The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1919-10-17

4 payer o. ucdilu8 Win the COnQlllOnS AT
the Frankfort ponitentiary The Nc
Creary administration had appointed
A. J. G. Wells as warden at Frankfort
and John b. Chiffon at Eddyville. and
the latter is still there doing efficient
work.
Following are some extracts from
Mrs. Beauchamp's article. enough to
correct the false impression which
Morrow's statement seeks to make:
IF Governor McCreary does nothing
else in the administration. he ought TO
be rewarded in both time and eternity
for appointing n progressive Prison
Board. men who care for the State
wards who are dependent on their wis
dom, justice and mercy. and they, with
the Governor, should receive common
dalton for the wardens appointed. -.
Conditions Vastly Improved.
For twenty years the writer has
regularly visited the penitentiary to
hold or assist in religious services with
the prisoners. In these years we have
learned to read the expression on the
faces OF the prisoners and to under
stand the management. At times the
expression OF desnair has brought to
mind the sentence. Abandon hope, all
We who enter here
Again. there has been light, lust n
little. but now as soon as you enter
the prison walls, or the chapel, the
human expression breathes of hope.
Labor. hard labor. they have, but no
brutal injustice, and a chance is given,
and that is all the men ask.
THE object OF the State is two fold
IN
the prisoner. and send him back TO
society later on to be worthy citizen
Judge Wells, under the direction and
with the cooperation OF the prison
commissioners, is striving TO do this
very thing and with proper support
and time enough. he will prove the
most valuable official in the State in
retaining men and sending them forth
to do a mans part in the world.
Give Them q Chance.
LET the State give these Fellows
chance. and she is giving them small
chance through the administration OF
such men. The lash has been abolish |
ed; the stripes have been abolished:
the wretched fare has been abolished:
the sonvict leasing system shall be
abolished. These men. the States
moral cripples, will one day be placed |
on farms and work on public roals |
Meantime. humane officials are doing |
all the law allows. The first step Is |
the graded suits; the men have neat /,
gray suits, and honor men have blue |
caps. Only misconduct on the part OF |
the prisoner reduces him TO stripes.
"The men have a chance, and are
required 10 take two shower baths a |
week. A good laundry furnishes them |
with clean clothes. each cell is daily |
burned out, plenty OF good drinking |
water is furnished. The mattresses
that were too dirty for a dog to sleep |
on are being replaced with clean beds.
The insect pest has thus been entirely |
abolished The tuberculosis patients |
and the syphilitic cases are both seq
regated. not Under ideal conditions II |
is true. but under the best the old cell |
house, lis years old, affords. All the
deadly doors which almost suffocated |
one on entering have been banished
under the purifying influence or are, |
Abundance of plain. healthy food Is
provided on clean tables from white |
enaweled ware. The bakery could be
used as a model, and the 2.z00 loaves |
of bread baked each day would be n
credit to any bakery, being sweet and
wholesome. The prisoners take pride
in the clean and orderly condition OF
things.
THE long dreamed OF night school.
which was to follow the lighting. is at
last realized. and 900 OF the 1920 pris-
oners avail themselves OF the privilege.
The school was only started last
spring, and a number have already
learned TO read and write. Glasses UP
to the fourth grade have been organ
ized. and eighteen white boys are TAX
ing stenography.
ut is the hope Of the prison author
tiles that in a short time they can say
that no man will leave the reformatory
who cannot read and write. and when
we recall that the chief causes OF crime,
as shown by evidence in trials are IL
literacy and drink. we viii see the val
ue and Importance of this work.
Guards Behave Better.
"of the score and more prisoners In
all testified that the guards
no longer used profane and obscene
language. that the prisoners were no
longer threatened and abused by
guards under the influence of liquor.
The guards are not allowed to borrow
money from a prisoner or to gamble
with the prisoner. They are not al
lowed to beat or abuse the prisoners,
except in self defense The men uni
testified that the Warden's
Forum Sunday afternoon contributed
greatly to the better understanding and
in better conditions The pris-
oners feel they can have a square
DEAL" and that while the warden re-
luires and enforces obedience to pris-
on law, at the same time he sees that
they have the protection OF that same
law Guards In general testify to the
better conditions and improved life of
the prisoners.
Religious services by the chaplain
and those he calls to his aid and with
4 chaplain who knows his parishion-
srs, and who is working in harmony
with the warden is another elevating
helpful influence.
THE prison library must not be
omitted. 1t is located in plain neat
room Off from the chapel. with a. gem
lie, kind, orderly old man as librarian.
with a fair collection of books which
The prisoners have issued to them, and
which they read in their cells. is a
most interesting feature. About rs. on
IN average, use the library each day"