The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-07-31
the suggestion that a photograph
might be taken they gave emphatic

might Do tney gave empnatlc
assent.
Hey Bill" they called to others
nearby. Shorty! Come on and get
in the picture"
Every man of. them was smiling
the reporter drove on they waved
their hands and said good-by. Two
or three Of them lighted pipes or roll
ed cigarettes. They can smoke when
they please at Great Meadows-until
the lights go out at night in the cells.
A quarter Of a mile further on is the
sheep barn, where Herman stays
all day with his charges. At night he
goes to the cell block to he locked up.
"Only in lan1bing time, Of course"
he said. "Then I hat to stay wit the
too lonesome"
Ten years ago an Italian named
Frank" held up a paymaster in the
companions. He has nine years yet to
serve. Later In the. afternoon Frank
was very apologize because he was
not at the piggery when the reporter
paid his formal call upon the pig herd.
1t developed that Frank had been a
mile back on the mountain in the
thick of a wood fixing up a fence
which his sharp-nosed charged had
rooted under. Every day Frank goes
alone to make the round of his fences.
He was grieved because of his appar-
ent failure in hospitality.
II like I be there when you come"
said he. my oYldred and a-feefty
beeg peeg. dey ina da woods. But
twalve litla peeg come dis-a morn. Dey
dam fine litla. falla. 1 like you see
heem."
the guide. "He's a fine fellow. Hes
doing twenty yearsssfor murder"
So. in course OF time. we got
around to the chicken yard, where
George is principal Keeper But
for the moment we were disappoint-
ed. The ''t~wenty-year' man had gone
fishing.
But he ought to be back in an hour
or 3d." said the one-time physician.
who is now in charge Of the horse
barn. ,"He's been gone all day..
George served fifteen years in Clin-
ton and Auburn, prisons. A year ago
he was brought; to Great. Meadows
with a fresh draft, ironed hand and
foot. On the. afternoon of that day
Warden Homer looked over the new
Corners. Their irons had just been
U off They. Were sullen and re-
bellious. An hour later a guard sum-
moned the ",twentyyyear man."
The warden wants to see you."
said he. n
George stood. slowering at him a
curse on his lips The guard took
Look" said he. e""You go down this
road for about; half. a mile and then
turn to the left. The warden lives in
that big white house at the top of the
hill. o can't miss 1t. And hurry"
n guard turned away. George
stood for a moment while he slowly
took In the fact that he was to be
trusted to go alone. to the warden's
house. Then he broke into a little.
hating run. When he reached the
warden the tears were coursing down
his cheeks. ~.
the other fellow will tote fair GEMS
to work out In an. amazing way. Four
or five years ago "Jack" was sent to
Sing Sing. There the guards tried to
break his spirit" with the result that
they made a comparatively %inoffensive
chap over into q %rnankiller. He had
stabbed six or maybe seven-they
don't watch such details at Great
Meadows-when by some strategy he
prison. Only good conduct" men
are supposed to reach there. Jack
came in full Of fight and acid.
What was your job on the out
side?" asked Homertplacidly.
Chauffeur" said, Jack in a way
that carried, a. cursd.s. -:
Now" that's lucky" said. Homer,
We've just got a new three-ton gaso-
line truck and there's no one here
who can run it. You'd better take
charge Of it tomorrow"
So that Jack-'the most dangerous
mar In Sing Sing according to 9TH
ers from that prison-for more than
a year ran that truck between the rail-
way station and the prison. Sometimes
he had help with him and sometimes
he didn't. Jack left the other day and
Warden Homer regretted it deeply. He
q become a very valuable man.
II wish I could afford to hire him."
said Homer.
Homer feels that his work is to
build up the men that have been sent
him: He wants them able to look a
man In the eye when they ask for a
Job-and husky enough to hold it aft
er they get 1t. Therefore. he will have
no rules. the main purpose Of which
Is to press 1t upon he other fellows
MIND tina he Is a convict and there
fore unworthy. He keeps his men-so
far as p~ossible-at h tasks they will
be apt to find when they are freed. He
doesn't object to tobacco smoke, and
he encourages them to get the daily
papers and keep up with the news.
The essentials of discipline are pre-
served-the men are locked in at night
they are required to be respectful in
addressing officers and they are not
permitted to use profane language.
Otherwise precisely the same course is
followed at Great Meadows that may
be observed on any privately owned
farm. There are no particular re-
wards for good conduct-and the mar
who refuses to obey the rules is trans
ferred to Dannemora, where the old
system prevails. And all the men
know 1t. Homer puts 1t up to the
man." II he doesn't want to behave
he needn't-only he'll do his misbe-
having somewhere else.
Under the law. only first term con-
victs are sen to Great Meadows. They
are transferred from other prisons as
a reward for good behavior. Practi-
cally, some second mt have been
sent there. Many of the first termers
were the worst men in the prisons
from which they were sent. Three of
the "taxicab bandits" who %terrorized
New York some months ago, are. now
among the trusted men at Great
Meadows. One took Jacks" place at
the vince Of the auto truck. Another
is foreman Of a gang.
At least 100 Of Homer's graduates
have found work on the farms in the
neighborhood. That's the best proof
OF what has been done for them.
prison 10 The first to set a dog on the
"AY.rou