Lorenzo Stutz’s prison term was shortened by the untimely death of his first wife, Elizabeth Gally Heugly, on March 3, 1887. He felt this was an act of providence and recorded his thoughts in his prison diary.
Dear Brother:
My time is drawing near at hand
For me to leave the pen
Twelve months stared me in the face
When brought to the prison gate
But God, not man, has changed the course
Instead of twelve months, six months
To shorten my imprisonment
With sorrow and with peace I left.
Here are a few notes of interest to the family from Grandpa’s prison diary:
January 3, 1887
Received orders that we should not stand in groups to look at the visitors on the walls.
January 6, 1887
I had a good talk with my dear family.
January 14, 1887
Writing this morning to my family.
Warden called me out to see if I could cook and wanted me to come into the kitchen to work.
Moved into Number 3 this evening.
January 15, 1887
Early this morning to the kitchen.
January 17, 1887
Lorenzo was up this day. (referring to his son, Lorenzo, coming to visit)
January 31, 1887
Mother received a telegram that her case not to come up until next Monday.
February 3, 1887
Sister Bally and children were up this morning.
February 15, 1887
Lorenzo was up this day
February 22, 1887
Lorenzo was up this day
March 3, 1887
Death came at 3 A.M. (written in German) (Elizabeth Gally Heugly died)
Lorenzo was up this morning
Lorenzo was up this evening
March 4, 1887
Elizabeth Cugraben
M. Parry came to the funeral (of Elizabeth Gally Heugly)
March 7, 1887
Lorenzo was up this morning not seeing me
Mister --- says that all was well. One of the little boys fell down.
March 8, 1887
Not feeling well
March 11, 1887
Sick this morning, I was not able to go out this morning.
March 12, 1887
No better this morning.
March 13, 1887
A little better this morning
March 14, 1887
Not very well.
March 15, 1887
To the kitchen this morning
March 25, 1887
Sick this morning
March 26, 1887
Not very well this morning
March 27, 1887
Not very well this morning
March 28, 1887
Not very well this morning
March 29, 1887
Not very well this morning
Lorenzo was up after my clothes. No talk with him. (note: The family had to come to the prison and pick up the prisoners’ laundry.)
March 30, 1887
Not very well
March 31, 1887
Not extra well
April 1, 1887
Received some butter and candy
Not extra well
Hearing that Thrina and some of the children was up today (note: the name “Thrina” was referring to Katherina, his wife.)
April 2, 1887
Writing a letter this morning. Not extra well.
April 7, 1887
My family was up this day
April 9, 1887
Lorenzo was up with the clothes.
April 16, 1887
A letter wrote this morning
Bathroom police
April 18, 1887
Bathroom police
April 23, 1887
Sent a letter
May 5, 1887
My family was up this day
May 6, 1887
Fine this morning
May 7, 1887
I feel well
May 8, 1887
Very fine this morning
May 9, 1887
I feel well this morning
Bathing day
May 12, 1887
Lorenzo was up this morning after my clothes.
May 16, 1887
I am cold. Yard police this morning
I feel well this morning
May 25, 1887
Very well this morning.
Bathroom police
May 26, 1887
I feel well
May 27, 1887
Well this morning
Sunday, May 29, 1887
My time is up this morning but I would not get out until Tuesday.
From his diary we gather that Grandpa worked in the prison kitchen from January 15 until March 15, a period of about two months.
After Elizabeth Gally Heugly, his first wife’s death on March 3, Lorenzo’s health began to fail and he did not get to feeling well again until about May 6, a period of about two months.
On April 16, he was assigned to clean bath rooms. He apparently did this along with helping to clean the yard until he was released on May 31, 1887.
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One little note on polygamy life recorded in his diary:
Mother (Elizabeth Gally Heugly) came home from the meeting on the twenty-seventh of February and Monday the twenty-eighth. She came up to Heugly (her son, Joseph Heugly) and said that the Stutz folks refused to lend the coffee mill to her to grind her coffee and ground it for her themselves and brought it to her.
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A recipe which Verena thinks is for Indian Pudding, appears in his prison diary. It may have been one of the dishes prepared for the inmates.
1 pint of sweet milk
6 Tablespoons of corn meal
2 Tablespoons of flour
2 Tablespoons of cold milk
4 eggs, sugar, molasses, a piece of butter, salt, cinnamon
I (Clifford) made a batch and it is pretty good. I mixed the corn meal, flour and cold milk and eggs together, then added to the sweet milk and cooked slowly for ten minutes. Then I added the other ingredients to taste. It makes a thick sweet pudding. Try it!
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