,transcriber's ,note ,italic text displayed as3 italic ,,behind ,,the ,,prison ,,bars4 ,a ,,reminder ,,of ,,our ,,duties ,,toward ,,those ,,who ,,have ,,been ,,so ,,unfortunate ,,as ,,to ,,be ,,cast ,,into ,,prison4 ,by ,e4 ,e4 ,,byrum1 ,author of 8,the ,secret of ,salvation10 8,divine ,healing of ,soul and ,body10 8,the ,great ,physician10 8,the ,boy's ,companion10 ,etc4 8,remember them that are in bonds1 as bound with them40--,heb4 #ac3c4 ,,gospel ,,trumpet ,,publishing ,,co41 ,,moundsville1 ,w4 ,,va4 #aija4 ,,copyright1 #aija1 ,,by ,e4 ,e4 ,,byrum4 ,,author',s ,,preface4 ,help a man who is in trouble and manifest a care for his soul1 even though he is an enemy2 it touches a tender chord of his hardened heart1 tends to loose the binding powers of sin1 causing him to look up with hope4 ,realizing the great neglect of duty toward them who are behind the prison-bars1 unable to help themselves in many respects1 inspired the writing of this volume4 ,it was not the intention of the author to write a thorough work on this subject1 but to call attention to a few facts concerning the prisons and jails1 also the treatment and privileges of the inmates1 and thus awaken the people to a sense of duty and the manifestation of a feeling of sympathy4 ,the majority of people have never visited a jail or state prison1 consequently know but little about them1 and feel little1 if any1 responsibility on that line4 ,about two years ago the ,gospel ,trumpet ,publishing ,company of ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va41 established a fund for sending out literature free to the poor1 to jails1 prisons1 and wherever most needed4 ,as much as ten thousand dollars' worth of books1 tracts1 and papers have in this way been sent out during one year to various parts of the ,united ,states1 ,canada1 ,europe1 and other foreign countries4 ,yet it seems only a drop in the bucket1 as it were1 in consideration of what should be done4 ,it is our earnest prayer that the readers of this little volume will at once put forth the greatest possible effort to properly supply the prisoners and thus aid in bringing about a reformation in their lives4 ,in order to show the result of some of the efforts put forth to supply the prisoners with good literature and their appreciation of the same1 quite a number of letters from prisoners and prison officials have been inserted4 ,while these letters have quite a similarity1 yet it is hoped that their sameness will not destroy their interest in consideration of the fact that thereby the prisoners from a broad scope of territory have the privilege of giving expression to their feeling of gratitude toward those who have thus manifested their friendship4 ,the names have been omitted of those who have written letters and testimonies2 however1 they appear in full in the original manuscript and are genuine4 ,only the serial numbers are given to those whose biographies appear in the book4 ,we are grateful for the kind assistance of prison officials and prisoners who have kindly contributed4 ,further communications1 or letters1 from prisoners or any one interested in this line of work will be gladly received by the author4 ,with an earnest prayer for the salvation of every prisoner1 ,i remain1 ,yours in ,him1 ,e4 ,e4 ,,byrum4 ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va41 ,july #d1 #aija4 ,,contents4 ,,page4 ,in ,prison4 #i ,make the ,best of ,it4 #ab ,punishment4 #ad ,capital ,punishment4 #bb ,life ,imprisonment4 #bf ,the ,dungeon4 #bh ,cat-o'-nine-tails4 #cc ,buck and ,gagged4 #cd ,lock-step ,march4 #cd ,literary ,privileges4 #cg ,tobacco ,allowance4 #df ,the ,prisoner's ,work4 #dg ,the ,stockades4 #dh ,the ,chain ,gang4 #di ,the ,felon's ,cell4 #ec ,the ,library4 #ef ,the ,chapel4 #eh ,scaling the ,prison ,walls4 #fj ,a ,prison ,reform4 #fd ,history of ,west ,virginia ,penitentiary4 #gc 7,as ,written by a ,prisoner47 ,letters from ,prison ,officials4 #ajg ,testimonies of ,convicts4 #aba ,released from ,prison4 #ada ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations4 ,,page4 ,the ,black ,list4 #ai ,cat-o'-nine-tails4 #ca ,lock-step ,march4 #ce ,the ,chain ,gang4 #ea ,scaling the ,prison ,walls4 #fa ,tracked by ,bloodhounds--,captured4 #fi ,penitentiary of the ,state of ,west ,virginia4 #aje ,the ,younger ,brothers4 #ade ,,behind ,,the ,,prison-,,bars4 ,illustration3 ,decoration ,,in ,,prison4 ,our country is called the land of the free1 but could we at one glance behold the thousands and tens of thousands now behind the prison-bars and know their irksome lives1 there would be an awakening in hearts that have never known the bondage that exists in our midst4 ,a crime is perpetrated4 ,some one is arraigned before the court to answer the charges as to whether he is guilty or not4 ,the jury renders a verdict1 8,guilty40 ,the judge pronounces the sentence a term in prison4 ,the poor unfortunate is now considered a convict4 ,shackles are brought to make him secure1 in order to prevent his escape4 ,an officer accompanies him to his prison house1 where he is to be in servitude according to the length of his term of sentence4 ,no one but the prisoner realizes the awful feelings as the prison door shuts behind him with a clang1 and he hears the click of the lock fastening him in an iron cell4 ,whether innocent or guilty1 he feels the awful disgrace upon himself and his friends4 ,it would not seem so bad if only the guilty were brought to justice in this way1 but ofttimes the facts reveal that not only hundreds1 but thousands1 of innocent persons are thus sentenced and brought into disgrace1 many of them serving a life sentence4 ,there are two sides to prison life--a bright side1 and a dark side4 ,it may be a query in the minds of some how there could be any enjoyment or any bright side to such a life1 but this will be clearly shown in other chapters in this book4 ,there are many things that go to make the prison life a dark one4 ,viewing the matter from a natural standpoint1 with no one to look to but human help1 the way does truly often look dark and dreary4 ,there are prisons where men are cast into dungeons and left to almost starve to death1 or they are bound hand and foot and beaten with the cat-o-nine tails1 or hanged by the thumbs1 or made to pass through some severe ordeal of punishment that is almost beyond human endurance4 ,even in our own country there are yet stockades wherein prisoners do not receive treatment that would elevate them nor fit them for the higher circles of society4 ,many of these stockades wherein prisoners have been kept during the years past have been but little1 if any1 better in many respects than were the ,andersonville or ,libby prisons during the ,rebellion4 ,there are exceptional cases to be sure4 ,during the past year a number of the states have not properly provided for their prisoners4 ,it has not been an uncommon thing in some of these stockades to see a gang of men shackled together with chains1 obliged to go about with the clanking chains to their feet1 under rigid rules1 and having to suffer the severe treatment of wicked and ungodly guards4 ,the ,national ,prison ,association1 which is generally represented by officers from the various prisons throughout the ,united ,states1 have for a number of years met annually to discuss the best modes of handling and caring for the prisoners4 ,various methods have been set forth4 ,experiments have been made1 and too often it is the case that hard-hearted officers have used the most excruciating means and hard-heartedness in their dealings toward their prisoners1 in order to keep them in subjection4 ,some officers deem it necessary to speak to prisoners in the sternest possible manner1 imagining that being cross1 gruff1 and surly toward them will make them feel a subordination that can be brought about in no other way4 ,this only deepens the sorrows of the poor unfortunate prisoner and tends to harden his heart and affections4 ,such officers forget that kind looks1 gentle actions1 and words of encouragement fitly spoken will elevate a man and encourage him to show his manhood and return the love by putting forth his best efforts to show his appreciation of kindness4 ,it is true there are hard-hearted men in prison1 men who would kill a man for a trifle1 whose consciences are seared over1 as it were1 yet there are comparatively few men so hard-hearted but can be touched by love and kindness4 ,there are times when more severe punishment must be inflicted1 but the warden and prison officers who continually show forth kindness toward the prisoners1 greeting them with a smile and words of encouragement1 have but little trouble in bringing about a great reform in the lives of those under their charge4 ,,make ,,the ,,best ,,of ,,it4 ,there are thousands in prisons whose hands have been stained with the blood of their fellow men2 others whose hearts are hardened in sin and their lives blackened with many crimes2 while again1 there are those who are innocent1 and some who have been cast into prison for ,christ's sake4 ,but whether innocent or guilty1 the most expedient thing is to make the best of the situation4 ,worrying over the separation from friends1 the disgrace that is brought about1 and bewailing the condition of things in general1 will by no means help the matter4 ,if a sin or crime has been committed it is not hidden from the ,god of heaven1 and though the prisoner maybe shut in for years he can have the soul liberated from all the sins committed1 by confessing them unto the ,lord1 calling upon him1 and believing that he does forgive2 as the ,bible tells us in #a ,jno4 #a3i that1 8if we confess our sins1 he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins1 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness40 ,the dear prisoner should make a decision for the right at once1 cast away his gloom1 doubts1 and fears1 and remember the words of the apostle1 who urges people to cast their care upon the ,lord1 for he careth for them4 ,he is a very present help in time of trouble4 ,by the help of ,almighty ,god the prisoner can yet make his mark in the world4 ,he can rise above every foe and be of some use before his life closes4 ,while he is in the midst of the most desperate characters in the land1 yet he can have good associates4 ,he can commune with ,god when alone in his cell4 ,he can call for good books and holy literature1 read the ,bible1 and make every effort to please the ,lord and those around him4 ,he can so live that even the prison walls will be a hallowed spot unto him4 ,it was while ,john ,bunyan was serving a twelve-year sentence in prison that he wrote the notable book 8,the ,pilgrim's ,progress10 which has been a help and comfort to multitudes of people4 ,he no doubt worked often under adverse circumstances and completed his work through many difficulties and much hard labor4 ,likewise ,martin ,luther translated the ,new ,testament while in prison1 and wrote a number of other valuable works4 ,the apostle ,paul wrote a number of his epistles while in prison4 ,he and others with him sometimes were punished by stripes until they were left lacerated and bleeding1 then cast into prison and bound hand and foot4 ,it was under such circumstances that one time ,paul and ,silas were found praising the ,lord1 singing and shouting at the midnight hour1 when the ,lord sent an earthquake and rent the prison walls1 throwing open the doors and loosing the shackles1 setting them free2 but they did not flee from the prison until they received proper orders4 ,it was their faithfulness that caused the jailer to ask what he should do to be saved4 ,paul told him to believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,the generous jailor then took the brethren and washed their stripes and properly cared for them1 and soon they were dismissed and sent on their way4 ,it often happens that some must suffer an unjust punishment4 ,to such we can only say1 ,be of good courage2 look up and trust for better days4 ,,punishment4 ,people are sentenced to a term in prison on account of crime committed4 ,there are two systems of punishment4 ,one is called punitive or retributive system1 the other the corrective or reformative4 ,until within the last few years the punitive system was almost the exclusive one4 ,however1 our humane officers1 prison officials1 lawmakers and statesmen are not only learning better ways of bringing men and women thus incarcerated into subjection1 but in many places are making and enforcing laws which require that prisoners be more humanely treated and receive better care and accommodations4 ,men have resorted to almost every possible device in order to make bad men good and raise them from ignorance to intelligence1 and in so doing have inflicted the most severe punishment1 causing the prisoners to pass through severest ordeals and most terrible sufferings imaginable4 ,when we say there has been a radical change in many of our prisons in the land in discarding the severe corporal punishment1 we do not wish to convey the idea that all prisons have yet accepted the more humane ways of governing the prisoners under their charge4 ,when we say some of these punishments have been and are yet severe it does not fully express the facts of the case4 ,the word 8severe0 is not a strong enough word4 ,there have been and are yet punishments that are brutal--brutal to the extreme4 ,many prisoners who are within the prison walls carry the deep lash marks of the whip2 the unjointed and deformed thumbs resulting from the punishment of being hanged by the thumbs2 and there are other deformities4 ,many of us can no doubt remember the time of our early days in the country school when the schoolmaster was almost constantly with a beach or birch whip in his hand1 something equal to an ox goad4 ,this instrument for correcting the youths of our land and bringing them into subjection1 when not in the schoolmaster's hand was in the corner near by and was generally freely used4 ,there have been1 however1 such a radical change and better modes of government brought about1 that many schools are taught without once using such an instrument of punishment4 ,if such a successful change has been made in our public schools1 surely as radical a change can be made in our prisons1 to take the place of the brutality of the past4 ,concerning the easy government of the prisoners there is much that depends upon those in charge of the prisoners4 ,the warden1 chaplain1 and prison guards who have direct care of the prisoners should be good1 whole-souled men1 kind and benevolent1 and who are capable of appreciating the good traits of a man even though they may be covered by many dark ones4 ,they should be good readers of human nature and understand the dispositions of those under their charge4 ,they should be firm and unyielding to their trust1 yet loving and tender4 ,mr4 ,meade1 warden of the state prison at ,auburn1 ,n4 ,y41 says3 8,till the nature of criminals undergoes a complete change1 nay1 till the nature of man is much altered1 there will be times when punishment must be inflicted on prisoners4 ,much as we have gained on using the modern reformed treatment1 and much as we may justly expect to gain in the future1 the fact remains that there are times in the prison life of men when the results of their former passions crop out irresistibly1 making them for a time not accessible to friendly reproof4 ,at such times1 for the effect it has on others1 but quite as much for its effect on its misdemeanant1 it is necessary to forcibly bring him to recognition of his obligations and his duty4 ,but to my mind forcible restraining1 or to employ the common term1 punishing a convict1 does not require the use of the paddle or other instruments of torture2 furthermore1 in my judgment1 such process should be condemned in the strongest terms4 ,for they tend to imbitter not only the man punished but all prisoners against the officers of the prison1 the rules of the prison1 and law itself4 ,one instance of the use of the paddle would do more to destroy the desired friendly relation between officers and men than many months of considerate treatment could restore4 ,no6 ,experience has proved to me that when it is imperative that an inmate be punished1 the screened cell or dungeon without discretion furnishes an effective mode4 ,such cells should be kept dry and well ventilated1 but wholly devoid of furnishings4 ,confining men thus and supplying them with a very limited amount of food and water has1 in the great majority of cases which have come under my observation1 speedily brought the desired result of making a man see the advisibility of abiding by the regulations of the institution40 ,there are also other ways1 however1 of vividly impressing the minds of those who are disorderly1 or who insist on not observing the prison rules4 ,most prisons have what is called 8short time20 that is1 for good behavior their sentence is shortened so many days each month1 and in some prisons a certain percentage of the worth of their labor is placed to their credit for good behavior4 ,one of the effective ways of bringing them to time when they become stubborn and rebellious1 refusing to obey the rules1 is to withhold the commutation1 or short time1 and also deduct so much of the compensation money that has been placed to their credit4 ,this is generally much more effective and pleads to the reason and common sense of the prisoner more than some forcible persuasion by way of corporal punishment4 ,for certain offences some are black-listed to be punished in various ways4 ,one is1 during working hours or while others are resting or at services on ,sunday1 the disobedient convict is to march for a few hours around the prison square and carry a heavy piece of railroad iron1 weighing from fifty to one hundred pounds4 ,illustration3 ,the ,black ,list4 ,captain ,smith1 a few years ago1 in giving his biennial report of the ,kansas prison1 said3 8,the discipline has been carefully looked after and as a general thing prisoners yield to a strict discipline better than most people think4 ,they seem to see and realize the necessity of rules and very seldom complain1 if they violate them1 at the punishment that is sure to follow4 ,our punishments are of such a character that they do not degrade4 ,kansas1 when she established her penitentiary1 prohibited corporal punishment4 ,she is one of the few states that by law prohibits the use of the whip and strap1 taking the position that it is better to use kindness than to resort to brutal measures4 ,i have often been told1 and that too by old prison men1 that it is impossible to run a prison and have first-class discipline without the whip4 ,such is not my experience4 ,we have had within our walls perhaps as desperate men as ever received a sentence4 ,we have controlled them and have maintained a good discipline second to none in the country4 ,how did we accomplish this8 ,our answer is1 ,by being kind but firm1 treating a man1 although a prisoner1 as a man1 and if he violates rules1 lock him up and give him an opportunity to commune with himself and his ,maker2 also give him to understand that he is the executioner of his own sentence1 and when he concludes that he can do right1 release him4 ,it matters not how vicious1 how stubborn1 or what kind of a temper he may have1 when left with no one to talk to and an opportunity to cool down and with the knowledge that when he comes to the conclusion that he will do better he can be released1 he leaves the cell feeling very different from the prisoner who leaves the whipping-post after having received any number of lashes that the brutal officer may desire to inflict4 ,one goes to his work cheerful and determined to behave himself2 the other dogged1 revengeful1 and completely humiliated1 only lives in hope that he may at some time take his revenge upon the person that ordered or inflicted the punishment and upon the state or country that would by its laws tolerate such a brutal or slavish practice40 ,,capital ,,punishment4 ,being put to death for crime or some misdemeanor is termed capital punishment4 ,this is not the most painful but is the most heinous of all punishments4 ,it is a heathenish practice1 yet men make laws1 sit in judgment1 render decisions1 pronounce sentences1 and thereby shed the blood of their fellow men1 trying to hide behind the laws that are made1 trying to screen themselves by the ,bible1 hoping all will be well in the day of judgment4 ,because of such lawmakers and lawyers1 many are sentenced and hurled into eternity without being prepared to meet ,god4 ,will ,god hold us innocent if we do such things8 or if we cry not out against such1 will he not look down upon a government and nation stained with human blood8 ,surely there is guilt that must be removed4 ,when the judge rises and pronounces the death sentence1 to ease his conscience in the matter he sometimes quotes from ,genesis #i3f3 8,whoso sheddeth man's blood1 by man shall his blood be shed40 ,even though that scripture could apply in such cases in those days1 it can not at the present time4 ,it is true that under the law of ,moses life was given for life as a punishment4 ,for many trivial things people were stoned to death1 even for the breaking of the ,sabbath4 8,then thou shalt give life for life1 eye for eye1 tooth for tooth1 hand for hand1 foot for foot1 burning for burning1 wound for wound1 stripe for stripe40--,ex4 #ba3bc-be4 8,then thine eye shall not pity2 but life shall go for life1 eye for eye1 tooth for tooth1 hand for hand1 foot for foot40--,deut4 #ai3ba4 8,and he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death4 ,and he that killeth a beast shall make it good2 beast for beast4 ,and if a man cause a blemish in his neighbor2 as he hath done1 so shall it be done to him2 breach for breach1 eye for eye1 tooth for tooth3 as he hath caused a blemish in a man1 so shall it be done to him again4 ,and he that killeth a beast1 he shall restore it3 and he that