Читать книгу Convict Life at the Minnesota State Prison, Stillwater, Minnesota онлайн

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Our modern penology is not the effervescent dream of unbalanced minds, but the result of exhaustive research by many of the best prison authorities in America and [pg 6] Europe. Long experience has proven its value, and the present century will assuredly witness as many wonderful improvements as took place in the past.

For various reasons I have refrained from mentioning the names of prisoners with sensational reputations who have been inmates of the Minnesota State Prison in the past.

I am sincerely indebted to Warden Wolfer, his employees, and many inmates of the prison, for their cooperation in assisting me to present the following pages to the public, without which this book would be impossible.

W. C. Heilbron.

St. Paul, June 20, 1909.

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[pg 7]

An incoming prisoner is designated by the inmates as a “fresh fish.” He enters the administration building, and, as a rule, if he has the reputation of being a “slippery chap” is handcuffed to the sheriff or one of his deputies. Handcuffs, in the vernacular of the underground world, are called “come-a-longs.” He now enters a room known as “between the gates.” (One of these gates leads to the outer world and the other to the inside of the prison.) Here the prisoner's commitment papers are examined, the deputy warden sent for to receive the new arrival, and slips are immediately made out notifying the several heads of departments of the man's name, county from which he came, the offense for which he was committed and the time that he shall serve.