The Prison Chaplaincy, And Its ExperiencesQuinby, Hosea
Religion
The Prison Chaplaincy, And Its Experiences
Quinby, Hosea
Prison chaplains; Prisoners -- Religious life; Prisons -- New Hampshire
J. was another fine looking man of some twenty-eight years, gentlemanly
appearing, with a good education, kindly disposed, usually of good
habits, honest, so far as known, except in two cases, and those in much
the same way. He would hire a team for a ride, go to a hotel and put up,
exchange or sell the horse, or harness, or carriage, or all together,
wander about awhile, and then return home for his father to help settle
the matter, making no effort to escape arrest. The first time he was
arrested, but not convicted, as neighbors pleaded in his behalf. The
second time he was sent to prison. On this trial neighbors urged the
father to put in the plea of insanity, but he refused, as so many were
resorting to that. Still, all said that he had the best of reasons, as
his own brother, or the young man's uncle died in an insane asylum, and
those exceptional acts of his must have been performed through an insane
impulse. Receiving a pardon previous to the close of his sentence, he
went into good employment, worked steadily about a year, and took the
same step again, when the court put him under guardianship, instead of
sending him to prison, which was no doubt the most judicious course; for
if kept from that horse hiring, he will doubtless be all right, as he
has never manifested any inclination to wrong except in that particular
point, and that only when his mind was evidently unhinged.
There were others who exhibited each his peculiarity. Some of these,
could we look within their mental structure and there take a just
survey, would perhaps be found possessed of such a native taint, or
bias, or disorder, that their wrong doings, for which they were in
prison, would be regarded in the light of misfortunes rather than
crimes.
This subject of hereditary mental taint or disorder, in connection with
wrong doing, opens to the phrenologist a wide and important field for
investigation. But when he is forced to the conclusion that the one has
acted from a disordered impulse of mind, uncontrollable, and he
therefore not responsible for his acts, it can make no difference with
the fact that the wrong doer must be restrained and put where he can not
trespass upon the rights of others. It will rather lead to the questions
of where he shall be confined, how employed, after what manner treated,
and in what light regarded; perhaps showing clearly the need of
important modifications in our present system of prison management.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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