killeth a man1 he shall be put to death40 ,we are not living under the law of ,moses in this day and age of the world1 neither are we justified by the law1 but we are living in a different dispensation4 ,paul says the law of ,moses was a law of bondage1 and through ,jesus ,christ we are free from that bondage4 ,the law of ,moses and the prophets were until ,john 7,luke #af3af71 and we now live in the dispensation of the gospel of ,jesus ,christ1 and nowhere does he give men the privilege of making and enforcing laws that would make the taking of man's life justifiable4 ,we do not read the instructions of ,jesus ,christ to be 8,life for life1 eye for eye1 and tooth for tooth10 neither by way of rendering the sentence of the law upon those who have taken the life of their fellow man1 nor by acting upon the impulse in taking revenge for personal offence or injury4 ,in speaking of the law of ,moses and what was written concerning the people of olden times1 ,jesus in that memorable sermon on the mount said3 8,ye have heard that it hath been said1 ,an eye for an eye1 and a tooth for a tooth3 but ,i say unto you1 ,that ye resist not evil3 but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek1 turn to him the other also40--,matt4 #e3ch1 #ci4 ,jesus ,christ taught the law of love1 even taught that we should love our enemies and do good to them that hate us and despitefully use us4 ,he taught that people should show mercy to their fellow men4 ,even when wicked ,cain slew his brother ,abel because of a slight offence1 and though he feared that men would put him to death1 ,god gave him to understand that he would not have him put to death1 but that he should be protected from such a penalty1 although his hands were stained with his brother's blood4 ,in ,galatians #e3d ,paul gave the people to understand that they were not justified by the law of ,moses2 he said3 8,christ is become of no effect unto you1 whosoever of you are justified by the law2 ye are fallen from grace40 ,neither are people justified in the sight of ,god for making and enforcing laws that will take the life of their fellow men4 ,merely quoting the words1 8,whoso sheddeth man's blood1 by man shall his blood be shed10 will not remove the guilt4 ,to call such lawmaking and enforcement heathenism does not give full expression to the subject2 nay1 it is barbarism in the extreme4 ,some may severely criticize these terms and the views expressed here1 but we fearlessly assert that such is truth4 ,we are glad to know that a few states in our so-called land of liberty have become awakened on this line and refuse to make or enforce such a law4 ,those who still try to hide behind the law of ,moses1 why not carry out that law in full and stone to death every man or woman who breaks the ,sabbath8 ,there is another side to the picture4 ,it is sometimes the case that a man who is put to death is innocent of the crime for which he is charged4 ,whether innocent or guilty1 a great number of those thus punished pass into eternity unsaved4 ,with many of them it has been an act performed on the impulse of the moment4 ,their former lives1 perhaps1 have been upright1 viewing them from a standpoint of morality4 ,again1 it is often the case that a family is left in a critical condition to battle for life with this cold world4 ,a delicate wife with helpless children must thus be weighed down in sorrow and bereavement1 poverty staring them in the face1 crushed with shame and disgrace1 with no one to provide for them and no help nor special protection from the state whose laws have forever removed the one to whom they looked for maintenance and protection4 ,,life ,,imprisonment4 ,life imprisonment is an unjust sentence4 ,life prisoners are those who have received their sentence for murdering a fellow being4 ,in many cases1 however1 they can not really be classed as criminals4 ,they are victims of circumstances4 ,the deed was not premeditated but was brought about on the impulse of the moment4 ,the sentence of a lifelong imprisonment forever deprives of the liberties of freedom and the association of friends and relatives1 and the only hope of freedom is an escape1 then to remain a fugitive from justice4 ,mr4 ,meade in his report suggests that the life prisoner should be allowed the same privilege of commutation or short time as is given other prisoners1 and in this give him a hope of release4 ,there are tables which insurance companies use 7and they are supported by the courts7 which fix an average limit of years of the existence of a man1 computing from the first year2 the interval beyond the present age naturally decreasing as old age approaches4 ,he says3 8,it would seem that these tables furnish a foundation on which a system for life prisoners should be based4 ,for instance1 a man twenty years of age is convicted of murder and sentenced to prison for life4 ,our tables show that the average number of years for a man of that age still to live is approximately thirty-four4 ,figuring the legal commutation on this term of thirty-four years1 we find the prisoner would be compelled to serve about twenty-three years of solid time4 ,a man thirty years old would on the same basis1 having about thirty years to live1 serve eighteen years2 a man forty years old1 having about twenty-five years to live1 would serve sixteen years in prison4 ,thus we might continue our observations indefinitely40 ,my views of this matter may be severely criticised1 nevertheless we do not consider that five years is unreasonably short for the first offence of murder4 ,this releases the innocent man who may have been sentenced through circumstantial evidence or otherwise by false accusation4 ,it is a long sentence for a man who has acted on the impulse of the moment or in a fit of anger2 and even to the one who has premeditated the crime1 five years of hard labor and proper training in a prison will be an impressive lesson to cause him not to repeat the act4 ,for a second offence it should not be more than ten or fifteen years1 and even for a third offence it would not be out of reason to give him the life sentence with the regular commutation4 ,this reasoning may to many at first thought seem ridiculous1 but upon proper consideration we should remember that as long as there is life there is hope1 and while there is a possibility of reformation a man should have some kind of a chance2 not only a chance to reform1 but a chance to enjoy his liberty4 ,even after he has served two or three terms he is not then a worse character and not more dangerous to a community than thousands of others who are just as guilty but have not suffered the penalty of the law4 ,when a man has served according to the penalty here suggested1 has he not suffered sufficient to satisfy the law8 and should we not be willing to allow him the privileges of liberty and to enjoy life once more8 ,it is a hard heart indeed that will place a man behind prison-bars for life4 ,in ,england there is a possibility of being set at liberty after twenty years1 on account of good behavior4 ,there needs to be a radical change in our laws on this line4 ,,the ,,dungeon4 ,this is the dreaded place of all prisons and in many places resorted to oftener than necessary4 ,many prisoners who work in the mines have had to go to the dungeon without their supper after laboring hard all day1 because ungodly and wicked guards reported a shortage in the proper amount of coal mined1 when the facts of the case were that the guards had stolen or removed a portion of the coal from the car after it left the prisoner1 because of their dislike for the prisoner and by so doing could have him punished4 ,it also too often happens that prisoners refuse to work as they should1 and deserve the punishment4 ,it is not necessary to here describe the filthy1 stifling1 odorous dungeons of war times or of some of the worst prisons of the day1 but a description of the dungeon of one of the best prisons in our land will be sufficient4 ,the following is a description given by one who served a term in prison4 ,in describing the punishment to secure good discipline1 he said3 8,to me these contingency dungeons are1 as their name implies1 dark1 with similarity to an ordinary cell with the exception of a door which in the common cell contains open spaces for the admission of light1 but the dark cell admits no light1 and not a sufficient quantity of air4 ,there is no furniture in this dark cell4 ,while undergoing punishment if a prisoner desires to rest he can do so by reclining on the stone floor4 ,no refractory prisoner ever grows corpulent while confined in these dark cells1 as he receives only one meal of bread and water in twenty-four hours4 ,the prisoner is often kept in one of these cells from eight to ten days4 ,sleep is almost impossible4 ,when a prisoner enters the dungeon he is required to leave behind him his coat1 cap1 and shoes4 ,during the winter months it is often very cold in these cells1 requiring the prisoner to walk up and down the dungeon in his stocking feet to prevent his freezing1 and this for a period of ten days in nearly every instance compels submission4 ,after the dark cells thaw out in the summer months they are excessively hot4 ,sometimes in winter the temperature is below zero1 and in summer it often rises to #ajj degrees4 ,they are then veritable furnaces4 ,generally after the prisoner undergoes a freezing or baking process for eight or ten days1 he is willing to behave himself in the future4 ,they are sometimes so reduced and weakened that when brought out of the dark cell they can scarcely walk without aid4 ,i have seen them reel to and fro like drunken men4 ,they are often as pale as death4 ,in many cases the prisoner contracts cold which later on terminates fatally1 and this is one of the principal objections to this mode of punishment4 ,if the prisoner in the mine does not get out his regular weekly task of coal1 on ,saturday he is reported to the deputy sheriff by the officer in charge and is sent to the blind cell before supper and kept there until the following ,monday morning1 when he is taken out and sent to his work in the mines4 ,while in there he gets only bread and water once in twenty-four hours4 ,this is a great inducement to work1 which certainly prevents criminals from shirking their labor1 and soon converts the lazy tramp into a hustling coal miner4 ,if being in this dark cell ten days and nights is insufficient to subdue a rebellious spirit of the convict he is taken out and placed in the solitary cell4 ,this is similar to the ordinary cell with the exception that it contains no furniture4 ,here the convict remains on bread and water until he is starved almost to death or until he is willing to submit and do his work as ordered40 ,illustration3 ,the ,cat-o'nine-tails ,,cat-,o'-,,nine-,,tails4 ,a few years ago while visiting an ,indiana penitentiary the warden said that some years before they used the cat-o'-nine-tails in punishing their prisoners1 but had discarded that mode of punishment4 ,there are men both in prison and out of prison who carry furrows and scars on their backs caused by the deep flesh wounds of the cat-o'-nine-tails4 ,this is a whip with lashes some of which have wire interwoven so as to cut the flesh with every stroke4 ,the poor prisoner must bare his back and be chained or shackled to a post and beaten by a merciless officer1 who is often only too glad to wreak his vengeance in that way4 ,it is yet the case in many prisons and stockades that a similar punishment is inflicted with the exception of not so many lashes1 and a strap is sometimes used1 from two to four inches wide1 made by sewing two pieces of harness leather together4 ,the same is perforated1 soaked in water over night1 and dipped in the sand4 ,this1 when vigorously applied to the bare flesh1 causes the most excruciating pain4 ,this is not in the least overdrawing the picture of what is constantly put into practice at the present time4 ,,buck-,,and-,,gagged4 ,this is another dreadful punishment which is still in vogue in some places4 ,the prisoner is taken and handcuffed1 his hands slipped over in front of his knees and sometimes a stick passed through just under his knees and over his wrists1 his mouth opened ofttimes by force1 and filled with a large cork or piece of wood1 and left in this condition until life is almost extinct4 ,this punishment is serious and is apt to make the prisoner revengeful instead of making him feel that he has been justly punished4 ,,the ,,lock-,,step ,,march4 ,illustration3 ,the ,lock-step ,march ,the lock-step march is a humane punishment1 yet when continued a great length of time is very tiresome4 ,prisoners who have been guilty of some trivial offence during the week1 and who are not otherwise punished1 are generally called upon to fall in line and proceed to the open square of the prison1 and there while the other prisoners are resting or at chapel exercises they must keep in constant motion in the lock-step march4 ,this punishment is not as severe as some others1 yet it is not a desirable punishment1 especially when the others are all enjoying a rest or comfortably seated in the chapel during religions services4 ,when the hundreds of prisoners are gathered in the chapel on ,sunday morning and comfortably seated1 the warden or some other officer reads the names of those who are to join in the lock-step march4 ,it is not for them to retaliate nor plead their innocence1 neither wait to be told the second time4 ,as soon as their names are called they must immediately rise and as the last name is called they are all marched out to the prison yard and there begin their tiresome march4 ,some who have committed greater offences must walk in front and carry heavy bars of iron4 ,this punishment is given to stimulate them to observe the proper rules and discipline of the prison4 ,,literary ,,privileges4 ,the literary privileges are so widely different in the various prisons throughout the land that it would be very difficult to render the proper information4 ,there are some penitentiaries1 and especially the stockades of the ,south1 without libraries1 and many prisoners even serve a term without being granted any educational privileges whatever1 either by way of literary work or reading of good books4 ,it is more difficult in the stockades to give the literary privileges than in other established prisons4 ,however1 there are states with established penitentiaries that have not provided the same with libraries and proper literary accommodations4 ,on the other hand1 many of the penitentiaries have established schools wherein prisoners can obtain a fair education4 ,for instance1 the ,michigan state prison more than twenty-five years ago established graded schools1 and all prisoners who have not a fair education are required four evenings of the week to attend these schools for an hour and a half4 ,in this way the prisoner is not only benefited1 but it brings him under a new line of discipline that enables the officer in charge to become familiar with his mental condition and capabilities and more fully understand the dispositions of those under his charge4 ,men who are thus drilled and properly cared for1 after going through this discipline day after day1 cause less trouble to those in charge4 ,in the prisons where the most humane reformative system of management is used there can be many things brought to bear upon the minds of the prisoners that will tend to elevate them and fit them for the higher circles of society4 ,by the proper treatment and privileges they will soon learn to have a taste for literary work4 ,a few prisons give the prisoners the privileges of general literary work1 such as delivering orations1 recitations1 essays1 debates1 etc4 ,these things1 while they educate and develop the mind1 have a tendency to divert the mind of the prisoner from the feelings of disgrace and the deplorable situation2 and instead of spending hours brooding in despondency it awakens an activity of the mind and new thoughts for consideration during the solitary hours4 ,every prison should supply each cell with a ,bible4 ,many do this while others do not4 ,the prisoners should also have access to the library and permission to call for any book in the library4 ,where they are thus looked after it is the duty of certain prisoners to go to each cell and learn what book is desired for the coming week and to take up the one which was in their possession during the past week4 ,these requests are taken to the librarian and the books selected and distributed according to number4 ,prisoners who mutilate or destroy the books in any way are denied the privilege of having a book to read for a few weeks4 ,if the offence is repeated the punishment on this line is more severe and they are then neither allowed to receive a book or paper or are refused all privileges of the library and not even allowed to have paper or writing material to communicate with their friends4 ,with most prisoners this is a severe punishment4 ,one who has not been thus incarcerated or had to spend weeks and months in solitude can scarcely realize the value of good books to read under such circumstances4 ,but he who has had the actual experience knows just how to appreciate such a privilege4 ,during the civil war a number of ,union men made a daring raid through the ,confederate line and were afterward captured and cast into dungeons where they spent weeks of suffering1 amid heart-rending scenes1 and notwithstanding their extreme hunger1 thirst1 and the stifling odor of their dark underground prison and suffering much from their shackles and clanking chains1 they were taken from place to place and then brought to trial4 ,seven of their number were hanged1 leaving about a dozen remaining who were expecting to be called out to follow in their footsteps at any time4 ,through some sudden change or maneuver of war the remainder of these men were left in prison with guards over them and only a meager supply of food4 ,as the seven of their comrades were taken from their midst to the place of execution those who remained were in much distress of mind4 ,during the morning hours before this they had spent the time in playing cards1 now and then an oath escaping their lips1 but now the scene changed4 ,some one suggested that they should pray4 ,there was but little hope of them escaping the fate of their comrades and thus soon be hurled into eternity1 and what added more to the darkness of the hour was the fact that they had not made their peace with ,god4 ,one of the surviving party describes the occurrence as follows3 8,from this time forward we had religious exercises morning and evening and found them a great consolation and support4 ,we began and closed the day right and thus added sweetness to all its hours1 supplying a subject of thought not bearing directly upon our future gloomy prospects and thus enabling us to maintain better mental health4 ,we always sang a hymn or two on these occasions4 ,we sang #8,rock of ,ages1' #8,jesus1 ,lover of my ,soul1' and others of a pronounced spiritual cast4 ,this greatly astonished the guards4 ,they were given strict charge to watch us closely with the statement that we were the most desperate characters in the whole ,united ,states4 ,then to hear us singing #8hymns' and know that we had prayer morning and evening was a contradiction they found hard to reconcile4444 ,what would we not now have given for the counsels and assistance of a minister whom we could fully trust6 ,just how to be religious was the puzzle4 ,i know if ,i had a command to execute from an army officer ,i would do it1 if in my power1 no matter how difficult or dangerous1 and ,i wished intensely that it was just as easy to be religious as to be a soldier2 but there was the question of right feelings and right motives that did not seem to come into play very much in the army4 ,for if a soldier did his duty he was not apt to be asked how he felt about it4 ,i had the belief that ,i must have joy and rapture in thinking of death and readiness to shout ,god's praises1 which ,i did not feel2 and for a time it seemed as if ,i could not reach a genuine conversion4 ,i diligently read the ,bible which we had borrowed1 and while ,i enjoyed many things in it1 little direct guidance for me was found4 ,i asked counsel of our captain for whom ,i had the greatest esteem and respect1 but it was so easy for him to believe that ,i thought his case must be very unlike my own1 so ,i spoke to another one of our company1 the only one of our number who had a clear religious faith1 and seemed to be happy in it4 ,his first answer was very striking4 ,i asked how he felt about death4 ,he thought ,i referred to our worldly prospect1 and answered that probably we would soon all be put to death4 #8,but what is your feeling about death itself8' ,i continued4 ,he said1 #8,i am not afraid to die if it is ,god's will4 ,i trust him now and ,i expect to trust him to the last4' ,he took my hand and there was a steady light in his eye that made me believe every word he said4 ,but when ,i asked him how he got such a faith1 he could only tell me that he went to a #8mourners bench' two years before and sought till he found it4 ,this did me no good1 for there was no place accessible here4 ,in sore perplexity ,i read the ,bible from day to day and prayed1 taking my turn in praying aloud and reading with the others4 ,at length ,i thought ,i began to see that trusting ,christ must be something like taking his words and teachings for my guide1 trying to do all that he commanded1 and leaving the result while ,i did this with him4 ,this was not that sudden transformation that ,i had hoped1 but ,i soon found that it opened up a good many things that ,i had never dreamed of4 ,one of these seemed especially strange under the circumstances4 ,i had yet but a slender hope of ever escaping from the prison except by the way of the scaffold4 ,but in spite of that dark prospect as an absolute test of my