The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-03-23

} negro, who came up to the barred dool
: and talked to US like a perfectly ra
tional human being. An electric ligh'
disclosed room about 8 Is feet il
, size, containing a neatly kept bed, &
, stand, chair and perhaps other fur
! nishings. The room was also Lighted
: by window. The place made us fee
almost envious for similar quarters
in which to grind out heavyweight
: editorial dope. These are the "un.
mentionable" punishments that are
meted out to the "poor" convicts il
the Missouri penitentiary. Punish
ment" hall impressed US more as q
playhouse" than as a chamber Of
horrors" which many are still of the
impression exists there.
But there is liberal education to
be obtained in a visit through the
different buildings comprising tie pen
itentiary, which can be fully appre-
ciated only by a thorough inspection.
Such visit must impress anyone with
the fact that Warden Painter has a
heart as big as bushel, and that un-
der the present administration every
convict doing time there will go away
strengthened, instead of degraded,
to continue the battle of life. If he
does not, then he is beyond hope. The
INERT system" appeared to the writ
er to be in splendid working order.
To see, as we did on Sunday morning,
convicts line up in a long column in
front of the Deputy Warden's office
and await their turn to pour into
Warden Painters ear their grievances,
either fancied or real, and to watch
their eager, eXpectant faces as they
talked to him, forced upon US the i'm
preston that they were confident that
their appeals would have careful con-
sideration. This but illustrates what
"heart treatment" even in a penal in
stituticn, will do. We believe that
the present administration of that
city of about 2,700 inmates-less than
hundred of whom are females-has
improved the disposition of its in
habitants at least 100 per cent, arous-
ing within their hearts desire and a
determination to be men.
While there we had the pleasure of
meeting Capt. Gilman, Deputy War
den, who has been in different posi-
tions in that institution for the past
twenty-five years. He is recognized as
one of the most capable and efficient
prison men in the United States. and
his host of friends would be more than
pleased to hear of his appointment as
Warden, if "Bill" Painter is placed
on the State Prison Board, as now
seems probable. 1t does not seem pos
sible that another man could be found
anywhere who is so capable of keep
ing the penitentiary so firmly on the
elevated track on which it is now run
ming as is Capt. Gilman. We also en-
joyed meeting several other trusted
and capable men there, among whom
were j. w. Castleman, brother of our
fellow-townsman, Firman Castleman,
who has most creditable record of
service there during the past fifteen
years.
Before leaving the Penitentiary, we
must admit that we became so en-
crossed in things we saw there that
we could not "break away, even for
our meals, and we twice invaded the
great dining room, once for lunch |
and the second time for Square
meal"-and it was a real meal-one
of the best we enjoyed while in the |
Capital City. While surrounded on all |
sides by convicts, the thoroughly |
competent and accommodating chef
helped to make the meal most en-
joyable. AS an indication of the
great amount of provender necessary
to feed the penitentiary multitude,
it requires 900 gallons-300 pounds
of coffee each meal. Another thing:
The prisoners get all they want to eat,
of good wholesome victuals, and are
given all the time they desire in
which to consume their meals. All
of which tends to dissipate that wick |
ed expression which was formerly /
habitual with them.
McClung Park.
Before taking our reluctant depart
ure, we had the further pleasure of
being driven over a most picturesque
roadway, which very closely resem-
bled "chute the chutes"-being a Sc
ries of abrupt jump-offs and jump
pps-to "McClung Park" This park
indicates that considerable work has
been done there, and in season is
doubtless quite an attractive place,
though still far from being completed
as an ideal summer resort. That this
park is misnamed there is no doubt,
and it is not clear just why the reso-
luton did not pass the Senate, after
having passed the House, to change
its name. McClung was the Peniten-
tiary Warden whom w. R. Painter
succeeded. 1t was he who magnani-
mously furnished" the convict labor
that has made the park what it is;
and he also very graciously "gave" it
his name, which is the one thing we
have ever heard him charged with
having "given away" But there are
persistent and insistent rumors that
he collected for its use in various
ways from the institution and its en-
ployes during his entire "encum-
brancy" of that institution. But the
McClung blot has already apparently
been entirely obliterated, and the
sooner his name is revomed from
the park the better it will be. We
would suggest "Prison Park" as far
more acceptable, as well as more hon
orable.