iu the asylum ward as soon
as he showed signs of becoming v.o-
lent All insane prisoners were KEEP,
ia cells Some were confined In this
manner FOR the full term Of sentence
and the officials were compelled to
turn them ont in a helpless condl-
tion.
The new plan was started by 1T.
ting ~ court about one hundred
feet in diamc.er Within board IN.
closure adjoining the rear OF tha asy.
lum ward. An extra guard was pro-
vided and he took most OF the In.
sane prisoners to This place and exer.
cised them At first much care han
To be exercised 10 prevent them from
fighting each other. Il was noticed
soon that their appetites improved. Il
was not hong before most Of them
showed improved mental condition
and this was followed 10y an improve
m"nt in their physical conditions.
within two months twelve OF them
showed so much Improvement that
they were placed IN regular cells and
came 20 the main dining room for
meals. All of thom liked this much
better than idlencss and close con.
inomcnt.
Most Of the prisoners IN the a,y.
lum would become insane whnc a.
work IN the overall factory and tailor
shop. Close confinement In a sitting
position had a bad effect on them. 4
majority Of the pri ouers in the Kan.
sas penitcntiary Who can work are
employed ia the coll mine and /, is
rarel. tina; one OF them becomes IN.
sane. Con rary 70 the popular i'm.
preston on the outside. most OF the
s.4Soners IN the Kansas penitcntiary
Ike 10 work in the mine They are
afraid Of the mine at fir,t but soon
prefer Il 10 other prison labor
Mr.. Codding s'ar'cd a plan Of allow.
Ing the shop prisoners a half hours
exercise after dinner They are pcr.
miticd 20 walk around In the yard.
play ball aud take any exercise found
TO be most pleasing 90 them. This
had a splendid effect, both on the
urironers health and on the discIp.
lnc Since the nOOayard exercise
started not q prisoner from the shops
has been transferred TO the asylum
ward and very few have been on pun.
ishment The warden Is so well pleas.
ed with this exercise plan that he
win extend 6, to an prisoners not ON.
pOycd in IN" mino. orickyard or out
doors.
While taking The exercise the pris.
on,rs are allowed 70 talk. This re.
moves the melancholy that often ter,
I'm insanity The average
prisoner likes 10 talk and he becomes
morosc when Dot permitted to DO 50.
Prisoners can talk !7 the mino when
they finish their days work and do
MOI, iu.orcfore with others.