obedience--#8,will you1 if satisfied that it is ,god's will1 be ready to give up the profession of law if you ever get home and go into the ministry8' ,the first and spontaneous reply was1 ,no6 ,i had studied law and meant to practice it if ,i ever got where law reigned4 ,but at once the self response was clear1 #8,what kind of obedience was this8' ,i saw that ,i was not sincere in professing to enlist under ,christ as my captain unless ,i would really obey him4 ,it would be a poor allegiance that stopped short with the things ,i wanted to do4 ,for a long time ,i could not pass this point4 ,the difficulty when communicated to my prison companions seemed utterly absurd4 #8,try to serve ,god in the prison where you are1' they said with a cheer plausibility1 #8and do not bother about preaching1 being a lawyer or anything else1 when you get out1 for you never will get out4' ,this seemed good advice but it would not give a serene mind or the victory over the fear of death1 which ,i so much desired4 8,one after another of those in the prison found the comfort ,i lacked4 ,and it was not until wearied and worn-out that ,i vowed that if ,god would only give me peace ,i would serve him as sincerely in prison or out of it as ,i had tried to serve my country1 and in any way he might direct4 ,from this time ,i did have a steady conviction that ,i was on the ,lord's side and that ,i had a right to commit myself and my life to his keeping4 ,though all newspapers were strictly forbidden1 yet through the kindness of negro waiters we were supplied and thus kept posted regarding war news4444 ,we all remember with deepest gratitude the visit of a minister4 ,when he left he promised to send us some books and did not forget to promptly forward them4 ,these we took good care of1 read thoroughly to all in the room1 and then returned1 asking for more4 ,these he generously gave and we thus continued until we had read nearly his whole library4 ,those only who know what a dreadful weariness it is to pass days without any definite employment can realize the great boon these good books bestowed on us4 ,it made the prison room a veritable school1 and in view of our religious efforts the character of the books was just what we would most have desired1 as they were of a religious cast1 which only made them the more welcome4 ,but there is no employment upon which ,i look back with more pleasure than that for which the minister's books furnished us the material4 ,with fifteen persons in a room not more than eighteen feet square it was needful to preserve quiet if any reading must be done4 ,we therefore appointed regular reading hours1 two in the forenoon and the same in the afternoon4 ,during this time no one was permitted to speak above a low whisper and all noise and running about was forbidden4 ,those who did not wish to read might sleep4 ,sometimes the books were read silently1 but for a part of the time in nearly every period a volume of general interest would be selected and read aloud4 ,these books would often furnish subjects and arguments for discussion in the debating periods that followed4 ,we gained a great deal of knowledge in our novel school1 which has been of lifelong value4 ,books of travel1 adventure1 history1 biography1 and theology--no fiction--were freely read and brought the freshness of the outside world into our dreary captivity40 ,the foregoing gives us a vague idea of what can be done for the welfare of the prisoners in the jails1 work-houses1 and penal institutions of our land1 towards making the prisoners happy by supplying them with good books1 tracts1 papers1 and such like4 ,oh1 the neglect on this line6 ,were prisoners thus supplied1 their minds would not be occupied during the solitary hours in scheming and planning the best modes of perpetrating crime4 ,get a man interested in a good book and you thus place him in good company4 ,he may never see you1 but with deep feelings of gratitude will ever have the kindest feelings toward those who thus bestowed the kind favor of placing him in possession of such a companion4 ,for the entertainment of the prisoner and to develop an interest in literary work they have been allowed to publish prison papers4 ,some of these are very small while others are large and well edited4 ,about three years ago at ,sing ,sing ,prison1 in the state of ,new ,york1 it was decided to issue a bi-weekly twenty-six-page paper to be edited and printed entirely by convicts4 ,no article is allowed in the paper except those composed and furnished by the inmates of the prison4 ,when papers are thus printed and distributed among the prisoners it has a great controlling influence and creates a general interest in literary work4 ,,tobacco ,,allowance4 ,most prisoners are users of tobacco1 yet there are many who do not use it4 ,some prisons allow a pound of tobacco a month1 some two pounds every month4 ,this is generally manufactured at the prison where it is used4 ,one of the modes of punishment1 and a very effective one too1 is to deprive the men of their tobacco for disobedience4 ,with many this is one of the most severe punishments instituted4 ,when a man enters prison he is given a copy of the rules of the prison and also a ticket stating the privileges of the use of the library1 books1 letter-writing1 tobacco allowance1 etc4 ,failure to comply with the rules ofttimes means to be deprived of these privileges for a month or longer4 ,some time ago we placed a number of tracts in prisons showing the evil effects of tobacco on the human system1 the filthiness and offensiveness of tobacco1 etc41 and we were pleased to note the results by way of convincing many prisoners to discontinue the use and give up the habit4 ,while some are able by strong willpower to discontinue the use of it1 yet but comparatively few people can in their own strength quit its use and rid themselves of the appetite4 ,but many can testify that they have not only been able to quit its use1 but have had the appetite removed by the power of ,god in answer to prayer4 ,,prisoners' ,,work4 ,men and women are sent to prison to work4 ,the sentence is generally so many years in state prison at hard labor4 ,it is right and proper that they should work and should be made to work faithfully4 ,it is not supposed that they receive a sentence to enter a paradise for so many years4 ,in the different prisons the work is quite different4 ,there are prisons where the prisoners are required to spend almost their entire time of working hours from #fjj to #hjj feet under ground digging coal4 ,at some places the veins of coal are so shallow that the prisoners are compelled to lie down and stretch themselves out or be in a half-way sitting posture while at their work4 ,such prisoners often contract colds1 rheumatism1 and other diseases which rapidly shorten their lives4 ,in other prisons they are taken out in gangs to work on the public highways and crush stone4 ,however1 some prisons furnish the prisoners work within the prison walls4 ,much of this labor is let out to contractors who have a business of making clothing1 harness1 whips1 brooms1 etc4 ,in such cases the contractors pay the state a small amount each day for the labor of the prisoners4 ,many complaints have been made1 and many of them justly1 because of the unfair requirements and treatment of the prisoners4 ,this should be more carefully looked after by the prison inspectors of the state1 and we are glad to know that in many places it is receiving attention4 ,the time for working ranges from ten to fourteen hours per day4 ,in the ,united ,states prison at ,leavenworth1 ,kans4 they rise at six o'clock1 and when the men are ready to go to their work1 three hundred of them march two miles and one-half to their work1 a hundred more go two miles in another direction to work on a farm1 while others are otherwise occupied till six o'clock in the evening4 ,as a general thing1 if the prisoner is careful to obey the rules and work well1 he is not likely to have much trouble with the officials4 ,however1 in some prisons very few escape extra punishments of some kind4 ,,the ,,stockades4 ,the stockade is an enclosure1 or pen1 made with posts or sticks stuck in the ground4 ,it is generally a temporary affair4 ,these are to be found in the ,south and ,southwest mostly4 ,here is where the worst treatment is to be found among the prisoners4 ,some of the southern states are providing better for their prisoners1 but others are far behind what they should be4 ,a stockade is sometimes made on the top of a mountain or in some suitable place for working mines4 ,in these southern states not only mining is carried on by the prisoners1 but building of roads1 railroads1 and such like4 ,for instance1 where a railroad is being built1 large cars are roughly and strongly built in which the prisoners are locked when not at their work4 ,women in some of these places are required to clear the land1 roll logs1 do drudgery1 and in many instances are so shamefully used and treated that it is a disgrace to a civilized nation4 ,but while such is the case there are noble men and women who are not connected with the prison1 as well as many of the more noble prison officers who have been working faithfully for years to bring about a prison reform1 and much has been done and is being done on that line4 ,however1 could the veil be drawn aside that all might fully realize the situation1 the reformation would be more rapid and effective4 ,the stockades do not have literary privileges as a general thing as do our older and well-established prisons4 ,we have received communications from officers in these stockades who are very anxious to have good literature placed at their disposal1 assuring us that the same would be highly appreciated and used to the advantage of the prisoners4 ,,the ,,chain ,,gang4 ,it is not an uncommon thing to see a chain gang of prisoners1 especially about the stockades4 ,sometimes they are marched to and from their work shackled with handcuffs1 while others are fastened with clanking chains4 ,there are also men to be found with iron bands or rings welded around their necks1 to which a chain is fastened with the other end of the chain attached to a ball to prevent their escape4 ,these are generally the most desperate characters4 ,to those who are acquainted with such scenes it is shocking indeed1 and creates a feeling of pity and sympathy which calls for a more humane treatment in behalf of the poor unfortunates4 ,there are men who serve almost an entire term of sentence in stocks or irons1 or go to their work in the chain gang1 because of a lack of proper provision of accommodations on the part of the state or government1 or by unjust1 inhumane treatment4 ,few men have fallen so low in sin and degradation1 or have been so hardened by crime1 but yet have at least a spark of humanity or manhood which can be kindled to a flame by proper humane and reformative treatment2 where1 on the other hand1 an undue amount of the imposition of irons and chains causes them to grind with revenge1 and seemingly the little spark of manhood is seared over with a more hardened conscience1 leaving him still a criminal almost beyond redemption4 ,illustration3 ,the ,chain-gang4 ,,the ,,felon',s ,,cell4 ,when one is taken to serve a term in prison1 has exchanged his citizen's clothes for a suit of stripes1 is measured1 and a full description is written in the prison books1 he is taken to a cell which is to be his future abode during his confinement1 except what time he is at work1 at his meals1 or is otherwise stationed by the prison officers4 ,we can here only give a description of what is commonly found to be a prison cell4 ,it is a small iron room with a stone floor1 and when two convicts are to occupy the same cell1 there are two bunks or beds in the cell4 ,the bed-rack is made of iron or wood slats1 and the bed-tick is generally filled with corn-husks or some similar material1 likewise the pillow4 ,when the beds are not in use they are fastened to the side of the wall with a chain4 ,when down and in use they take up nearly the entire space of the cell1 so that it is impossible for the two occupants to pass each other in walking to and fro4 ,the other furniture generally consists of a small tinbucket holding about two quarts of water1 and a washbasin4 ,a short-handled broom is also found in one corner of the cell with which the convict brushes it every morning4 ,the walls are either iron or stone1 decorated with a small looking-glass and a towel4 ,each cell contains one chair1 as there is not room for two2 so that when one sits on the chair the other stands or occupies a seat on the stone floor4 ,the door is made of half-inch iron bars crossing each other at right angles1 leaving spaces about two by six inches4 ,through these spaces come the air1 light1 and heat4 ,to give the reader an idea of how one would naturally feel on the first introduction to such a place1 we will give it in the language of a prisoner1 who says3 8,after examination ,i was shown to my cell4 ,it was now about two o'clock in the afternoon of my first day in prison4 ,i remained in the chair during the entire afternoon4 ,of all the dark hours of an eventful history none have been filled with more gloom and sadness than those of my first day in prison4 ,all my life ,i moved in the highest circles of society1 surrounded by the best and purest of both sexes1 and now ,i was in the deplorable condition of having been hurled from that high social condition down to the low1 degraded plane of a convict4 ,as ,i sat there in that desolate abode of the disgraced ,i tried to look out down the future4 ,all was dark4 ,for a time it seemed as if that sweet angel we call ,hope had spread her wings and taken her departure from me forever4 ,the black cloud of despair somewhat settled down upon me4 ,but very few prisoners possess the ability to make anything of themselves after having served a term in the penitentiary4 ,i sat brooding over these things for an hour or more and my manhood asserted itself and hope returned4 ,i reasoned thus3 ,i am a young man1 ,i enjoy good health1 there will be only a few months of imprisonment1 and then ,i will be free4 ,i thought of my loving wife1 little children1 my aged mother1 my kind friends1 and for their sake ,i would not yield to despair4 ,soliciting aid of a kind heavenly ,father ,i resolved to do the best ,i could toward regaining what ,i had lost4 ,i was aware of the fact that when ,i got out of the penitentiary all the money ,i would have with which to make another start in life would be five dollars4 ,the ,united ,states presents her prisoners upon discharge with a suit of citizens' clothes and five dollars4 ,this was my capital40 ,truly such a sad condition would be deplorable1 but the prisoner can only assert his manhood1 lay his plans for the future1 and determine to rise above it all1 which is not impossible4 ,many have risen to a good standing in life4 ,what has been done can be done again4 ,prisoners who are sentenced to be hanged are generally taken to a cell in the execution house separate from the other prisoners4 ,the convict thus doomed spends the time in this prison and is not required to work4 ,a few months ago ,i visited a prison1 and in the execution building ,i found two prisoners in solitary cells4 ,one seemed to have made his peace with ,god1 but the other was in deep trouble over his soul1 was not ready to meet ,god1 and had only a few more days to live4 ,it seemed he could not pray4 ,he had been reading his ,bible and other religious books1 but hope had almost fled4 ,after talking with him for a time1 ,i said1 8,young man1 your time is short unless ,god in some way intervenes4 ,if you have been guilty of crime and are trying to hide it from your fellow men or denying the charge1 you can not hide it from ,god4 ,acknowledge before him the facts as they are and call upon him for help40 ,after praying with him for a while he gave vent to his feelings in most earnest pleas to ,god1 crying out1 8,i am a murderer40 ,he continued his earnest pleas until the ,lord did forgive him4 ,a week or two later when the death sentence was read to him in his cell1 he was ready1 and made the remark that they could only take away his breath1 for his soul would be forever landed in peace4 ,i saw him march up to the gallows1 and as his legs and arms were being strapped and a rope tied about his neck he glanced heavenward as if breathing a silent prayer1 and when the electric signal was given1 he dropped into eternity4 ,,the ,,library4 ,while many prisons are not yet supplied with a library1 there are efforts being made on this line for the education and elevation of the minds of the prisoners4 ,for those who have already received an education there are many valuable books in the library to furnish them something to occupy their minds at such times as they may have to read4 ,some states furnish so many thousand books and an appropriation of #ejj a year for library purposes4 ,among the books furnished are scientific works1 history1 biography1 and others of a religious and moral nature1 together with many novels and works of fiction4 ,the ,christian people of our land should see to it that a greater number of books of a real spiritual cast are placed at the disposal of prisoners4 ,about two years ago1 after receiving some earnest letters of appreciation and thankfulness from prisoners who had received books and papers1 a deeper sympathy was awakened in their behalf4 ,for some days ,i became greatly burdened in behalf of a certain prison1 concerning supplying the prisoners with a library of good books4 ,not knowing whether they had a library or whether the prison officials would receive the books and put them into the hands of the prisoners1 ,i hesitated4 ,as the burden for this matter could not be so easily thrown off1 my next step was to visit the prison and make investigations through the prison officials1 and was not a little surprised to find they were without a library1 though at that time were preparing a large library room1 intending to make a plea to the people for a donation of books4 ,as soon as the room was finished it was my pleasure to see that #ajjj worth of well-bound books were placed in the library for the prisoners1 being donated by those who have an interest in the men behind the bars4 ,it has also been a source of gratitude to know that these books have been appreciated and enjoyed by the many prisoners who read them in their cells and in the library4 ,in some prisons about twenty per cent4 or more of the prisoners are unable to read or write4 ,for this reason schools are being formed where such1 especially those who desire to do so1 can have a chance to receive an education4 ,these schools are generally held in the library room and taught by one of the prisoners4 ,,the ,,chapel4 ,the chapel is the place where prisoners get most of their public instruction aside from what is obtained in the library4 ,it is not often that they have the privilege of attending educational lectures as if they were attending a college or public school2 however1 in our better prisons steps are being taken to give the well-behaved prisoners advantages on this line occasionally4 ,the general meetings on ,sunday are held in the chapel1 to which the prisoners are marched in regular order1 where several hundred are in weekly attendance4 ,the chaplain generally conducts the regular services or has ministers from the city to take their turns in preaching to them4 ,prison evangelists are often given the privilege of talking to the prisoners or visiting them at their cells for the welfare of their souls4 ,there are prisons where all visitors and gospel workers are admitted free1 while other prisons charge twenty-five cents admission fee4 ,aside from what is known as the regular chapel services1 the prisoners who desire to meet before that hour or remain after1 in a social religious prayer-service or ,bible class1 can have the privilege of doing so4 ,all prisoners are allowed to sing at the general services1 although they generally have a select choir4 ,one man in giving a report of the prison choir said3 8,at one time we had two horse thieves1 two rapists--one with a sentence of forty years--three murderers1 two hog thieves1 and several others with equally villainous records40 ,it would be difficult at such a place to select a choir that had a clean past record4 ,while these men were criminals when incarcerated1 some of them will doubtless always remain criminals1 while others have so reformed as to be worthy of a better name4 ,many prisoners during their confinement actually get a real experience of salvation1 and those desiring to be baptized by immersion go from the chapel to the laundry1 and there in a well-filled tank or long troughlike tub receive the ordinance of baptism4 ,the chapel does not have stained-glass windows nor the finery of many modern church buildings2 nevertheless the place is supposed to have everything neat and in order1 and the men are to observe the strictest decorum and reverence while in attendance4 ,,scaling ,,the ,,prison ,,wall4 ,there are in almost every prison those who are called 8trusties0--prisoners who are given the privilege of doing work outside of the prison1 going on errands1 etc41 without the presence of a guard4 ,others have unusual liberties within the prison walls4 ,life prisoners and those who have received a sentence for a number of years and have not yet made up their minds to reform1 often give the officials considerable trouble in trying to make their escape2 although1 as a general thing1 life prisoners are well-behaved persons4 ,there have been some noted and desperate efforts made to escape prison4 ,desperate characters have used all their ingenuity in devising plans for an escape and watch an opportunity to raise an insurrection at a critical time4 ,there have been times when the insurrection was so great as to defy the prison officials1 and the disturbance could only