Omaha daily bee., 1912-03-18
SAYS STATE BEHIND TIMES
Penitentiary Not Adequate for Sc.
curity or Humane Treatment.
BUILDINGS NOT AT ALL MODERN
Not Single One of Them Up to Re.
auirements of Modern Prison.
WHAT OTHER STATES ARE DOING

lFrom a staff Corrc.pondentI

from a starr correspondent
LINCOLN. Neb.. March I7.-(Speclal
Telegram. THE hunt has been continued
today with unabating vigor for Taylor.
Dowd and Morrill,. the prisoners who
escaped from the penltentiary after kill
ing Warden Delahunty. Deputy Warden
Wagner and Guioe IteIIman and wound
ing Guard Doody. So far as results are
concerned, however. the search might
Just as we'll have been abandoned. Not
a single positive trace has been found OF
them since they alIghted from the milk
wagon driven by Floyd Dickman about
10 o'clock Friday night.
Three men. whom. IL Is thought. might
be the criminals. were seen zes= waverly
going toward Omaha. but there is nothing
certain about these being the men. Many
who were conversant with the methods
of such men hold to the opinion they
are still under cover in Lincoln and will
stay there until they think the search
has been relaxed before they venture out
OF doors. The officials are working on
this theory as well as asking police all
over- the country TO keep a lookout for
~ W&N1h - bNtilk htHt On tNCAN
known avenue Of exit from tho city and
will be maintained indefinitely, or at
least until II Is positively known that
the men have left the city.
AIdrich Talks OF Prison.
Governor Aldrich this evening gave out
a statement concerning conditions at the
penltentiary which Is the result OF the
Investigation he has made since the
dope episode OF a number Of days ago
and the more recent tragedy which cost
the lives OF Warden Delahunty. Deputy
Warden Wagner and Guard Heilman.
He points out that Nebraska. IN tho
matter of prison arrangements. Is far
behind the times. both as TO security.
humane treatment of convicts and the
health of the inmates. He asserts the
buildings are old and not a single one
Of them up to the requirements OF
| modern prison. -a
Continuing. he says: ITO meet this
situation and TO treat the wards OF the
state In humane way and may II pos
sible for the violator OF the law TO have
an opportunity to become better while he
Is enduring punishment. in my Judgment.
the following definite and specific things
NUT bo done II the state OF Nebraska
wishes TO fulfill its obligations and keeo
Its rank among the progressive and highly
civilized state Of this union.
Advocates Reformatory.
First. there should be builded an inter
mediate penitentiary. or reformatory. and
II should not be built near or adjoining
any large center OF population or big city.
This intermediate peniteutiary ls no ex-
pertinent. II has been tried by SO many
different states and proven satisfactory
that II needs no further discussion. and
into this institution should be placed men
convicted of small crimes and who are
violators of the penal statute for the first
time and who are not inheritently bad.
but have done something under peculiar
situations that makes them amenble to
/ the law.
For instance. In my Judgment, a man
convicted of crime for a first time, espe-
/ cially young man convicted OF an or
binary crime for the first time. never
should be sent TO the penitentlary at all.
| He should be placed in this intermediate
Z lHsAllutioH tiaA dA1 hoA
only hygienlc. but win give him an oppor-
l tunity not only to reflect under good cir
cumsatnces. but that will be conducive
to good health and industry in a manly
way.
cites Other states.
For instance. about four weeks ago I
/ had the opportunity accidentally Of meet
7 ing on train coming from Hastings to
/ Lincoln the man who had been selected
/ by provisions Of the legislature to build
/ for the state Of Pennsylvania a new peni-
tentiary. This man was closing a trip Of
Investigation Of many penal institutions.
/ He went into detail with me as TO what
| his state was doing.
They had purchased at a large cost,
several thousand acres OF land. This
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