Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-10-18
Only Faveiiie Cslyicls lave
Any Show Il State Penal
Institution
Prison Officers Have Lost
Jurisdiction When Rules
are Fractured
Absence Of Warden From
Prison Causes Disappear
slCe Of Discipline

Warden Helltsrom has fayofitet
among the conyicts and permits a feN
'snitchers' to direct the government
OF the pcnitentiary.
"The warden also uses the honol
system to advance his political ambi
tiOns."
The two charges were made agallisl
Warden HellstrCm by Lawrence Duf
fy, recently discharged prisoner
Duffy was sent up ten months ago FOL
a year on third degree burglar.
charge and after having been kept ir
Jail at Grand Forks for five months
The Herald had a story at the time
tc, the effect that Duffy was railroaded
to the pen by o jury on general prln
cipals, just because he was regarded
as too fresh.
"The homer system at the state. pen,
said Duffy TO the Forum, while ~
Fargo after his release from the penl
tcniiary, us all right in theory, but Its
combination with the military system
is disliked and 1T doesn't work out y
practice. Under Warden Hellstron'*s :
present plans a few fellows whc viii
'snitch' and quill get all the poHef
They gct on the good Side Of the
warden ana shdif. likes and di3ihes
govern the rest Of the prisoners. II
is unfair tc; the body Of prisoners and
Gives a few retty fellows too fnAcll
authority. 1t lessons the respect ~
feeling the prisoners should have I -
the warden.
THE honor system, alone, Nouid
be al right, and probably 80 per cent
of the men would observe it, but the
military system is obnoxious to al
least 40 per cent OF the prisoners some
of whom are bitterly antagonisttc. The
guards also, dislike 1t. Prisoners who
are guilty OF infractions of the rules
don't mind having punishment impos
ed by the warden or proper officers
but they resent having other ccnvicts
uyurp that power. Guards dislike tC
be sworn and to be compelled to testl
fy against one convict at tho direction
of another. The system PAGES q
premium on spies and tell-tales. causes
4 lot Of resentment end friction among
the prisoners and generates an un
dercurrelat Of iIlleeling instead Of
harmony. With the military system
entirely abolished and the hDnor sys
TEN enlarged and strengthened the
prison would be a great deal better
governed. ,Gs =,
"W1lile it is claimed that the mill
taIry system rules, its sentences are
net observed. Robinson and Irwin
two prisoners who escaped this sum
,ner had neither signed the honor roll
but had been given the same privll
eyes as those who had. When they
were returned to the prison end un
der military rule the cOlvicts gave
these men twenty days en- bread and
water in solitary confinement. Their
time Is up, but both are still held IN
solitary CONTINGENT .
warden Hellstro'n permits Noah
and Corroy, two Ward county men. tc
practically run the military end of the
system and they stand In with him
to such an extent that other prisoners
whom they dislike suffer penalties
they don't deserve.
IF Warden Hellstrom was really In
earnest fer reform he would have the
military plan promptly abolished.
Another thing that Is causing
trouble,' concluded Duffy, lis the fact
that since his nomination by the dem
ocrats for governor, and before. the
warden has frequently been absent
from the institution. He goes off on
political missions and leaves the pen
in charge Of his deputy. The prison
ers quickly realize his position, and as
q result there is q lack Of discipline
iii the institution"
Duffy is returning to his home IN
the east and will take up some trade
He IS bright little fellow with more
than the average intelligence.
He had some good stories about ttfe
different phases Of prison life, espec
tally about tho warden and Convict
Wpolen to whom 50 much tavCrltism
is alleged to llave been shown by He'll
strcanl Duffy thinks that .sooler
rather slipped one over on Helbtrom
after all. 5