be quelled by the daring boldness and wisdom of the warden or general officer in charge4 ,when a number of desperate prisoners get such an advantage they will fearlessly face death rather than yield4 ,a few such noted instances are on record4 ,it is1 however1 very difficult for a prisoner to make good his escape4 ,if successful he must go under an assumed name and always be a fugitive from justice4 ,if a failure is made he is apt to have to serve his full sentence instead of having advantage of the commutation of 8short time40 ,illustration3 ,scaling the ,prison ,walls4 ,bloodhounds are kept at the present time for the purpose of capturing those who try to make their escape1 and there are men behind the prison walls who carry ugly scars made from deep flesh wounds by the bloodhounds during the time of their capture4 ,there are times when a fire breaks out in a prison which must receive immediate attention of all available help4 ,it is at such times that desperate characters undertake to raise an insurrection and make their escape4 ,many prisoners have been known at such times to show their manhood1 and offer their services and manifest their loyalty by aiding the officers in keeping the prisoners in subjection and in extinguishing the flames4 ,such prisoners should be highly rewarded1 and many of them shortly afterward receive their pardon in honor of their loyalty and good principles shown4 ,the prisoner who desires to have favors shown him in prison should1 upon first entering1 decide to obey the prison rules to the best of his ability4 ,anything to the contrary will bring the ill favor of the prison officials upon him4 ,an attempt to escape will not be forgotten and he will be very closely watched and denied many privileges which he could have otherwise enjoyed1 and is not apt to be made a 8trustie40 ,it is therefore a wise plan to decide upon perfect submission from the beginning of the confinement4 ,a ,,prison ,,reform4 ,the highest ideal of prison life is not simply punishment for evil doing1 but should be a reformation in the lives of those who are thus incarcerated4 ,we are glad to know that there is really a reformation being brought about in the rules and government of the prisons in our land4 ,it is said of one of the kings in a country in ,europe that1 being desirous of knowing how the common people lived1 he dressed himself as a peasant or tramp and went about from place to place among the poorer class of people1 and while thus lounging about the city he was met by a policeman who demanded him to give an account of himself4 ,not giving the proper satisfaction1 the policeman hurried him off to a dungeon-like cell4 ,the prisons under that king's domain were in a sad condition--dirty1 filthy1 alive with vermin1 and were most degrading places4 ,thus the king was obliged to spend the night in such horrible quarters1 which was in great contrast to the royal palace4 ,however1 it was a night well spent1 though but little enjoyed by the king4 ,he was touched as never before by a sympathetic feeling for the poor unfortunate human beings who were cast into such places4 ,he at once ordered a renovation of all the prisons throughout his kingdom4 ,aside from our penitentiaries1 there are jails1 work-houses1 and places of imprisonment1 many of which are allowed to become filthy1 with lice and other vermin in almost every crevice1 making the place not only extremely unpleasant but unhealthful to every inmate4 ,no doubt if many of our lawmakers and other influential people of our country were compelled to spend a few days or nights in such prisons there would speedily be a great reformation in the prisons of our own land4 ,aside from cleanliness and government of prisons and jails there is a reformation in which we can all have a part1 and help to point the unfortunate ones to ,him who is able 8to bring out the prisoners from the prison1 and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house40--,isa4 #db3g4 ,a number of our penitentiaries have comparatively good libraries furnished by the state2 some have not yet been supplied with libraries2 and even among those that are supplied there are more novels than good1 wholesome religious works4 ,however1 in some prisons each prisoner is supplied with a ,bible of small print1 and there has been an earnest plea from the prisoners for good1 wholesome religious literature by way of books1 tracts1 papers1 etc4 ,our jails have as a general thing been sadly neglected on this line4 ,a few months ago we made an effort through the ,gospel ,trumpet ,publishing ,company1 of ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va41 to supply jails and prisons with small libraries of good unsectarian religious books1 such as would be a benefit to the prisoners and tend to lead them to a higher aim in life4 ,we were soon greatly surprised to realize the demand from prisoners for such literature4 ,a few hundred jails were thus supplied with libraries and religious papers4 ,it was almost astonishing to learn in reply by their letters of appreciation that in many places they had never been thus remembered before4 ,some prisoners had been in for a number of months without any religious reading matter and scarcely any one to visit them4 ,being thus reminded of a lack of duty brought to mind the words of ,jesus1 as mentioned in the twenty-fifth chapter of ,matthew1 wherein he was speaking of the end of time when the nations should gather before him and he would separate the good from the bad4 ,and we read where he says1 8,then shall the ,king say unto them on his right hand1 ,come1 ye blessed of my ,father1 inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world3 for ,i was an hungered1 and ye gave me meat3 ,i was thirsty1 and ye gave me drink3 ,i was a stranger1 and ye took me in3 naked1 and ye clothed me3 ,i was sick1 and ye visited me3 ,i was in prison1 and ye came unto me4444 ,inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren1 ye have done it unto me40 ,my dear reader1 how will it be with us when we appear before the ,king in all his glory in that day8 ,can he say of us that he was in prison1 and we came unto him8 ,or shall he be compelled to utter these words3 8,depart from me1 ye cursed1 into everlasting fire1 prepared for the devil and his angels3 for ,i was an hungered1 and ye gave me no meat3 ,i was thirsty1 and ye gave me no drink3 ,i was a stranger1 and ye took me not in3 sick1 and in prison1 and ye visited me not4 ,inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these1 ye did it not to me08 ,while we enjoy our beautiful homes and the pleasures of life and freedom1 the question comes directly1 ,have we done our duty toward the prisoner8 ,have we visited ,jesus in the prison8 ,we may not be able to go there in person1 but we can visit them by providing them with silent messengers by way of good books1 tracts1 papers1 etc4 ,there are doubtless thousands of professing ,christians who never gave a dollar to help a prisoner1 who never visited a prison in person or in any other way4 ,there are those who could spend hundreds of dollars in supplying prisons and would not feel the weight of it financially1 but we should make an effort on this line by giving to the extent that we may feel the weight of the sacrifice1 and thereby ,god will be greatly glorified and many prisoners led to seek the ,lord and live a pure and holy life4 ,some of the most intelligent and highly educated men are found behind the prison-bars and fill felons' cells4 ,it is not always the man of low type1 ignorant and uneducated1 that thus meets his doom4 ,there are men and women from every class of society4 ,there are men who are hardened in crime1 whose consciences seem seared1 yet none so hard-hearted1 none so low down in the depths of sin that they have not a spark of manhood to which there is an appeal4 ,brutal treatment will not reach such specimens of manhood2 however1 they must be brought under strict discipline of the requirements of servitude and given to understand that perfect obedience is required2 yet with all that1 when they are told in a kind1 gentle1 loving manner and given to understand that they are entitled to the best privileges of the prison as they deserve it1 that little spark of manhood will soon be kindled into a flame4 ,there are prisons where a small per cent4 of the monthly earnings are placed to their credit1 which in a few years amounts to a large enough sum to give them a fair start at the time of their release4 ,if they are disobedient1 so much is taken from their credit4 ,but aside from the kind moral treatment there must be something more effective4 ,the hearts of these hardened criminals must be changed by the power of ,god4 ,the prison officials who fail to realize or recognize this necessity have to a great extent failed in their reformative efforts4 ,every effort possible should be extended in behalf of the spiritual welfare of the prisoners4 ,illustration3 ,tracked by ,bloodhounds--,captured4 ,there is an evil existing in our jails and work-houses that is startling and alarming1 nevertheless it continues throughout the breadth of our land4 ,a young man or wayward boy is arrested for some trivial offense2 it is probably the first time he has been guilty of thus breaking the law4 ,he is placed behind the prison-bars to await a preliminary hearing before a justice of the peace4 ,he is then liable to be sentenced for from thirty to ninety days in jail1 or bound over to court1 which is to be in session a few weeks or months later4 ,in the meantime he is confined in the jail to await his arraignment before the court4 ,let us now take a look at the jail itself and its inmates4 ,it is well secured with solid walls1 iron doors1 and prison-bars4 ,there are a few private cells1 a broad hallway1 and large room into which from five to fifty persons are confined4 ,sometimes even a greater number are thus imprisoned without grade or discrimination of crime4 ,the tender youth must intermingle with those who are steeped in sin and hardened in crime4 ,he is here taught to play cards1 read novels1 use vulgar and profane language1 practice the most vile habits1 plan for burglaries1 and comes forth a rogue at heart1 and a hardened criminal4 ,otherwise1 had there been the proper discrimination1 separating those who are just starting on the downward course from the hardened criminals1 there would be a reformation in their lives instead of a degeneration4 ,these are facts that can not be denied--facts that stare us in the face1 and are sad truths that will continue to hover over us1 as it were1 until the good people rise up and protest against it for a proper reformation on this line4 ,the good people of our land would be surprised1 yea1 stricken with consternation1 were they to visit most jails and work-houses and make a thorough investigation1 to behold the filth and general sanitary condition of the place1 which is infested with lice and other vermin4 ,it is right and proper to send people to jail or prison who will not behave themselves4 ,they need both punishment and reformation4 ,this can be done effectually and with good results if the proper course is pursued4 ,,history ,,of ,,west ,,virginia ,,penitentiary4 ,,written ,,by ,a ,,prisoner4 ,in #ahfc the state was admitted as one of the constellation of states of the union4 ,virginia had seceded from the union by a majority vote4 ,the strong and indomitable minority citizens of the ,old ,dominion residing in the western part of it1 many of whom were ,scotch and ,irish descendants and natives of the adjoining states1 who had taken up their homes in the valleys and on the hillsides1 were loyal to the ,union1 loved well the flag1 and reverenced with an undying affection the builders of the union of states for the greater blessing of the people1 and stood firm and unyielding for an indivisible united country4 ,by their hands and brave hearts they built a state stretching from the ,potomac to the ,ohio river1 carved out of the ,old ,dominion4 ,the war-born daughter of the historical commonwealth proved1 in the subsequent years1 to be rich in the production of materials in active demand in the marts of commerce1 and she now outstrips her mother state in the race for greatness1 prosperity1 and happiness4 ,many regions of the state are mountainous1 and the principal industries are lumbering1 mining1 and oil production4 ,many of the white people are typical mountaineers and somewhat rough and uncouth in manner1 while the negroes1 many of them1 have drifted from ,north and ,south ,carolina1 ,alabama1 and other southern states to be employed in the development of these industries4 ,there are very many respectable farmers1 professional and business men1 and cultured ladies residing in these almost inaccessible parts2 but the rough element in many places predominates1 and the order of the day and night is drinking and brawling1 ending as a rule in desperate encounters and murder4 ,most of the white and black inmates of the penitentiary have been and are now composed of the lawless men from these regions1 from the time it was only a stockade of ten acres in #ahff1 when ,hon4 ,j4 ,w4 ,mc,whorter of the ,tenth ,judicial ,district was appointed warden by ,governor ,boreman4 ,he resigned the position after viewing it4 ,in a letter to ,warden ,hawk he states it was for the reason that there was not so much as a building erected for the shelter of the inmates1 and he thought he could not work the convicts to advantage under the circumstances4 ,the penitentiary has been improved from time to time to the present1 by additions1 until it is a massive structure of stone and iron1 with a high stone surrounding wall4 ,it has #fie inmates at the present writing4 ,the center1 or main building1 is built after the old baronial castellated style of architecture1 and with its several stories height1 it makes an imposing appearance4 ,it is flanked on the north and south by the stone and strongly-barred buildings1 wherein the old and first built stone cells and the modern steel ones--#ijj in all--are placed4 ,entrance is to be had into the prison proper by means of a round turning iron-barred cage in the main hallway of the central building4 ,the cell-building halls are kept in a neat and clean condition2 the cells are in good sanitary condition and are kept in good order by the inmates1 many of whom are artistic in taste and paint and make many fanciful designs as adornments of their small sleeping quarters4 ,the yard1 limited in area by the shop1 dining-hall1 engine and hospital buildings1 is artistically laid out in grass-grown plats and flower beds in season4 ,around the area of space on brick-laid pavements the prisoners are permitted to walk in columns of two according to grade for exercise during the afternoon after working hours1 and ,sabbath forenoon prior to and after chapel services4 ,at the four corners of the penitentiary walls are stone turrets where armed guards are placed from four o'clock a4 m4 to #i p4 m4 ,upon ,west ,virginia establishing a state government1 ,wheeling was selected as the capital where the legislature met in session in #ahfc1 with ,hon4 ,arthur ,i4 ,boreman as chief executive4 ,the prison was located in #ahff at ,moundsville1 ,marshall ,co41 then a beautiful village a few miles from the seat of government4 ,the location1 for drainage and sanitary conditions1 might have been better selected from one of the many surroundings hills than in the midst of the village in the valley on the banks of the ,ohio river4 ,moundsville has since the location of the penitentiary there1 grown into the eighth city in population of the state1 and is now a manufacturing and resident town possessing daily and weekly newspapers4 ,modern improvements prevail1 with water and electric light systems and street-car lines connecting with ,wheeling and adjoining suburbs4 ,the magnificent mound erected by the ,mound ,builders many years gone by for the burial of their dead1 to be seen near the penitentiary1 is one of the attractions to the thousands of persons who visit the locality4 ,hon4 ,g4 ,s4 ,mc,fadden1 of ,moundsville1 was the first active and practical warden of the penitentiary4 ,with the means at hand he made many praiseworthy improvements for the amelioration of the inmates during his incumbency4 ,the condition of the prisoners during the four years past and now1 is a vast improvement over the old system4 ,skilled and humane prison managers for many years were wanting4 ,the condition of the inmates was at times deplorable in the extreme4 ,the methods of punishment in vogue were extremely severe1 the work laborious1 the clothing of the zebra kind1 the lock-step exacting1 the supply and kind of food indifferent and bad4 ,the employment of the prisoners on the state account or under contract was unprofitable1 and expenses for the prison's maintenance piling upon the taxpayers1 who made just complaint4 ,loud demands were made by the people of ,moundsville and throughout the state1 conversant with the deplorable condition of the affairs of their penal institution1 for a change4 ,after ,governor ,atkinson's inauguration1 ,march #d1 #ahig1 he appointed ,colonel ,s4 ,a4 ,hawk as warden of the penitentiary4 ,he was at the time of his appointment a well-known business man of ,huntington1 ,cabell ,co4 ,for a number of years he was also known as a popular employee of an ,ohio river steamboat running out of ,huntington4 ,he was at one time a successful merchant1 hotel-keeper1 contractor1 and during ,president ,harrison's administration as ,president he was an official of the ,interior ,department in charge of the public domain in ,arizona ,territory4 ,prior to the incumbency of ,warden ,hawk the ,west ,virginia penitentiary had for years been running behind the legislative appropriation many thousand dollars annually1 and not much1 if any1 success was made in the reformation of the prisoners4 ,altogether the prison was in bad order when he took hold as warden1 he not only introduced reformatory treatment with respect to the prisoners1 but he has made the institution bring to the state an actual profit over and above all expenses for maintenance4 ,warden ,hawk took hold of the penitentiary management ,may #a1 #ahig4 ,he discovered that his predecessor's method of punishment was principally solitary confinement4 ,twenty-seven or more prisoners were undergoing the punishment on bread and water1 and they presented a pitiable condition4 ,their labor was lost to the state2 their mental1 moral1 and physical health undermined2 hope seemingly was blasted1 and they were strangers to ,god4 ,the warden turned the key and liberated these men and put them to work1 which they gladly expressed a willingness to do4 ,he adopted the new and advanced method of prison management in line with up-to-date penalogists2 viz41 ,the grade system1 plain clothing in lieu of stripes1 more and better food1 first-class medical attendance1 every prisoner at work1 more personal liberty and exercise granted2 he made himself approachable to those prisoners having a grievance1 and in so far as he could within the bounds of true discipline1 rectified them4 ,religious worship was fostered and encouraged2 punishment for willful infractions of the rules and regulations governing the prison1 sure and certain1 by black-listing from special privileges1 for a period of thirty days or more2 the lock-step1 by carrying on the yard an iron weight during working hours1 and in extreme cases of fighting and other reprehensible misconduct1 corporal punishment with a leather strap was inflicted1 or by buck-and-gag4 ,other changes of a minor but not less ameliorative nature were made conducive to the moral welfare of the inmates4 ,to bring about these humane changes many and substantial improvements were made in the way of buildings and additions without cost to the taxpayers1 for the prison was more than self-sustaining1 and a handsome sum of money was on hand for this purpose4 ,,prison ,,library4 ,january #a1 #aijj1 ,warden ,s4 ,a4 ,hawk completed the erection of a two-story brick addition to the prison dining-hall4 ,the second story room1 #djdj feet1 was dedicated by him to the use of a library and school4 ,the fixtures were placed in the room but there were only a few mutilated books at hand to begin with4 ,e4 ,e4 ,byrum1 ,president of the ,gospel ,trumpet ,publishing ,company of ,moundsville1 hearing of the situation1 offered his gratuitous service to the warden to aid him to build up the library to a respectable proportion4 ,upon the assurance given him that there was no available appropriation to purchase books for the library1 ,mr4 ,byrum called the attention of the members of his company to this state of affairs1 and upon their advice and with their consent1 a splendid lot of artistically bound religious and other suitable books valued at #a1jjj was placed at the disposal of the warden for the use of the prison inmates4 ,so grateful were the prisoners1 the warden1 and prison employees at the generous gift that it was ,resolved1 ,that the prisoners of the ,west ,virginia penitentiary1 through ,warden ,s4 ,a4 ,hawk1 tender their grateful thanks to ,e4 ,e4 ,byrum and to the ,gospel ,trumpet ,publishing ,company1 ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va41 for the very welcome gift of books placed in the prison library for their use4 ,this fine gift of standard literature1 including #ejj song-books1 was a nucleus for the building up of an excellent library1 few equaling it in the state4 ,thousands of circular letters were mailed by the warden to the leading citizens of ,west ,virginia and leading publishing houses of the country asking for donations of literature4 ,the responses were generous--donors sending from one book to cases containing hundreds of books4 ,one year after the opening of the library twelve thousand standard religious and secular books and magazines were donated4 ,it is true many of them were second-hand and worn1 except those