The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-06-21

II ON 6.l5 to sis o'clock Although
all who study work hard during this
day in shops and foundries absen-
/ tees are rare and don't average more
than five month.
The women's night school, which
Is held In another wing of the peni1
Tertiary and has twenty-one pupils
is taught only three nights week
All but three of the women also take1
sewing lessons. They, too, have To
work during the day. There are but
thirtynine women in the penitentiaryI
/ There is only one among them whom,
is competent to teach. She has charged
Of the women's night school and ii
/ assisted by the matrons The wo-
men show the same eagerness 10 iearnI
I that the men do and are equally
benefited.
AS a rule the course Of study in theI
night schools covers q period on
twelve months. men and women bel
ing taught alike. Sometimes a man I'D
pardoned or serves out his sentenced
before the end of year, but he III
given what instruction the time per
I m!ts After a man or woman has finI
ished In the night school there ~ n
correspondence school conducted
along the same lines as the yariousI
/ correspondence SkHb2AS tIaTQHEEOul0
tie country. where additional instruct
ton is given by means Of weekly es-I
says. There are TWO teachers In thel
correspondence school. who are 1aisoI
prison inmates They not only pref
pare weekly lessons for the men TAX
/ ing this course. but make PERSONAL
visits TO the cells ON Sunday and asI
night when they are given the free-|
dom If the corridors IL there Is any
kuotty problem a student wants clear
ed up the teacher calls at his cell
ard gives him heip.
The teacher Is notified that hss|
papil wants To gee him by scrap of
paper which the convict leaves stick 1
I ing tn his door when he goes oat iE]
the morning 70 his days work.
In the correspondence school mora
advanced instruction is given in prac-
tically the same studies that are en-
countcred in the night school More
attention is paid 10 mathematics and
the. other studies are correspandinEiy
advanced.
l. Gatae S3na-nf- tAe-%sr asa4is- nation :
alitles represented can be gained from
the statement that the class In third
! srada reading contains one Greek.
three Italians. one Pole. one Hebrew
, and one American. All but one We're
totally iiliterate when they entered
the school The prison records tell Of
I one man who had served twenty-five
years of q twentythree year term
when the night school was started. He
was unable to read and write. He en-
tered the night school and when he
was pardpued. nine months later, he
had mastered both of these accom-
plishfnents
Chinaman Interesting Member.
one OF the most interesting men,
bers Of the night school is a gray
haired Ch.naman who has been In
the penitentiary twelve years He is
about sixty-eight years old and is
learning to read English from
chiid's primer Under some OF the
words in his book he has written in
their Chinese equivalent, reproducing
the sound of each word as ii appears
when written In Chinese characters.
This Chinaman was not long ago Civ
en- a chance to be deported. but said
ne preferred to stay In prison and
learn something.
After the school closes on each
Monday night members Of the prison
orchestra. which numbers altogether
about twenty men, give concert.
The corridors are all open and pris-
oners in their cells almost a block
! away, can hear the music. as the mar
row corridors conduct the sound like
the horn Of photograph. Although
the school contains men who when
first received constitute what might
he considered the worst element In the
penitentiary, no disorder of any kind
has occurred since 1t was opened
Leonard Modern Official.
Warden Leonard, who established
TIE intramural school. has held his
present position about two years. al
though he has been connected with
the State penitentiary for ten years,
He typifies the modern prison official
who takes a fatherly interest In the
prisoners and by humane treatment
makes better men and women GU, OF
them.
A description of the prison itself
docs not lie within tfIa, scope of this
article, but the huge exhaust fans
that draw out all impure air and cool
the sells and corridors, making the
interior of the penitentiary as pleas
ant as any hotel lobby. indicate tbs
| model way in which the big institu-
ton is managed.