Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-08-24

File q Patent--Conviets Enjoy the
Daily Popers--No Lockstep, Chains
or Handouts - System Seems 10
Work Well.
Arizona, the youngest state ia the
Union, is adopting some prison re-
forms that are attracting the attention
of her older sister states. Here is a
story that illustrates what ~ being
done:
The Joint houses Of the legislature
OF Arizona at Phoenix assembled one
day last spring to listen 10 Miss Kate
Barnard, commissioner of charities Of
Oklahoma. She Is n little wisp of a
woman, all fire and spirit, and she
talked TO these men on prison and
other reforms for two hours and half
They listened without fdgeting.
Just coming from the Arizona peni-
Tertiary, Miss Barnard told the legls-
lators Of the experiment she Ind Just
witnessed IN the prison. In which a
convict Roy Meyers, had run his
pumping engine by an electric spark
caught from the air. She asked the
lawmakers TO sanction the governor In
permitting Meyers to 20 to Washington
to file his pntent She pledged $50 on
her own part to help bear the expense.
Her impetuousity swept the legislators
off their feet. and they not only gave
a ringing assent, but surged about her
to add to the sum.
Meyers went to Washington, filed his
patent. visited his family on his gay
back and then returned to the prison.
He is ut his pumping station once more
This was not the first time that Coy
ernor Hunt had shown his trust IN
members of his prison family. A short
time before he had allowed n long sen
tence man TO 90 to New Mexico and
spend Easter with . family The
man was gone the allotted period and
returned on schedule time.
No Lockstep.
One of the prisoners puts II this way:
"The governor thinks we are worth
saving, and he is willing to let us try
to come back, He has taken away all
our useless humiliatlons that kept be
fore us our condition. There Is no lock
step; we can talk freely together; we
get daily mall: we may read a daily
paper. Before we had mail once a
week and never saw paper. You
don't know what 1t means to one to be
al Mo 20 In, 4
The mans speech, nicely grammat-
Teal In n land where grammar is not
Insisted on, was puzzling. II was with
out surprise | found him to have been
newspaper reporter. He continued:
"You won't hear the clank of a chain
or see a pair of handouts The COVER
nor trusts to our honor to obey the
prison laws, and there IS not an Eng
fish speaking prisoner at least here
who would do anything to bring dis
credit on the governors policy or on
the warden who carries it out. You
have no idea already of the difference
in the men among themselves. We
used TO have fights every day. Oh. /
tell you it was HI Now, although
we are restless and every man longs
for liberty. we are at peace"
A Mutual Improvement League.
The prisoners have organized the
Mutual Improvement league in order to
support from inside" the governors
policy. Its president is a mining engi-
neer now In charge of the power house.
Its executive officer Is a "lifer" who
but for what was deemed speedy tu-
berculosls would have been banged.
Instead Of dying he has grown brown
and husky.
Thus Differed by the prisoners Of
education and experience the convicts
have rallied and subscribed to the rules
of the Mutual Improvement league,
These are:
go try each day to do some good
deed.
ITO assist each other in all matters
of grievance.
"To assist the officers in the dis
charge Of their daily duties.
"To avoid and prevent disorderly
conduct.
ITO refrain from profane language"
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Value of Cocoa Exports.
In British Gold Coast Of Africa the