received from the publishing firms--such as the people of the state could afford to give4 ,the library represents to every inmate the warden's desire that every one of them should feel that an opportunity for newness of life to them is open1 and in such opportunity may be found an ample encouragement of good purposes and well-meant efforts4 ,better life1 better men1 hence a hope for the prevalence of improvement4 ,a night school from #e4cj to #g4cj p4 m41 for two hundred and more illiterate white and colored inmates1 ranging from seventeen to seventy-two years of age1 was begun in the library at its opening1 without intermission during every week-day of the year4 ,the good result has been more satisfactory in the teaching of spelling1 reading1 arithmetic1 geography1 and writing than the most sanguine could have anticipated4 ,every one of the illiterate prisoners at the end of the year can read4 ,the attendance of the pupils1 thirty-two white and forty colored1 being voluntary on their part1 alternate nights4 ,the prisoners are visited at their cells every ,saturday evening by assistant librarians 7who are employed in shops during the day71 with slips in hand1 and their order taken for whatever book or magazine they may ask for4 ,the magazines are securely bound1 three in one volume1 minus the advertisements4 ,the number of the cell is taken down with the prisoner's serial number4 ,the literature is carefully selected by the librarian and made ready for his assistants to place in the inmates' cells1 and each book is charged to the prisoner by his serial number1 to be kept for one week4 ,if1 however1 the book is one that can not be read during the regular period of time1 upon application1 a further period of a week is allowed4 ,the books issued the previous week are collected and returned to the library1 there to be carefully examined1 for intentional mutilation the culprit being black-listed and deprived of the use of books1 at the pleasure of the warden4 ,at the first and several issues thereafter illiterate and mischievous prisoners marked their books1 but by judicious use of the black-list and reprimand the practice on the part of these culprits ceased1 and they cheerfully refrained from committing themselves again1 and they are now most careful of their literary treasures4 ,for a period of seven months of the year no reports for mutilation of books have been made4 ,the following are most in demand3 ,mothers' ,counsel to ,their ,sons1 ,pilgrim's ,progress1 ,fox's ,book of ,martyrs1 ,the ,kingdom of ,god1 ,divine ,healing of ,soul and ,body1 ,grace of ,healing1 ,boy's ,companion1 and ,letters for ,our ,girls--the last being in demand by the female inmates1 there being twenty-seven white and colored of them4 ,many books on tobacco and its effects were also issued to the inmates above named4 ,the books are a part of the ,gospel ,trumpet ,publishing ,company's donation4 ,from close observation of the readers of all this admirable literature the good results are carefully and conscientiously given as follows3 ,mothers' ,counsel to ,their ,sons is in constant and steady demand from young men to the 8manor-born0 of ,west ,virginia4 ,they are a unique1 original1 and reverent body of criminals4 ,far too many are illiterate1 possessed of high1 lofty1 and impulsive dispositions1 their very souls throbbing with vitality1 their eyes beaming with inspiration1 doubtless inspired with the magnificent scenery of their native and well-beloved state4 ,their hearts and minds seem to expand with the thought ever present with them1 8,mountaineers will ever be free40 ,while restraint is irksome to them1 they are1 however1 sensitively susceptible to kind treatment4 ,they love their mountain homes and hearth-stones and cherish with fond remembrance the parents at home1 and they are keen to read literature that brings these close to their prison home4 ,pilgrim's ,progress is called for by older inmates from other states1 white and colored alike1 and also those from foreign lands1 some of whom have enjoyed the benefit of early home religious training or have been picked up during their wanderings around the world and about the country4 ,they seem to get much good from their reading of ,john ,bunyan1 his temptations1 trials1 and triumphs4 ,all of these men continue in their demand for ,gospel ,trumpet literature until they have read all of the different volumes of the donation4 ,a marked and decided improvement is noted in the good discipline and the attendance at religious services of all of the readers of good literature and the warden and guards are pleased with their exemplary behavior4 ,the warden has found it convenient to stop altogether the issue of tobacco to the inmates1 doubtless accounted for by readers of 8,tobacco and ,its ,effects10 who are now non-users of the weed4 ,it is to be hoped that the contractors do not issue to their employees as much tobacco as heretofore4 ,may the use of it grow less until in as well as out of prison its use may be entirely eliminated4 ,,rules ,,to ,,be ,,observed ,,by ,,prisoners ,,when ,,using ,,the ,,library4 ,rule #ast4 ,upon entering the library prisoners must promptly remove their caps and go to their seats in a quiet manner4 ,rule #b;d4 ,chewing tobacco1 smoking1 or spitting on the floor is strictly forbidden4 ,rule #c;d4 ,books1 papers1 or stationery required by any prisoner can be had by raising the hand and asking the librarian or teacher4 ,rule #dth4 ,undivided attention must be given to the teacher2 his instructions promptly and respectfully obeyed1 and the whole time of the prisoner who is learning must be devoted to study4 ,rule #eth4 ,books1 magazines1 and papers will be issued for not longer than one week4 ,care must be exercised not to mark1 tear1 or mutilate them in any way4 ,rule #fth4 ,should a violation of any of these rules result in a prisoner being reported for punishment1 he will be black-listed1 and denied the privilege of school or library4 ,rule #gth4 ,the privilege of the library will be given to prisoners of exemplary record1 where they will have free access to books1 magazines1 and papers1 after working hours4 ,s4 ,a4 ,,hawk1 ,warden4 ,,literature ,,for ,,convicts4 ,the ,greenbrier 7,w4 ,va47 ,independent says3 8,a short time ago ,judge ,mc,whorter of our town shipped to ,s4 ,a4 ,hawk1 warden of the state prison at ,moundsville1 a lot of books1 magazines1 etc41 donated by himself and others4 ,we are permitted to publish ,mr4 ,hawk's letter to the judge in acknowledgement of the donation3 8#8,your fine donation of literature came to hand to-day 7,march #aj71 for which please accept my sincere gratitude4 ,i am gratified to inform you that from donations received from the generous people of ,west ,virginia and some few publishers1 ,i have about #aj1jjj volumes of books and magazines--the latter securely bound and covered4 ,the library is indebted to the ,wheeling ,intelligencer and ,news for very many daily exchanges4 ,the library room is #djdj feet1 handsomely furnished and fully equipped4 8#8,i have an evening school of sixty pupils--thirty colored and thirty white1 boys and men--the hours being from #e to #g4cj p4 m4 ,their progress is very satisfactory4 ,taking into consideration that ,i sent out my appeal for literature ,january #bj1 #aijj1 ,i think that ,i have met with unprecedented success1 for which ,i am certainly grateful4 8#8,i feel conscious that the new and more liberal system of discipline inaugurated by me since my management of the prison1 and the many improvements made1 is a duty ,i owe my charges and for the future protection of society1 because these men feel that the hand of every man is not raised against them and that upon their release they will be encouraged to make of themselves useful citizens4 8#8,assuring you that ,i completely appreciate your kindness1 ,i am sincerely yours1 ,s4 ,a4 ,,hawk4'0 ,,the ,,bible ,,class4 ,had been in an intermittent state of organization from #ahij1 with but moderate success4 ,some two years ago 7#ahii7 the ,gospel ,trumpet people took an active interest in the welfare of the ,bible class1 which meant that henceforth renewed and intelligent effort was to be made for the future4 ,the class under the new order of arrangement and new infusion of ,god's ,spirit greatly increased in membership in a short period of time4 ,to this class of earnest ,christians the ,gospel ,trumpet people and denominational ministers of ,moundsville give their attention and best effort in their respective turn1 every ,sabbath morning from #h to #i o'clock4 ,the commendable progress the members of the class have made in their work is to a large extent due to these ministers of ,god4 ,very many remarkable conversions have been brought about1 and baptism given by the ordained ministers from the ,gospel ,trumpet office4 ,,notable ,,reformations4 ,serial ,no4 #bbhb--;,a veteran inmate from ,randolph ,co41 aged #ef years1 received at the prison in #ahib to serve his natural life for the crime of murder1 this being his second term for the same kind of crime4 ,about twelve years ago he was pardoned by the governor upon well established grounds of mitigating circumstances connected with the alleged crime4 ,for the second term he has been an inmate for nine years4 ,he is a large man1 six feet in height1 with a good looking face and possessed of a warm and tender heart4 ,his prison record is exemplary1 and he is employed in the tailor shop1 filling a responsible position4 ,four times has the ,bible class selected him as their class-leader1 recognizing his ,biblical learning1 industry1 and signal ability at prayer and exhortation4 ,he says that during the years prior to the aid given to the class at the hands of the ,gospel ,trumpet people1 he was somewhat lukewarm in his class work4 ,however1 with their hearty assistance and material aid he took on a new spirit and inspiration for more and better work for ,god4 ,he is much encouraged by the many conversions made and by the growth of the class4 ,he canvassed for subscribers for very many ,gospel ,trumpet literary works2 of these and the ,gospel ,trumpet paper1 he is a constant reader4 ,serial ,no4 #bcbj--,received from ,cabell ,co4 in #ahib to serve a life sentence for murder1 is a young man of fine education1 culture1 high resolve and noble purpose1 a scion of ,christian family residents of ,ohio4 ,the crime into which the unfortunate man was probably led appears to have been a concocted scheme made up and he enticed to join in1 for the purpose of putting him out of the way in order to accomplish certain designs his enemies had against his life and property to be inherited by him4 ,to make sure of their work the railroad officials and detectives were put on the job1 so1 when he and his companions made the attempt to stop and rob the railroad passenger train1 they were fired upon by a posse of armed guards1 which they returned1 killing one of the passengers4 ,he was seriously wounded1 losing the use of his right arm4 ,he was converted several years ago and baptized4 ,his health has long since been undermined by confinement and he is in a precarious condition1 but above all things else he is a true ,christian and child of ,god and entirely fit to be pardoned and restored to society1 home1 and friends4 ,he has served one year as leader of the ,bible class1 and owing to his lovable disposition1 learning1 and industry he gave entire satisfaction to his classmates4 ,serial ,no4 #bedg--,received from ,fayette ,county in #ahid1 for murder1 to serve his natural life in prison1 age at the time #bj years1 is a notable example of complete reformation within the prison-walls4 ,he is a native of ,virginia1 raised to do hard work in the coal mines1 where he was without much1 if any1 advantage to enable him to obtain an education4 ,possessed of natural abilities and doubtless awed by the shadow of the gallows from which a loving sister saved him1 and the prison environments1 he purposed to obey the prison rules by industry at his employment and civility toward the prison officials and his comrades4 ,it seems also that early upon his entrance into the penitentiary he resolved to be a godly man4 ,he taught himself how to read his ,bible while in his cell at night4 ,attending the ,bible class he learned how to pray4 ,he gave his heart to ,god one ,sabbath day while listening to a sermon4 ,his classmates selected him as their leader and he served so satisfactorily that during the end of ,governor ,atkinson's administration he was pardoned by and through the untiring effort and devotion of the sister who had saved him years before from the gallows4 ,one and all rejoiced and prayed ,god that the ,governor1 at the end of life's journey may be rewarded for the mercy he granted even unto the poorest and lowliest prisoner in the penitentiary4 ,serial ,no4 #bejd--,received from ,berkley ,county in #ahid1 for grand larceny1 to serve a term of twelve years1 upon entrance to the prison started in to make it unpleasant for the prison officials by stubbornly refusing to work and by violent acts of misconduct4 ,it was found necessary to punish him severely several times4 ,he was one of the prisoners in solitary confinement when ,warden ,hawk took hold of the prison4 ,he was released with others1 and at once taken in hand by the warden for individual treatment4 ,a good position was given him in the laundry and other privileges granted to him as well as good counsel given and amiably received4 ,it was soon observed by the prison officials that he was a constant attendant at the chapel ,sabbath services1 then at a pathetic and prayerful invitation went forward one ,sabbath day and gave himself to the service of ,god and was baptized4 ,he was in charge of the ,bible class for a while4 ,he was recently released by habeas corpus proceedings on the ground that having been committed to the penitentiary on two sentences1 one for four years and the other for eight years1 from different counties1 the greater sentence embraced also the lesser one1 in that the date of sentence in each case commenced from the day of sentence4 ,a close ,biblical student and possessed of considerable natural ability1 power of prayer and exhortation1 it is hoped and expected that he will continue to be a worker in the ,lord's vineyard4 ,serial ,no4 #ceie--,received from ,monongahela ,co4 in #ahih1 to serve a term of four years for grand larceny4 ,upon entering the prison he became an active worker in the ,bible class4 ,he is an exemplary prisoner and thought well of by the warden and prison officials4 ,it is expected that1 upon his release1 his experience in prison will make of him an efficient ,christian worker4 ,possessing some ability and ambition as a hymn-writer1 herewith is a sample3 8,a ,,brother ,,of ,,jesus40 ,a brother of ,jesus1 a comrade to fight1 ,a brother to conquer1 and strive for the right1 ,a brother in daring1 a comrade indeed1 ,a brother to venture1 whatever the need4 ,a brother in spirit1 when dangers surround1 ,a comrade in courage who stands his ground1 ,a brother who's faithful1 loyal1 and true1 ,a comrade who fights1 and fights his way through4 ,a brother for heaven1 who stands by the cross1 ,a comrade obedient1 whatever the cost1 ,a brother who's ready and willing to die1 ,a comrade who will not his ,savior deny4 ,a brother on duty1 by day and by night1 ,a comrade who's trusting in ,jesus' great might1 ,a brother so ,christlike1 ,o ,savior1 ,i'll be ,a comrade in purpose1 sacred to thee4 ,,degenerates4 ,serial ,no4 #djce--,was received from ,pocahontas ,county in #ahih1 to serve two years for horse stealing4 ,he claimed upon his entrance to the prison to be a 8preacher40 ,it is alleged by persons who know his life and character that he is an old and experienced horsethief1 who had served many terms of imprisonment in the different penitentiaries of the country1 and was looked upon from a criminological point of view as a moral degenerate of the first degree4 ,while playing the role of a 8mountain evangelist0 in the county from whence he was committed to the penitentiary1 he there applied his first and only calling1 as a horsethief of the first degree4 ,upon his introduction to the prison he professed to be very religious1 and stoutly maintained that he was an innocent man much maligned and persecuted4 ,he was made janitor of the chapel1 doubtless owing more to the fact that he was a cripple1 having only the use of his left hand1 and a glib talker and not of use elsewhere4 ,he soon ingratiated himself into the good graces of the visiting ministers1 who looked upon him more in pity than aught else1 and they extended to him charity which covers a multitude of sins4 ,he did active and good work1 however4 ,upon his release from prison he made loud professions of reformation and made pretense of going to serve ,god and by so doing become a good citizen4 ,it was1 however1 soon after his release observed by persons interested in his welfare that he was secretly treading the path of wickedness4 ,soon he was a fugitive from justice with big rewards offered for his apprehension and conviction for the larceny of many horses from the farmers of the state and of ,pennsylvania4 ,sheriffs of many counties were on the lookout to apprehend him4 ,recently the sheriffs ran their quarry down and landed him in the ,mineral ,county jail and doubtless he will soon be returned to his old familiar quarters1 there to once more ruminate the error of wrong-doing4 ,it might well be said of him with ,pope1 8,why formed so weak1 so little1 and so blind40 ,he has received another sentence of ten years in state prison4 ,,pathetic4 ,serial ,no4 #cihd--,under sentence of death for the murder of his brother-in-law1 is an object of great pity4 ,this man for the love of his sixteen-year-old boy murdered a man1 for which deed the law demands his life4 ,he and the man murdered were both wealthy farmers at ,terra ,alta1 ,preston ,co41 ,west ,virginia4 ,last ,november 7#aijj7 his boy was arrested by the brother-in-law for breaking into the cellar of his house and getting drunk on his cider4 ,he had him indicted1 tried1 convicted1 and sentenced to the penitentiary for the term of one year1 which angered his father1 who took a shot-gun and shot his brother-in-law dead in his own barn in the presence of a hired man4 ,the father escaped and lived in the mountains a month1 gave himself up1 pleaded guilty1 and was sentenced to be hanged ,feb4 #ae1 #aija4 ,his neighbors1 who were kindly disposed to the erring man1 at once put in circulation a petition to the ,governor praying for a commutation of sentence to life imprisonment4 ,his wife signed a remonstrance against granting the petition of her husband's friends4 ,however1 the governor1 in order to enable the condemned man's friends to present the petition to the advisory board of pardons for their consideration1 granted him a respite until ,april #ac4 ,upon his arrival in the penitentiary he was permitted to see his wayward boy1 and the scene between father and son was truly pathetic4 ,,humorous4 ,serial ,no4 #cgae--;,an illiterate white boy from ,calhoun ,county1 to serve two years for grand larceny for stealing a heifer1 sensibly availed himself of the privilege afforded by the warden to attend the night school4 ,he made remarkable progress in his studies1 so that he could read and write a legible hand4 ,he was so elated with his success that he stated before his release that he was glad he was sent to the penitentiary for stealing the heifer to procure money to take his girl to the county fair1 for now he had a fair education and could get on better in the world4 ,,men ,,executed ,,for ,,murder4 ,the ,west ,virginia ,legislature passed an act ,february1 #ahii1 viz43 8,the sentence of death shall in every case be executed by hanging within the walls of the penitentiary and not elsewhere4 ,the officers of the court imposing sentence may be present1 and twelve respectable citizens1 a physician and surgeon1 and such representatives of the press as the warden may desire2 and the condemned may by request have his counsel1 ministers of the gospel1 and such relatives as the warden may deem prudent40 ,serial ,no4 #cgde--;,colored1 of middle age1 who had served a term in the penitentiary for stealing1 was brought to the prison in #ahii1 from ,mc,dowell ,county1 to suffer the penalty of death ,oct4 #aj1 #ahii1 for the unprovoked murder of a 8scarlet0 negro woman4 ,upon his entrance into the prison he asked for and was given a ,bible1 which he constantly read during the time he awaited to be executed by mandate of the law4 ,ministers of his race paid him frequent visits1 anxious to aid him in spiritual and temporal affairs4 ,he professed sincere religious belief and that upon confession of faith he would be saved1 yet he did not seem to accept with good grace the assistance offered him by the negroes4 ,during his former imprisonment while he was employed to clean and scrub the guard-room and the main-building hallways1 he frequently met the chaplain2 so he made request to the warden that he be sent for to pay him a visit4 ,the chaplain responded at once and devoted much of his time to giving religious consolation and words of good cheer4 ,he1 however1 constantly maintained that he was innocent of the crime charged2 that the negro with him at the time of the shooting was responsible for the woman's death1 by means of a shot-gun4 ,he doubtless was possessed of a scheming mind1 and hoped that he might by some means escape the penalty for his crime4 ,many negro prisoners as well as white ones deeply sympathized with him1 for he was considered a 8good fellow0 when they knew him in prison as one of their number4 ,a collection amounting to #ej4jj was taken up from among the prisoners to pay a lawyer to procure a copy of the record of his trial to enable him to file an appeal to the ,supreme ,court for a new trial4 ,the lawyer received and acknowledged the receipt of the money1 making in return therefor full