him to this wretched
condition, and ought to bear the expense of maintaining him, but there
was no law or provision for that. Hence, finding it my only safe and
legitimate course, I obtained a decree from the probate judge, took him
to the insane asylum, and notified the commissioners of that county, of
the same.

No doubt, with proper prison fare and treatment, both of these men
might have come out able to earn their living, under proper guardians,
which they would have needed; and that the fate of both was directly
chargeable to the prison treatment.

There was one, also, who left after my departure from prison, belonging
to another State, who had become nearly as demented as Fisher. Hence,
they obtained for him a railroad pass, and put him on board the cars
with a label fastened upon his arm, directing him to be transferred to
such a State and town, where his friends were supposed to live. He, too,
I doubt not, was reduced to that demented condition by the prison
treatment for he was far from such a state at the beginning of the year.

34. _Warden's want of courtesy to prisoners' visitors._ By rule, no
friend is allowed to see a prisoner except in presence of the warden or
a subordinate that he may hear whatever is said. The time allowed for a
visit is usually short, and the parties, of course, wish to make the
most of every moment. But no little complaint was made, that, when the
interview was in the warden's presence, he would engross much of the
time in recounting his exploits in prison management, the disorders he
found, the corrections he had made, how they would deceive his
predecessor, but could not deceive him, and the like. No matter how far
one had come, or at what expense, he would, perhaps, be treated thus.
Some, on going away, having had an opportunity of saying but few words
to the prisoner whom they visited, would utter remarks which were
anything but complimentary to the man thus imposing upon them, as they
regarded it, and to the State for allowing such things to occur.

35. _Effects of the new order upon the prisoners._ The mental effects
have been spoken of in three cases. These were the most marked of that
type. The effects on the physical system were also very apparent. It
could not be otherwise, for the men lost no little flesh. One man said
he weighed himself about the time the order in question commenced, and
found his weight some one hundred and eighty pounds. He left after bei