The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-03-08

young children. Since the awful re-
port came down he has become quite
mad from horror of mind A straight
waiStcoat could not keep him within
bounds; he had just bitten the turn
key;1l saw the man come out with his
hand bleeding as passed the cell.
hear that another who has been toll
erably efucated and brought up was
doing all he could to harden himself
through unbelief. trying TO convince
himself that religious truths were idle
tales"
In 1877, four years after her first
inspection of LondOn's most notorious
prison, she founded society of WON.
en- under the title. "An Association
for the Improvement of the Female
Prisoners in Newgate." Eleven Quak.
crosses, herself included, and the wife
of clergyman of another faith COM
posed the organization. From this
small beginning sprang the movement
which would in time sweep England
with wave of mercy. AS for demure
quiet littlo Mrs. Fry, she woke up one
morning to find herself famous, to be
hailed as a benefactress to the race
and to be offered the cooperation of
parliamentary leaders and officials
everywhere.
Early in the following year-1S18-
a committee of the house of commons
was appointed to investigate the phys
ical state and conduct of prisons in
the metropolis. Before this body Mrs.
Fry in her sober Quaker dress ap-
peared as the chief witness to give
evidence She told how her reading
of the Scriptures had resulted in calm
ing turbulent spirits awaiting trans
portation to Englands penal colony
in Australia; how her group had
worked by night ana by day to pro-
vide garments and food for women in
confinement and to reconcile those
under sentence and to care for and
reform those who had been released.
Sheriffs Sometimes Clothed Charges.
This question was put to her:
"Do you know anything of the room
and accommodations for the women
at Newgate in 1917"
"Not nearly room enough. If we
had room enough to class them |
think very great deal more might
be accomplished We labor very much
in-the day, and we see the fruit of our
labor; but If we could separate them
In the night do think that we coulrs
not calculate upon the effect which
would be produced"
''At present, those convicted for all
offenses pass the day togefher?"
"very much so; very much inter
mixed, old and young, hardened Of
tenders with those who have commit.
ted only a minor crime, or the first
crime; the very lowest of women with
respectable married women and maid.
servants. II is more injurious than
can be described in its effect and in
its consequence. One little instance
to prove how beneficial it is to take
care of the prisoners is afforded by
the case of a poor woman for whom
we have obtained pardon. We taught
her to knit in the prison; she is now
living respectfully out of II and in
part gains her livelihood by knitting.
Zone poor woman to whom we lent
money comes every week to my house
and pays two shillings as honestly
and as punctually as we could de-
sire"
do you know whether there is any
clothing allowed by the city,"
mot any. Whenever we have ap-
piled or mentioned anything about
clothing we have always found that
there was no other resource hut our
own. excepting that the sheriffs used
to clothe the prisoners occasionally
Lately nobody has clothed them but
ourselves"
slave you ever had prisoners there
who have suffered materially for want
of clOthing?"
81 could mention such scenes as
should hardly think II delicate to men
ton. We had woman the other day.
on the point of Iying-in. brought to
bed moi many hours after she came
in. She had hardly a covering: no
stockings and only thin gown"
HAS it not happened that when
gentlemen have come in to see the
prison you have been obliged to stand
before the women who were in a con
dition not fit TO be seen?'
Eyes. remember one instance In
which ] was obliged to stand before