and profuse promises what he would do to save his life4 ,he took and spent it for liquor1 became drunk on the money1 and did not turn a hand to save the life of his confiding client4 ,the unfortunate man1 hearing of the reprehensible conduct of his attorney1 and the time near at hand for his execution1 grew despondent and weak mentally and physically4 ,he was baptized1 professed repentance1 confessed he murdered his mistress1 and the night of his execution between the hours of #ab a4 m4 and #a p4 m4 it was found necessary to administer powerful stimulants to brace him up for the trying ordeal4 ,with zeal and courage his spiritual advisor prayed1 counseled1 and assisted him to the scaffold4 ,his neck was broken by the fall and his death was painless4 ,serial ,no4 #cgdf--;,a splendid specimen of the young mulatto1 possessed of a fair education for one with the limited opportunities within his reach1 by occupation a coal miner4 ,he was received into the prison from ,mc,dowell ,county under sentence of death for the willful murder of a sixteen-year-old negro boy1 while he was in an intoxicated condition2 also to be executed ,oct4 #aj1 #ahii4 ,he asked for and was given a ,bible4 ,he was a musician1 playing the guitar with skill1 and possessed of a fine tenor voice he was fond of singing hymns1 which he did with pathos1 rhyme1 and music1 to the delight of his hearers4 ,he stoutly maintained that his victim was not intentionally but accidentally shot by him2 that he accidentally fired his pistol into the dwelling wherein the boy was domiciled out of his sight4 ,upon learning that the boy was wounded1 perhaps fatally1 he procured a doctor to whom he paid #ej4jj1 all the money he had saved from his earnings1 to save his life4 ,the boy proved to be wounded beyond the hope of recovery and soon died4 ,the chaplain also ministered to the spiritual welfare of the prisoner and became much impressed with the young man's apparent religious sincerity and his plausible story of innocence of murder4 ,so much was he interested in him that he made personal and strenuous efforts to save his life4 ,the ,governor was appealed to1 the ,attorney ,general was called upon for assistance to procure a copy of his trial record1 and statements made by him were investigated1 and the whole matter submitted to the pardon board for their consideration4 ,after an exhaustive and painstaking consideration of the facts submitted to them the pardon board concluded that he lied and was in fact guilty1 and should suffer the penalty for his crime4 ,the ,governor1 after the conclusion of the pardon board was made known to him1 paid the prison a visit4 ,he called upon the doomed man in the death-cell1 and the latter made to the ,governor a most eloquent and pathetic plea to save his life4 ,with tears streaming down his cheeks1 the ,governor kindly said1 8,would to ,god ,i could do so1 my boy1 but the facts as presented to me are undeniable as to your absolute guilt40 ,now knowing that all hope for escape from the gallows was gone and that he must die1 he read his ,bible1 sang gospel hymns1 and played his guitar4 ,he confessed that he was in fact guilty of the crime and was now content to suffer death1 as he believed he had made his peace with ,god4 ,he was baptized1 and his demeanor to the scaffold from his cell was admirable and brave4 ,he firmly ascended the stairway leading to the death-trap1 stood over it without a tremor while his hands and legs were strapped and the rope adjusted about his neck4 ,when asked by the warden if he had anything to say1 he replied in a manly and firm voice1 8,i have made my peace with ,god4 ,i am guilty4 ,the causes of my downfall were whiskey and women4 ,jesus will take me and ,i am ready and willing to die40 ,serial ,no4 #cggb--;,colored1 was received at the prison in #aijj1 from ,fayette ,county1 to be executed for the willful murder of a prominent negro saloon-keeper who refused to furnish him more liquor when he was already drunk4 ,he asked for a ,bible1 and when it was given to him he seemed to be pleased1 and constantly read it4 ,his attorney1 however1 was skilled in criminal law1 and was an indefatigable worker4 ,the prisoner1 an intelligent colored man1 peaceable and quiet when sober1 believed that he would not have to suffer the penalty for his crime4 ,strenuous efforts were made by his attorney to save his life4 ,the ,governor and the board of pardon were respectively appealed to1 but the guilt of the man was so conclusive1 and the murder so unprovoked1 that at all points his appeal for clemency was refused4 ,he bravely and uncomplainingly paid the penalty decreed by the law and professed his belief in the saving power of ,jesus4 ,,under ,,sentence ,,of ,,death4 ,serial ,no4 #cidd--;,committed from ,wirt ,county1 under sentence of death for the brutal murder 7by means of an ax7 of his wife and step-son1 a child in years1 the motive being to obtain money to be inherited by them1 is a constant reader of the ,bible1 and at all times is ready to argue passages of the ,scriptures with any one who will do so with him4 ,his attorneys secured for him a stay of execution pending an appeal to the ,supreme ,court4 ,serial ,no4 #cigb--;,colored1 was committed from ,kanawha ,co4 in #aija1 for the brutal and unprovoked murder of a negro on account of some money won by gambling4 ,he is a large1 middle-aged1 gross-looking negro1 who has served a term in the penitentiary for stealing4 ,from his life record he appears to have been a vagabond1 gambling1 preying on the people of his race for a living4 ,he is possessed of some education1 a glib tongue1 and appears to have made some friends among white people1 whom he says are his only friends and are the only persons who will give him any assistance in his effort to escape the gallows4 ,he was to be executed ,march #bb1 #aija1 but his attorney procured a stay of execution until ,april #be1 pending an appeal to the ,supreme ,court4 ,he is a constant reader of the ,bible4 ,,an ,,innocent ,,man4 ,serial ,no4 #cghi--;,committed to the prison in #ahii for twelve years1 from ,jefferson ,county1 for the alleged crime1 in company with other persons1 of entering the ,potomac river bridge toll-house at ,shepherdstown and robbing ,richard ,morgan and wife1 whom they bound and gagged1 is an unfortunate victim of untoward circumstances4 ,evidence has come to light1 proved by affidavit1 that he is innocent4 ,,the ,,prison ,,choir4 ,the prison choir is made up of a number of good singers1 white and colored1 the latter predominating4 ,they are under the skill and direction of ,mr4 ,chas4 ,e4 ,woodburn1 a well-known business man of ,moundsville1 who has devoted a number of years of his valuable time to these boys as well as to the chapel services1 and aided the warden in providing amusement on holidays for the inmates4 ,,appeal ,,for ,a ,,parole ,,law4 ,west ,virginia ,penitentiary1 ,moundsville1 ,jan4 #a1 #aija4 ,dear ,sir3 ,gratified that the generous people of ,west ,virginia have in response to my letters of appeal to them dated ,jan4 #bj1 #ahii1 for donations of literature enabled me to build up a library for my convict charges to #ab1jjj volumes of books and magazines1 ,i desire to further trespass on their generosity by asking for your support to bring about another measure of reform1 viz41 a parole law4 ,the parole law is in force in a number of up-to-date state penitentiaries with remarkable success1 bringing protection and good results to society4 ,it saves trouble to prosecuting attorneys and criminal judges1 and enables convicts to gain their liberty solely through their individual efforts4 ,for instance1 by virtue of the criminal statutes a convict may be sentenced for the minimum of one year or the maximum of five years4 ,the criminal judge upon conviction of the prisoner on trial imposes an indefinite sentence4 ,the convict after the expiration of one year may become eligible to parole if his record is exemplary4 ,two reliable citizens are required to become surety for the convict's employment and future good conduct1 then he is paroled4 ,upon violation of any of the parole conditions1 he is returned to prison to serve the maximum sentence4 ,if the convict is a man of family1 he is enabled to provide for them2 and if he is a single man1 he has a chance to become a respected member of society and no longer a menace thereto4 ,respectfully yours1 ,s4 ,a4 ,,hawk4 ,,the ,,writer',s ,,life4 ,that the reader may know and perhaps become interested in the writer of this sketch of the ,west ,virginia prison1 he herewith respectfully and modestly submits to them a sketch of his life4 ,i was born in ,st4 ,louis1 ,mo41 in #ahdd4 ,my parents1 possessed of more than the ordinary education the poor people of ,ireland were enabled to receive1 journeyed across the ,american desert to ,california1 having their troubles with the ,indians and their ,mormon allies4 ,my father hoped to strike a gold mine and become rich1 and in the new ,eldorado build a home and surround his wife and children--a girl and boy--with all the good things of earth that money could buy4 ,soon after our arrival at ,san ,francisco1 the cholera made its appearance1 the plague having been brought to the golden shores of ,california by emigrants traveling from the east by way of ,central ,america4 ,my father was stricken with it and died4 ,in the ,lone ,mountain cemetery1 of the metropolis of the ,pacific coast1 he has lain buried for years4 ,the remainder of the family escaped the dread fifty-one disease4 ,mother was left to struggle alone in a strange land and among strangers to provide for her children4 ,not afraid of work1 she did her duty to her children nobly1 faithfully1 and well4 ,she now lies buried beside my father in ,lone ,mountain cemetery1 twenty years gone by4 ,the war-bugle of the ,rebellion rang in my ears and woke me to the realization that ,i had a country to protect and to save4 ,i enlisted in a ,california regiment of cavalry and served three years with some merit4 ,upon my discharge from the army ,i entered an ,illinois college to perfect my neglected education1 and after graduation ,i located in ,kansas ,city1 ,mo4 ,i began at newspaper work1 and have continued in that line of work to the present time1 with occasional lapses from it to engage in other and more lucrative employment4 ,a soldier of the civil war1 having been wounded1 injured1 and having contracted disease in the line of duty1 ,i was prompted upon ,mc,kinley's election as ,president to apply for a pension4 ,i went to ,washington1 ,d4 ,c41 to press my claim in person with the ,commissioner of ,pensions4 ,he turned me down after ,i had some words with him relative to his delay in granting to me that which was mine by legal right and title1 expressed by the ,american people through their representative in ,congress assembled1 and in fulfillment of promises made to the men who saved the nation4 ,somewhat addicted to the drink habit1 ,i became drunk at my disappointment and the next day ,i found to my surprise that ,i was in the police station charged with breaking into and entering a small grocery in ,washington ,city1 two miles from my place of dwelling4 ,the alleged damage inflicted was small1 but ,justice ,clabaugh1 who had recently been appointed from ,maryland1 said to me that five years was little enough for the alleged crime4 ,serial ,no4 #cgh4 ,illustration3 ,penitentiary of the ,state of ,west ,virginia ,,letters ,,from ,,prison ,,officials4 ,,prison ,,library ,,destroyed ,,by ,,fire4 ,nebraska ,state ,penitentiary4 ,lancaster1 ,neb41 ,march #g1 #aija4 ,dear ,sirs3 ,your consignment of eight books at hand1 which is very much appreciated4 ,we are doubly unfortunate at the present time1 as we have just lost our entire library by fire4 ,we realize too with you that imprisonment is the turning-point for the better in some men's lives1 as we see it exemplified here4 ,at some future time we will send you for publication the views of some of the above men who believe they have been benefited by their prison experience4 ,thanking you again for the books sent1 and in advance for any books you may see fit to send us1 we remain1 ,yours respectfully1 ----1 ,librarian4 ,clinton ,prison4 ,dannemora1 ,n4 ,y41 ,march #h1 #aija4 ,gospel ,trumpet ,publishing ,co41 ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va4 ,gentlemen3 ,the books and tracts so kindly forwarded by you for the use of the prisoners in this prison have been received1 and the note enclosed to the warden handed me for reply4 ,having charge of all literary material that comes into the prison1 ,i take great pleasure in acknowledging receipt of same2 and would extend to you my personal thanks1 as also the gratitude of those whom this material was designed to benefit4 ,i am glad that the spirit of the 8inasmuch0 as inculcated by the ,lord ,jesus1 in relation to those who are in prison1 is occasionally manifested1 and that the rush and friction of wordliness does not wholly shut out from view the moral and religious needs of the 8men behind the bars40 ,the good people to whom you refer in your letter1 who are endeavoring to supply our prisons with good and wholesome literature1 are entitled to great credit for their efforts in this direction1 in these last days of the dispensation4 ,may the blessings of our ,divine ,master be with them in their good work4 ,sincerely yours1 ----1 ,chaplain4 ,iowa ,state ,penitentiary4 ,fort ,madison1 ,iowa1 ,march #ag1 #aija4 ,the ,gospel ,trumpet ,publishing ,co41 ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va4 ,gentlemen3 ,the books sent by you to the penitentiary have been received1 and will be placed in the hands of the men4 ,thanking you for the same1 ,i am1 ,sincerely yours1 ----1 ,chaplain4 ,onondaga ,county ,penitentiary4 ,syracuse1 ,n4 ,y41 ,jan4 #ag1 #aija4 ,dear ,sirs3 ,received three packages of books from ,gospel ,trumpet ,publishing ,co41 ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va41 for the benefit of the convicts in our institution4 ,hope the gift is accompanied by the prayers of all concerned in the donation4 ,yours truly1 ----1 ,chaplain4 ,kansas ,state ,prison4 ,lansing1 ,kans41 ,march #f1 #aija4 ,the ,gospel ,trumpet ,pub4 ,co41 ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va4 ,gentlemen3 ,we have received to-day your donation of books to this prison4 ,we assure you that this gift of books is highly appreciated by us1 and will be of great benefit to the inmates of this institution4 ,we wish to thank you and others who are placing these books in the prisons of this country4 ,thank you for donations of the 8,gospel ,trumpet0 to prisoners each week4 ,yours truly1 ----1 ,chaplain4 ,,books ,,wanted ,,for ,,female ,,prisoners4 ,penitentiary at ,anamosa4 ,anamosa1 ,ia41 ,march #f1 #aija4 ,the ,gospel ,trumpet ,pub4 ,co41 ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va4 ,we received this day one copy each of 8,the ,kingdom of ,god10 8,the ,better ,testament10 8,mothers' ,counsel to ,their ,sons10 8,divine ,healing10 8,the ,secret of ,salvation0 7,english and ,german editions71 8,songs of the ,evening ,light10 a ,bagster's ,teachers' ,bible4 ,i find we have now seven copies of the book 8,the ,secret of ,salvation0 in our library4 ,we are obliged for copies of these and shall hope to inclose them in our revised catalogue which we hope soon to publish4 ,you perhaps are not aware that we have a female department to the prison1 but seeing 8,letters of ,love and ,counsel for ,our ,girls0 listed1 leads me to refer to this fact4 ,your letter to the inmates is appreciated4 ,yours truly1 ----1 ,acting ,chaplain4 ,new ,jersey ,state ,prison4 ,trenton1 ,march #e1 #aija4 ,e4 ,e4 ,byrum4 ,dear ,sir3 ,the package of books and tracts which you sent for the benefit of the prisoners in our state prison came duly to hand1 and the warden desires me to thank you for your timely gift4 ,i will see that the books and tracts are judiciously distributed1 so that good under the divine blessing may come through the reading of such good literature4444 ,i will be glad to have you send religious reading matter for the prisoners1 knowing that with ,his blessing much good can and will be accomplished by such a course4 ,one of the factors leading to a life of crime has been the character of reading allowed in the home4 ,parents1 ignorant or indifferent1 have permitted their boys to devour dime novels and kindred literature until their minds have become saturated with evil4 ,now the antidote is good reading for the poor victims of parental neglect such as you propose to furnish4444 ,thanking you for the interest you have taken in the welfare of those incarcerated here1 and praying the blessing of the ,great ,head of the church upon you1 ,i am1 ,yours truly1 ----1 ,chaplain4 ,,more ,,good ,,books ,,desired4 ,louisiana ,penitentiary4 ,baton ,rouge1 ,la41 ,march #ac1 #aija4 ,gospel ,trumpet ,pub4 ,co4 ,my ,dear ,friends3 ,please allow me to thank you in behalf of the prisoners for the six books and ,bibles you so kindly sent recently4 ,we all appreciate the kind interest you take in us in sending the ,gospel ,trumpet and sincerely trust you will continue sending same1 as we all very eagerly look forward to receiving it4 ,if you have any more good books to spare we will be very glad to receive them1 as we all enjoy reading very much4 ,again sincerely thanking you for past favors4 ,very respectfully1 ----1 ,librarian4 ,allegheny ,penitentiary4 ,allegheny1 ,pa41 ,march #bj1 #aija4 ,dear ,sir3 ,i feel very glad that you are now and have been for some time so deeply interested in an uplift of the moral forces in prisons1 and that your laudable work may result in much good1 is my sincere desire4 ,we have no prison paper published here to send you4 ,we have a school six hours every day except ,sunday for the illiterate1 a ,bible and hymn-book for each man that will use them1 a library of #h1ejj volumes1 hundreds of daily and weekly papers and magazines1 ,moody's books and tracts1 etc41 by which we are striving to give light and spiritual help to the prisoners4 ,sincerely1 ----1 ,chaplain4 ,connecticut ,state ,prison4 ,wethersfield1 ,conn41 ,march #f1 #aija4 ,the ,gospel ,trumpet ,pub4 ,co41 ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va4 ,gentlemen3 ,the eight books sent this institution1 including a ,bagster ,bible and song-book1 came duly to hand4 ,the ,bible has been given a life prisoner1 the song-book went to the choir1 and the other books were turned over to the chaplain--who is the librarian--to be placed in general circulation4 ,respectfully yours1 ----1 ,warden4 ,idaho ,state ,penitentiary4 ,boise ,city1 ,idaho1 ,march #h1 #aija4 ,gospel ,trumpet ,pub4 ,co41 ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va4 ,gentlemen3 ,yours of recent date enclosing letter to prisoners and referring to printed matter sent under separate cover at hand4 ,the letter referred to shall be placed in a conspicuous place for review by the inmates of our institution4 ,the reading matter will also be placed at their disposal4 ,be assured that this effort on the part of the 8friend0 who has paid for them is appreciated by the present ,idaho ,prison management4 ,yours sincerely1 ----1 ,warden4 ,georgia ,state ,prison ,farms4 ,statefarm1 ,ga41 ,march #e1 #aija4 ,gospel ,trumpet ,pub4 ,co41 ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va4 ,my ,dear ,sir3 ,your books received1 and the ,bible which is a very nice one4 ,the song-book was sent to the female congregation for use by them4 ,we have eighty-eight women there1 some of them with good voices1 and they sing well4 ,we hope the words may prove a savor of life to them4 ,the other books were sent to the male department1 where we have one hundred and forty men and boys4 ,we hope they too will prove a blessing1 for the thing most important for a convict is salvation4 ,i was pleased with the very excellent quality of books sent4 ----1 ,supt4 ,,letter ,,from ,a ,,sheriff4 ,wheaton1 ,ill41 ,april #bc1 #aija4 ,gospel ,trumpet ,pub4 ,co4 ,dear ,sirs3 ,i beg to acknowledge the receipt of a package of books and tracts sent me for the use of prisoners under my charge4 ,please accept my thanks for same4 ,i heartily commend your efforts and work4 ,very truly yours1 ----1 ,sheriff4 ,,prison ,,christian ,,endeavor ,,society4 ,jackson1 ,mich41 ,march #bb1 #aija4 ,gospel ,trumpet ,pub4 ,co41 ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va4 ,gentlemen3 ,the above named society desire you to know of their grateful appreciation for the donation of several valuable books4 ,they comprise a splendid addition to our ,c4 ,e4 ,s4 ,library1 which is eagerly read by the members and others4 ,thanking you for remembering us1 ,i remain1 ,sincerely yours1 #fhij1 ,corresponding ,secretary4 ,,help ,,supply ,,the ,,prisoners4 ,maine ,state ,prison4 ,thornston1 ,maine1 ,april #cj1 #aija4 ,sirs3 ,your letter to the warden has been passed on to me4 ,we are pleased to receive religious reading to be distributed to the convicts in this prison4 ,i have an arrangement with many ,christian friends who aid1 so ,i am able to furnish some ,christian book or paper to each convict each week4 ,yours in the work of saving the fallen1 ----1 ,chaplain4 ,sing ,sing ,prison4 ,sing ,sing1 ,n4 ,y41 ,march #g1 #aija4 ,gospel ,trumpet ,pub4 ,co41 ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va4 ,dear ,sirs3 ,the books you sent for use of the prisoners in this prison have been received1 and ,i thank you for the same4 ,they have been placed in the library4 ,it is always a pleasure to know that we are in the thoughts and consciences of the people on the great outside world4444 ,thanking you for your gift and wishing you success in your efforts to lift up fallen humanity1 ,i remain1 ,fraternally yours1 ----1 ,chaplain and ,librarian4 ,,prison ,,literature ,,appreciated4 ,alva1 ,woods ,co41 ,okla41 ,dec4 #bj1 #aijj4 ,dear ,sirs3 ,yours along with the books you sent were received last week and1 as directed1 the library was placed within the steel cage1 where the prisoners could have free access to it4 ,we would love to say a word of encouragement to the good people who are interesting themselves in behalf of the poor unfortunates behind iron bars1 but we have not the command of language to express our admiration of this most commendable and noble work4 ,no one can tell the good that may result from these silent companions1 read by the poor unfortunates when shut in from the world4 ,while we have never hoped to start a reform in prison life1 we have often asked for more ,christian interest in behalf of the prisoners4 ,accept our humble thanks for this most generous gift4 ----1 ,former ,jailer4 ,california ,state ,prison4 ,represa1 ,sacramento ,co41 ,cal41 ,feb4 #ac1 #aija4 ,gospel ,trumpet ,pub4 ,co41 ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va4 ,gentlemen3 ,i beg to acknowledge the receipt of eight books for prison library4 ,we are very grateful to receive anything in this line1 and any sent will be thankfully received4 ,respectfully1 ----1 ,general ,overseer4 ,,from ,a ,,jailer4 ,guthrie1 ,logan ,co41 ,okla41 ,june #ad1 #aija4 ,gospel ,trumpet ,publishing ,co43 ,i am glad to address you with a few lines to inform you that ,i received a package of books and tracts for the prisoners in my charge4 ,the same have been handed them to read4 ,i am glad to say that they enjoy reading them very much4 ,i take an interest in reading them myself and think they are the best books and papers ,i ever read1 and a great gift to the prisoners4 ,they seem to condemn them of the crimes that they have committed4 ,i am glad to say that the gospel can not be preached plainer than your books and papers preach it4 ,i learn through your books and papers what it takes to constitute the church of ,god4 ,the prisoners of this jail send their many thanks for the literature sent them4 ----1 ,turnkey4 ,california ,prison4 ,san ,quentin1 ,cal41 ,march #h1 #aija4 ,editor ,gospel ,trumpet ,pub4 ,co4 ,dear ,sir3 ,i beg to acknowledge receipt of your kind favor of books and one fine ,bible for the prisoners4 ,i have added the books to the library and presented the ,bible to one of the most worthy and appreciative of the prisoners1 whose letter ,i have enclosed4 ,i believe our prisoners have been much helped by the distribution of your excellent religious literature and kindly gifts4 ,i shall be pleased to receive any further contributions in this direction4 ,thanking you in the name of the prisoners1 ,i am1 ,yours1 ----1 ,chaplain4 ,north ,dakota ,state ,penitentiary4 ,bismarck1 ,n4 ,d41 ,april #aa1 #aija4 ,gospel ,trumpet ,publishing ,co41 ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va4 ,gents3 ,i have to acknowledge receipt of yours of ,march #bast and owe you an apology for not giving you an earlier answer to same4 ,you are doing a good work which is1 ,i believe1 appreciated by the unfortunates whom you are seeking to benefit1 as well as by those who have them in charge4 ,this is a small institution2 we have at this date one hundred and fifteen inmates1 all men4 ,the moral conditions are1 ,i believe1 fairly good in the institution but there is great chance for improvement and ,i will be grateful for anything you may be able to do to assist in that direction1 and trust that ,i may be able later on to assist you in the noble work in which you are engaged4 ,respectfully1 ----1 ,warden4 ,,books ,,used ,,until ,,worn ,,out4 ,kentucky ,penitentiary4 ,frankfort1 ,ky41 ,feb4 #h1 #aija4 ,gospel ,trumpet ,pub4 ,co41 ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va4 ,we have received from your publishing house a nice package of good books4 ,i take this opportunity to acknowledge receipt of same1 and to thank you kindly for this generous donation4 ,the books are turned into the hands of the prisoners1 who take them eagerly1 and are very grateful for them4 ,they are passed from one to another until they are literally worn out4 ,allow me to say in this connection1 that the problem of criminology in this country must be solved by other means than the punitive1 and retributive idea4 ,we have been more than a century trying every plan that man can devise to check and cure this growing curse4 ,we must turn to the means provided by ,god ,almighty4 ,the gospel of ,jesus ,christ is the only and true remedy4 ,disseminating good literature1 and instructing in the ways of life1 is a step in the right direction4 ,i have made a study of the subjects under my charge1 for nearly three years1 and find that the man who fails to accept ,jesus1 and have his soul washed in his blood1 in most cases leaves this place still a criminal4 ,may ,god help us to lead them into the light4 ,many blessings upon you for your act of mercy4 ,very truly1 your brother and co-worker1 ----1 ,chaplain4 ,michigan ,state ,prison4 ,jackson1 ,mich41 ,march #aa1 #aija4 ,gospel ,trumpet ,pub4 ,co41 ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va4 ,gentlemen3 ,we are in receipt of the very excellent collection of books you sent us for the use of the men in our institution4 ,please accept our grateful thanks for the same1 and be assured they will be eagerly read and highly prized by the men4 ,too much can not be said of the beneficial influence of good books in the prison4 ,men will carefully read books in here that they would not look at outside4 ,and then too they have time to digest what they read4 ,again thanking you for your kind remembrance of us1 ,i beg leave to remain1 ,yours truly1 ----1 ,chaplain4 ,dover1 ,del41 ,aug4 #f1 #aijj4 ,i received the tracts that you sent1 and distributed them among the prisoners4 ,they seem to enjoy them more than anything they have ever had in the way of reading4 ,i shall be more than glad to distribute all such reading as that proves to be4 ,yours respectfully1 ----1 ,warden of the ,kent ,county ,prison4 ,,testimonies ,,of ,,convicts4 ,,fellow ,,prisoners1 ,,take ,,courage4 ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va4 ,through the kindness of the warden ,i am permitted to present a small sketch of my prison life4 ,i am glad to avail myself of the opportunity of relating my experience in the earnest hope that some one as unfortunate as myself may be benefited thereby4 ,that this is written within prison-walls will1 ,i feel1 prove none the less interesting4 ,the first night ,i spent in prison will never be forgotten4 ,when the cell-doors clanged1 closing in upon me1 ,i felt my very heart sink within me4 ,then with a contrite heart ,i looked to ,jesus1 and spent the night in prayer4 ,oh1 what a comfort he has been to me6 ,i then and there made up my mind to follow in his footsteps1 and devote my life to him4 ,with a change of heart1 ,christ has ever been with and bountifully blessed me4 ,i meet with great kindness from ,christian people1 and every consideration from our noble warden and his officers4 ,because ,i am in prison ,i need not be useless nor unhappy4 ,i accept my situation as of divine appointment1 and will try to be contented with it4 ,lamenting over the past will do no good1 for ,i can not recall or change it4 ,complaining of the present will not mend but make myself and others wretched4 ,anxiety about the future will not make it any better4 ,my heavenly ,father has permitted things to be just as they are1 and ,i know he loves me4 ,i will therefore leave all to him4 ,no rebellion shall be cherished in my heart1 and no murmur shall escape my lips4 ,my ,savior has promised that his grace shall be sufficient for me4 ,he will never leave me1 but be a present help in time of need4 ,trusting in him and committing all to my loving ,father's care1 ,i will do what ,i can4 ,i will make the place where my lot is cast as bright and cheerful as possible1 and work and wait with patience till ,i am permitted to go to my heavenly home4 ,i am indebted to many of my ,christian friends1 to all of whom ,i extend my heartfelt thanks for many acts of kindness1 of which one is in supplying me with a fine ,teachers' ,bible and other good religious reading matter4 ,my ,bible has been to me a constant source of pleasure1 it has dispersed the dark cloud of sorrow and let in the sunlight of ,god's love4 ,there was a time when ,i believed every earthly friend had forsaken me1 and that ,i was only known by a number--the number on the books of a prison4 ,in a cell1 yea1 shut away from the full light of day1 shut away from man1 ,i was lonely1 friendless1 forgotten--a boy who was once free as heaven's sunshine1 free as the birds whose songs ,i loved to hear4 ,i remembered my home1 my mother1 the good-night kisses1 the lilacs1 the roses1 the orchard1 the swing1 the schoolhouse1 and the playmates4 ,then ,i thought of that beautiful and pathetic hymn1 8,oh1 where is my wandering boy to-night80 and ,i resolved that ,i would flee to the ,one whom ,god had appointed to bring forth the prisoner from the prison-house of sin4 ,my brothers1 you are not forgotten4 ,if mother is alive1 she is praying for you1 and the ,god to whom she prays loves you4 8,yea1 ,i have loved thee with an everlasting love02 8and1 lo1 ,i am with you always40 ,he has all the angels of heaven working to help fallen humanity to be saved from sin4 8,are they not all ministering spirits1 sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation80--,heb4 #a3ad4 ,and ,i am glad that ,i can testify to the facts1 that behind prison-walls1 in the dark shadows of a prison-cell1 are sons and daughters of ,god1 heirs of ,god1 joint-heirs with ,christ1 heirs of salvation1 and to these heirs of salvation angels are sent forth to minister4 ,the angel in your cell waits1 brother4 ,kneel and pray4 8,if we confess our sins1 he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins1 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness40--#a ,jno4 #a3i4 ,can ,i1 can you1 live a ,christian life in bondage8 ,my answer is in the affirmative4 ,it has been tested and proved beyond a doubt4 ,i will recall the incident of ,joseph4 ,when he was a mere boy he was sold by his brethren and cast into bondage4 ,he resisted temptation1 even when he knew that in so doing he was taking just so many steps toward the dungeon4 ,gen4 #ci3g-bj4 ,in adversity1 as well as in prosperity1 he gave all honor to ,god4 ,gen4 #da3af4 ,he forgave his brethren when most men would have been tempted to punish them4 ,gen4 #ej3ae-ba4 ,we can learn from ,joseph's prison life a remarkable lesson4 ,that ,god was with him in all things was unmistakably true4 ,he was blessed and elevated to noble positions4 ,this honor he gained by his uprightness in his daily walk before ,god4 ,gen4 #ci3ba-bc2 ,acts #g3i4 ,god used him as an instrument to unfold his plans4 ,gen4 #de3e-h2 #ej3bj2 ,acts #g3i-ad4 ,if ,joseph1 a mere boy1 could walk uprightly before ,god and receive a blessing in prison1 ,i or any one else can do the same by the grace of ,god1 and by his grace ,i will4 ,and again1 ,peter1 the apostle of ,jesus ,christ1 was imprisoned by ,herod and was delivered by an angel through the prayer of the church1 yet he could not realize that he was released from his bonds and imprisonment1 but thought that it was a vision4 ,acts #ab3d-i4 ,paul and ,silas suffered bonds of imprisonment1 and stripes of persecution for proclaiming the gospel of ,christ1 and during all their persecution sang songs of praise and lifted their voices in prayer to the ,lord4 ,acts #af3bb-bf4 ,if all of these men could offer so much praise to ,god under such trying circumstances1 ,i or any one else can do the same1 but only through his grace4 ,by his grace ,i will4 ,when we fully submit our minds to ,god's mind and plans1 then ,god will teach us the sweet lesson that 8all things work together for good to them that love ,god40--,rom4 #h3bh4 ,trust him and open your heart to him and you will experience this peace which he gives to his followers1 a peace such as the world can neither give nor take away4 ,in conclusion ,i must say1 if the dear readers could but hear the pleading1 fervent prayers and the touching testimonies of these unfortunates1 they would place a higher estimate on the prisoner1 and by word and act help him rise1 as it were1 above his surroundings4 ,the prisoners are given to understand by our warden that the prayer-meeting services are theirs1 and let me say there are about fifty of the boys here who try to make the best of it1 and in no single instance have they violated the privilege granted to them during this service4 ,i consider it a privilege to stand up for ,god1 even within the confining bars of a penitentiary4 ,my brother prisoner1 the ,master is calling for you4 ,think of it1 whosoever believeth on ,god's only ,son1 a free and a full salvation shall he have1 for ,god is both willing and able to save4 8,what must ,i do to be saved8 ,and they said1 ,believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and thou shalt be saved40--,acts #af3cj4 ,salvation is in the name of ,jesus2 8neither is there salvation in any other3 for there is none other name under heaven given among men1 whereby we must be saved40--,acts #d3ab4 8,choose you this day whom ye will serve40--,josh4 #bd3ae4 ,may ,god bless and uplift the fallen everywhere4 ,serial ,no4 #bbhb4 ,,saved ,,behind ,,prison-,,bars4 ,washington ,co4 ,jail1 ,potasi1 ,mo41 ,sept4 #bc1 #aijj4 ,i was a very wicked man when ,i was put in here1 but by reading books and tracts sent me ,i soon realized my condition1 and oh1 how ,i repented of my many sins and called on ,god for mercy6 ,now ,i am so happy to tell you that he freely forgave me all4 ,praise his dear name6 ,although ,i have been in here long time my hours have been sweet since ,i found ,jesus4 ,i expect to leave here in a few days for the state prison at ,jefferson ,city1 but oh1 ,i have the sweet promise3 8,i will never leave thee nor forsake thee40 ,i have promised ,god that the rest of my days shall be spent for him who has done so much for me4 ,i expect to work for ,god all ,i can while in the penitentiary1 distributing papers and books that are sent to me for that purpose4 ,dear ones1 pray that ,god may ever use me4 ,j4 ,h4 ,r4 ,,from ,a ,,condemned ,,prisoner4 ,santa ,fe1 ,new ,mexico4 ,through the kindness of a lady in ,california a few copies of your paper1 the ,gospel ,trumpet1 have found their way into this prison 7,santa ,fe1 ,new ,mexico74 ,each copy has been met with a hearty welcome1 and well read4 ,this prison has about #bcj men behind its walls4 ,about one hundred of these men can read the ,english language1 and are in need of the true gospel4 ,if any of ,god's children who read this feel that they would like to send a few copies of the ,trumpet1 or tracts1 or any other spiritual literature to this prison1 the writer will take pleasure in distributing the same4 ,i am happy to say that ,i feel the effects of the many earnest prayers that are rising daily in my behalf4 ,i am a condemned man and have been lying under a death sentence for over thirteen months4 ,my case will be disposed of in ,august1 and ,i need the prayers of all ,god's dear people4 ,brothers and sisters1 pray for me4 ,i have many friends and loved ones praying that it may be ,god's will to give me my liberty next spring4 ,will every one who may read this join us in this prayer1 and always close with 8,god's will be done40 ,dear ones1 ,i am only in one of ,god's schools1 and his great ,spirit gives me strength to rejoice with all my sad trouble4 ,i was placed in this dungeon ,april #d1 #ahii1 and have not seen a star since4 ,oh1 ,i know they would look beautiful6 ,the sun never reaches my little palace2 but ,i am happy to say1 8,there is sunshine in my soul to-day40 ,have not been sick an hour since here4 ,all the praise to my dear ,savior4 ,i am expecting to get my case reversed in ,august1 am putting my trust in higher power than man4 8,if ,god be for us1 who can be against us80--,rom4 #h3ca4 ,i know that ,i have the prayers and sympathy of every one that loves ,jesus ,christ and his cause1 and when my case is decided ,i will let you all know the verdict through the ,trumpet4 ,my enemies are many1 and ,i will ask you all to remember them daily1 in your prayers4 ,i love their souls1 and my earnest prayer is that ,i may meet them all in heaven4 ,reader1 meet me at ,jesus' feet4 ,w4 ,b4 ,h41 ,box #dbf4 ,territorial ,prison of ,arizona4 ,yuma1 ,ariz41 ,nov4 #ag1 #aijj4 ,dear ,sirs3 ,our honorable superintendent gave me your letter accompanying some books and tracts you sent to the prisoners in the ,territorial ,prison at ,yuma1 ,arizona1 a few days ago4 ,as it happens to be my misfortune to be one of the number incarcerated in this place1 ,i take pleasure in writing you and telling my experience of what ,jesus can do for a man behind the prison-walls4 ,like many others behind the prison-bars1 no doubt1 ,i enjoyed the blessing of being brought up in a ,christian community1 but had never been brought to the realization of the fact that ,i needed the protection of a loving ,savior to guide me through this life1 and like the prodigal son ,i thought ,i could take care of myself4 ,but like so many hundreds of others that take no heed to their earlier training1 fell into bad company1 which finally led to the cause of my misfortune that placed me behind the prison-walls4 ,at first the thought of being in prison1 and loved ones at home1 almost drove me wild4 ,the days were too long1 the nights too long2 ,i could not content myself with reading1 and could scarcely work4 ,i thought ,i was the most miserable man on earth1 and almost wished ,i could die4 ,finally ,i concluded to try to read the ,bible4 ,i had scarcely looked in a ,bible for nine years1 much less read a single chapter4 ,so ,i secured a ,bible and began at the first chapter of ,genesis1 and read a few chapters at leisure hours4 ,i would mark the place where ,i left off and commence there when ,i had another opportunity to read4 ,the more ,i read the more interesting it became2 so ,i finally read it through4 ,by the time ,i read it through ,i had become so interested ,i would take the ,bible to the cell with me at night and read till the lights were turned out1 and ,i concluded to read it through again and take more time in reading and try to get a better understanding of it4 ,before ,i got through the second time ,i was convicted by the ,spirit of ,god4 ,i realized that ,i was not only a convict1 but a sinner4 ,i accepted ,christ as my ,savior1 and have been trying to serve him ever since4 ,it has made a new man of me4 ,the days and nights are now not too long1 and ,i can work as though ,i were drawing a salary4 ,the ,bible is the most precious book in the world to me1 and the longer ,i serve ,christ the more ,i am determined to serve him the remainder of my life4 ,my prayer is that every man behind the prison-bars may accept ,christ as their ,savior1 while in prison2 for if they wait until they get out1 the temptations are too great and the chances are against them4 ,my advice to my fellow convicts is to read the ,bible2 if it is not interesting at first it will become interesting2 it will broaden your minds1 it will make better men and women of you1 it will help you to bear your burdens1 and may be the means of saving your souls4 ,i thank you for the books and tracts1 and assure you they will be read and appreciated by quite a number of the men here1 and trust ,god will bless you in your efforts to lead fallen men to the ,savior4 ,r4 ,c4 ,jackson1 ,mo41 ,april #d1 #aijj4 ,we1 the prisoners of ,jackson1 ,missouri1 thank you for sending us those good papers4 ,we would to ,god we were able to express our gratitude for the ,gospel ,trumpet and to you for your great desire to help us to be better men4 ,i wish we had thousands of such men and women as you are4 ,i do wish that every poor soul in this world could get a ,gospel ,trumpet and read and see the great light it gives to any one trying to serve the true ,god4 ,i desire your faithful prayers to help me bear the cross1 and also wish the prayers of all your brothers and friends that ,i may be a better man4 ,pray ,god to deliver me from my enemies and out of this prison4 ,i have a dear wife and six little children and want to return home to them4 ,i will leave here to-morrow for ,jefferson ,city ,mo4 prison1 and hope to hear from you again4 ,may ,god help you to help every poor soul4 ,l4 ,l4 ,b4 ,charleston1 ,mo41 ,april #ah1 #aijj4 ,in reply to your letter of ,april #af1 it was kindly received by the prisoners in jail1 and we were very thankful to you for those papers you sent4 ,all the boys send their many thanks4 ,there are nine here and expect to be here for quite a while1 and would like very much if you only had some one come here and talk to us and bring us papers4 ,hoping to hear from you again and receive some more papers4 ,many thanks from all the prisoners in jail4 ---- ,greenville1 ,mo41 ,march #bg1 #aijj4 ,yours of the #bfth received with roll of papers4 ,must say we were glad to get them4 ,we are glad to have plenty at all times4 ,as may be expected1 there are some in this prison who need something to encourage them1 and should you deem it expedient you may send us some papers1 such as you may think best to send4 ,i for one need reformation and will be pleased to have your assistance in trying to follow the steps of the ,savior4 ,your well wisher4 ,jefferson ,city1 ,mo41 ,april #aj1 #aijj4 ,we1 the prisoners of ,cole ,county ,jail1 received your kind letter and papers this morning4 ,we are very thankful to you for your good wishes and appreciate your interest in us to help us to be better men4 ,it is a matter to be deplored that in the great state of ,mo4 there are so few who would put out the hand of mercy to fallen humanity4 ,your papers will always be welcome1 and we hope they will do the good you intend4 ,with sincere good wishes we subscribe ourselves ,prisoners of ,cole ,county ,jail4 ,p4 ,s4 ,a ,bible and gospel hymn-book would be very much appreciated4 ,nevada1 ,mo41 ,april #ai1 #aijj4 ,it is with pleasure ,i answer your most kind and welcome letter received the #ahth with joy and delight4 ,there are ten men in this jail and each sends his thanks to you for your kindness4 ,nearly every word in the papers has been read4 ,i am not a ,christian1 but ,i ofttimes wish ,i could be converted1 for the ,christians seem to be so happy1 and ,i cherish a hope that ,i may soon get out of darkness into light4 ,i was in here four months without any ,christian influence or ,christian papers to read1 and my mind seemed to wander away to some unknown realm of darkness until the last night of ,march1 when the door opened and we were presented with some little books1 and on the first day of ,april we received another roll and also some papers which were sent to us by the good ,christian ladies of ,nevada1 and you do not know how it brightened my hopes and prospects4 ,it made me think that ,i had some friends to speak a word of encouragement to me4 ,we like the ,gospel ,trumpet4 ,it is a splendid paper for any one to read1 and ,i hope ,i may have the pleasure of reading more of them4 ,your true friend1 ----4 ,centerville1 ,ala41 ,sept4 #i1 #aijj4 ,i will answer your letter4 ,i was glad to get your books2 they gave me much light4 ,i have been in jail a long time and you are the first one that has ever sent me anything to read4 ,i would like to have some more books to read4 ,yours1 ,j4 ,d4 ,w4 ,will ,county ,jail1 ,joliet1 ,ill41 ,april #g1 #aijj4 ,we1 the inmates of this institution1 surely appreciate the consideration which you have taken in us4 ,and as the ,county of ,will does not furnish a library we the inmates will be pleased to receive any literature which you have to spare4 ,inmates4 ,georgetown1 ,del41 ,aug4 #g1 #aijj4 ,we received those little books and tracts1 and we prisoners were very glad to receive them1 although we are all sinners in this place4 ,there are nineteen of us at present--seven white men and twelve colored men4 ,we are treated very kindly by the keepers4 ,please send us more books4 ,from the ,prisoners4 ,hartford1 ,conn41 ,aug4 #ab1 #aijj4 ,we have to again thank you for sending us books1 tracts1 etc4 ,we fully appreciate the motives with which these books are sent1 and are sure that they will bear fruit in due season4 ,the books1 etc41 are very interesting and are looked forward to with great pleasure4 ,we trust that everybody who reads them will be benefited by their teachings4 ,and when we are permitted to go forth into the world again1 we trust we may be able to render assistance to some needy brother or sister who is seeking to find ,jesus4 ,may ,god bless you in your good work4 ,in behalf of the prisoners in ,hartford ,jail4 ,i beg to remain yours sincerely1 ,j4 ,w4 ,c4 ,jefferson ,city1 ,mo41 ,aug4 #bb1 #aijj4 ,i will drop you a few lines in answer to yours1 which ,i received1 and also a package of books which ,i was also glad to receive1 and pleased to hear from you4 ,i am still trusting in ,god1 and will trust in him until death4 ,there are five boys in here beside myself1 who are reading those books that you sent me4 ,they think them good4 ,it does me good to know they like them4 ,i am going to live for ,god the rest of my days1 and keep out of trouble4 ,i have sadly repented of this1 and ,i know ,god forgives me4 ,i have promised my ,god that ,i will serve him the rest of my days1 and ,i am going to keep it by the help of ,god4 ,many thanks for those books4 ,from your saved brother1 ,h4 ,t4 ,b4 ,,from ,a ,,california ,,prisoner4 ,san ,quentin1 ,cal41 ,march #h1 #aija4 ,gospel ,trumpet ,pub4 ,co41 ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va4 ,my ,dear ,friends3 ,your very kind letter addressed to the prisoners has been given to me by the chaplain to answer4 ,it is a great consolation to the prisoners to know that there are good people in the world who sympathize with the unfortunate4 ,the ,gospel ,trumpet has been eagerly sought after and read with interest and benefit by many of the boys4 ,it is casting bread upon the waters of life4 ,we frequently have it thrown in our faces--those who are trying to live the ,christian life--that state's prison is a poor place to come to get religion4 ,now ,i admit that this is true1 also that it is a poor place to come to for any purpose provided that we are obliged to come as so many of us are2 however1 ,i thank ,god that ,i have found the way to a better life notwithstanding ,i am in state's prison4 ,it is better to find ,christ in prison than not to find him at all4 ,if we repent and ask ,christ to forgive us1 he is willing and able to forgive us in prison as well as anywhere else1 and to cleanse us from all sin4 ,i thank ,god that ,i can report victory through grace4 ,christ is able to save me and keep me in prison4 ,the farther along1 the brighter the way grows4 ,salvation has made such a radical change in my life that ,i can scarcely recognize my former self4 ,god has so strengthened my faith as to banish all doubts and fears and filled me with humble1 peaceful love4 ,thank ,god for this glorious change4 ,i am indeed in full possession of a new nature2 old things have passed away2 behold1 all things are become new4 ,i received from our chaplain the elegant ,bible which you sent4 ,i assure you that ,i appreciate it very much and will keep it as a great treasure while ,i live4 ,those other books are highly appreciated4 ,surely it is casting your bread upon the waters of life4 ,christ said he that giveth unto the least of ,god's creatures a cup of cold water will receive his reward4 ,your gift is a well of water flowing over1 and ,god will reward you in proportion4 ,your brother in ,christ1 ----1 ,serial ,number #ajee4 ,,papers ,,and ,,books ,,solicited4 ,walla ,walla1 ,washington1 ,feb4 #ai1 #aija4 ,mr4 ,e4 ,e4 ,byrum1 ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va4 ,my ,dear ,sir3 ,a fellow inmate of this1 the ,washington ,state ,penitentiary1 has been kind enough1 on two or three occasions1 to permit me a perusal of your most excellent publication1 the ,gospel ,trumpet4 ,i feel certain that ,i have been benefited through the privilege1 as within a sinful environment1 such as obtained here1 one needs the wholesome and uplifting encouragement that is breathed through the columns of your magazine4 ,in one of your issues ,i note that you have a fund set aside the proceeds of which are devoted to furnishing ,christian literature to those whose lack of means precludes them from otherwise obtaining it4 ,had ,i the money ,i would gladly remit for a supply1 but isolated as ,i am ,i am unable to provide it1 and therefore1 if ,i may presume upon your charity1 ,i assure you that ,i shall feel truly grateful for any remembrance which your goodness may prompt you to tender4 ,thanking you in advance for a response1 ,i remain1 ,yours very truly1 ----1 ,prisoner4 ,,from ,a ,,life ,,prisoner4 ,nevada ,state ,prison4 ,carson ,city1 ,nev41 ,april #ah1 #aija4 ,the ,gospel ,trumpet ,pub4 ,co41 ,moundsville1 ,w4 ,va4 ,dear ,friends3 ,your kind letter and the books were duly received1 for which please accept my thanks4 ,i read your letter to the men one ,sunday morning just at the opening of service4 ,the effect of its kindly expressions upon the men in general ,i am unable to state1 but personally ,i wish to thank you4 ,i have read your books and like them4 ,i like the plain speaking which ,i find there1 in denouncing this makebelieve ,christianity4 ,above all men1 the prisoner is quick to see the non-practice of the teachings of ,jesus by his professed followers1 and seeing it1 they conclude it is all pretense4 ,i speak of those who read the ,bible4 ,consequently very few make any effort to lead a true life1 and care very little for ,christian reading4 ,of course they are wrong in that respect1 as they have been in many others1 but being blind they are unable to see1 ,i know1 and so does any one who thinks or reads1 that our penal systems are of the most un,christlike nature possible1 breathing more of the spirit of hell than of the spirit that lifts heavenward4 ,why our people will continue in this spirit ,i know not4 ,perhaps some time a true soul will arise in this special subject and bring about more righteous conditions4 ,god grant that it be so4 ,with many thanks for your kindly interest in the prisoner1 and for the books sent1 ,i am1 with ,christian love1 ,respectfully yours1 ,e4 ,s4 ----1 ,life ,prisoner4 ,jonesboro1 ,ark4 ,dear ,friend3 ,we received your letter and books4 ,we were so glad to get them4 ,we were playing cards when the sheriff handed them to us4 ,we laid the cards away and went to reading1 and the more we read the more interested we became4 ,i have prayed to ,god to forgive me of my sins and ,i believe he does1 and ,i want you to pray for me4 ,there are three other men in here that have turned to ,god1 and it all came about through the letters and books4 ,we thank you for the ,testament4 ,pray for us and please send us more of those books and papers4 ,they help us so much4 ,,from ,a ,,prison ,,worker4 ,the prison work is growing and precious souls are being saved4 ,it is wonderful how readily these men accept the full teaching of the ,bible1 taking ,christ as their ,savior and ,healer4 ,when ,i read their letters so cheerful and so happy in ,jesus1 it makes me to rejoice4 ,the work is spreading from state to state and calls are coming in for pure literature4 ,the state prisons have libraries in them1 but they are filled with novels 7so the prisoners tell me71 and they desire something better4 ,when these books and papers are put in their hands they forsake the cards and novels and read something that will do them good4 ,we thank ,god for those who have helped us so much in this work1 but our need this morning is greater than ever because the work is greater1 and we are praying ,god to touch the hearts of his people to supply the free-literature fund with ample means to send us another shipment of books and tracts4 ,a prisoner in ,jefferson ,city and one in ,menard1 ,ill4 have permission to distribute books and tracts they receive and they are faithfully discharging their duty4 ,may ,god help us to keep them supplied1 and not them only but other prisons as well4 ,we do not feel like it is ,god's will for us to quit the field now and turn it over to the enemy when souls are being saved4 ,let each one do his duty and the work can be carried on without any one feeling the burden4 ,your co-laborer in the work1 ,l4 ,p----4 ,,released ,,from ,,prison4 ,a sentence to a term of years in prison in many states is commuted to 8short time10 so many days being deducted from each month for good behavior4 ,an attempt to escape or continuance in disobedience will require a full-term service4 ,in some states there is a parole law where for good behavior prisoners may be paroled or given liberty to go anywhere in the state by reporting once or twice a month1 stating their whereabouts1 and at the end of a given period1 if they do not abuse their privileges by leaving the state1 they will be given a final discharge4 ,the state of ,west ,virginia has recently passed a bill to create and establish a free public employment bureau1 which came into effect ,may #ae1 #aija1 as follows3 8,be it known by the legislature of ,west ,virginia3 8#a4 ,the ,commissioner of ,labor is hereby authorized to organize and establish in connection with the bureau of labor a free public employment bureau for the purpose of receiving applications from persons seeking employment and applications from persons seeking to employ laborers4 8#b4 ,no compensation or fee shall be charged or received directly or indirectly from persons applying for work1 information1 or help through said department4 ,the ,commissioner of ,labor is hereby authorized to employ such assistance and incur such expense as may be necessary to carry into effect the purpose of this act1 but such assistance and expense shall not exceed #ejj4jj per annum10 etc41 etc4 ,in compliance with this act of the legislature a free public employment bureau has been established at ,wheeling1 twelve miles from ,moundsville penitentiary4 ,this will not only be the means of furnishing men with work who have never been in prison and thus keep them out1 but will be a privilege much appreciated by those who have just been released4 ,it would be wisdom on the part of the lawmakers of every state to thus provide a similar institution somewhere near their state prisons4 ,to the prisoner whose term has just expired we desire to give a few words of advice4 ,you now start out in life anew4 ,there are great responsibilities before you4 ,no doubt many of you the world will meet with a frown1 and look disdainfully upon you because of your past career1 or that you have been in prison4 ,do not give way to discouragement under such circumstances2 face the world with a smile1 shun the places of vice and wickedness1 shun evil companions2 and on the other hand1 seek society that will be elevating4 ,if strong drink was at one time a temptation to you or the cause of your downfall1 shun the places where it is sold or used as you would shun death itself4 ,likewise shun the card-table and pool-room1 which only lead to a drunkard's life4 ,always have courage enough to say ,no when evil companions seek to lead you astray4 ,there is a ,god in heaven who will help you4 ,let not a day pass by without prayer to him for his direction and his protection4 ,if you have never received a change of heart1 do not rest satisfied nor cease pressing the battle on that line until you have obtained the peace of ,god in your soul1 which is beyond understanding and flows as a river from the throne of ,god4 ,you may have many temptations to fall back into your old habits of life1 but by persistent resentment and applying to the ,lord for help you will be enabled to come out victorious4 ,i remember a few years ago a young man was released from a prison in ,new ,york because of his good behavior and was given an honorable discharge4 ,he did not care to take up his old habits again1 but as he wandered about from place to place meeting old companions and associating with them1 he found great difficulty in refraining from picking people's pockets1 as he had been in the habit of doing in former years4 ,when the temptation came upon him it was almost like the mania of a drunkard for strong drink1 but by asserting his manhood and making a firm resolve and acting upon it1 he decided to live a true and honest life4 ,he left his associates to attend a religious meeting where he heard the gospel preached in all its purity1 and there he yielded himself to ,god and was pardoned of all his actual transgressions4 ,although the effects of his sinful1 wicked life had been so great that he had many struggles for months afterwards1 he had taken a step forward and there was a marked change in his life from that time as well as in his heart1 and soon he became established in the ways of truth and righteousness1 married a respectable lady1 and has ever since lived the life of the righteous and been highly esteemed by those who know him4 ,a more striking illustration of the appreciation of freedom could scarcely be given than that of the recent liberation of the ,younger ,brothers4 ,a little over a quarter of a century ago the state of ,missouri and surrounding country were terrorized by daring raids made by the ,younger ,brothers and ,james ,brothers1 who formed a company of the most daring outlaws and bandits known in this country4 ,these desperadoes were captured and incarcerated in prison at ,stillwater1 ,minn41 in close confinement for almost twenty-five years4 ,it is reported that for fifteen years their lives have been reformed1 and in ,july1 #aija they were liberated under the parole law with the restrictions that they were not to leave the confines of the state of ,minnesota4 ,neither are they allowed to drink intoxicants nor lead a life that is anything but sober and industrious4 ,illustration3 ,,cole ,,younger4 ,,james ,,younger4 ,during the twenty-five years of their prison life the outside world had made many changes4 ,there had been many wonderful inventions1 and when released they were like school children on a playground4 ,they hardly knew which way to turn4 ,the outside world was all strange to them4 ,although being men whose years number into the fifties1 they went about as children1 laughed and cried alternately for joy1 talked by telephone1 rode in an electric car1 and enjoyed themselves in many ways1 while kind friends aided in clearing away the mists caused by twenty-five years of awful solitude4 ,in order to better understand their appreciation of freedom we here quote their conversation upon entering the city4 ,cole ,younger remarked to his brother3 8,i assure you that this is the best moment of my life4 ,just think of it6 ,from now ,i can act just the same as any one else1 but ,i suppose it will be hard for me to confine myself to the new rules that ,i find on the outside4 ,i have been accustomed to going to bed early1 and ,i expect ,i will want to keep early hours when ,i get out4 ,you can not imagine how ,i felt to put on this brand-new suit of store clothes this morning4 ,only once before since we came to this prison1 a quarter of a century ago1 have ,i donned citizen's attire1 and that was when ,i put on the deputy warden's suit and sat for a photograph4 ,my clothes look a little odd to me2 they are not quite in style with my regulation first-grade prison suit1 but ,i suppose they go on the outside4 ,bless ,god and our loyal friends for this moment1 which is one of supreme happiness4 ,for the first time in many years ,i feel relieved4 ,i feel now as if a great unbearable load of some kind has been lifted from my shoulders1 and that this is the beginning of a new life4 ,boys1 ,i want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your assistance40 ,although these men were daring desperadoes when placed in prison1 yet1 notwithstanding the great reformation that has taken place in their lives during these years of solitude1 we do not wonder that their actions were like those of children1 when we take into consideration that they were both sentenced for life4 ,we trust their future days may prove to prison officials and the world at large that the ,younger ,brothers are worthy of such a favor1 and that their future career and this action of the ,minnesota officials may be an impetus towards the liberation of every life prisoner1 giving them a chance once more to delight in the freedom which men should enjoy4 ,a few years ago1 in conversation with the ,governor of ,colorado1 he related an incident of a boy seventeen years of age whose mother was a widow4 ,he came to ,denver and one day while on the street met a young man who was a stranger1 with whom he had not been in company very long until the stranger friend suggested that they take a ride4 ,a horse and carriage was near by and as no owner was present the stranger proceeded to untie the horse and order his young friend to get in4 ,scarcely realizing what he was doing he obeyed4 ,and away they went1 driving as rapidly as possible for several miles1 when they stopped and the stranger bade his young friend good-by1 leaving him in charge of the horse and carriage4 ,he was then to some extent awakened to the situation1 but thought he would return the carriage to the place where it was procured1 or if possible turn it over to the owner4 ,but before reaching the destination he was captured by the authorities and taken to jail and was soon bound over to answer to the charge of stealing a horse and carriage4 ,the ,governor stated that at that time he was judge of the court4 ,the boy and his mother feeling so sure that he would be released on account of his innocency1 as he had not the least intention of stealing1 did not procure a lawyer1 and after the witnesses had been examined and the prosecuting attorney had made his plea1 the ,governor stated there was nothing for him to do only sentence the boy for a year in the state prison1 although he said at the same time he was sure the boy was innocent4 ,i would not feel clear in closing this volume without making a further plea to the reader1 and especially all ,christian people1 to put forth a special effort in supplying prisons of every kind with good religious literature1 such as will appeal to the consciences and hearts of men and women and lead them to a better way4 ,aside from our penitentiaries there are many thousands of jails1 work-houses1 infirmaries1 hospitals1 and places of confinement1 which have been so sadly neglected that we even wonder how we can all be held guiltless in the day of judgment if we do not put forth some effort in this line4 ,aside from the good books and tracts placed in their libraries a number of good religious papers should be sent to all these places weekly4 ,if you can not visit the prison in person use your dimes or dollars to expend in supplying the prisoners with good literature4 ,with the knowledge of the fact that our own boys1 our dearest friends1 or even ourselves1 are liable to be falsely charged and sent to prison innocent1 our sympathies should be awakened all the more to help those who are guilty1 that we may therefore lend a helping hand to turn them from the ways of sin and wickedness into the ways of truth and righteousness4 ,transcriber's ,notes pg #dc ,changed3 former passions crop out irresistably to3 former passions crop out irresistibly pg #ic ,changed3 was sentence to be hanged to3 was sentenced to be hanged pg #abc ,changed3 ,i am with you alway4 to3 ,i am with you always4 pg #abc ,changed3 cleanse us from all unrighteusness4 to3 cleanse us from all unrighteousness4 pg #aca ,changed3 ,many thanks from all the prioners in jail4 to3 ,many thanks from all the prisoners in jail4 pg #acc ,changed3 surely appreicate the consideration to3 surely appreciate the consideration pg #ach ,changed3 denouncing this makebelieve ,cristianity to3 denouncing this makebelieve ,christianity