The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-11-14
From the Boston Recorder s Tsiegrqp1.

UN,rsr I,,pRIsoNNENT. Persons ac-
cused of criminal offen are often keot
long time in prison before they are brought
to trial. Many of these are at last acqln-
ted and thus it appears that they rave
been severely punished, while they we're
both uncondemned and innocent. Many
others prove to have been really gully OF
some minor crimes, such as petty boils
and riots: but they have been doomed 10
suffer two punishments, one before ana
another after conviction, when perhaps the
former was greater than the law imposes.
This surely is not presuming q man IS
innocent till he is proved to be guilty. IL
is more like the adage, " first hang nan,
and then try him." We have lately met
with some startling statements on thiS s U
iect. in circular letter from MattheV Ca
rey, Esq. of Philadelphia, who has de'oten
himself to the prosecution OF inquiries up
| on the subject, with view OF removing OF
diminishing the evil. He states, as from
Livingston's works on prison dlscphhe'
/ the following facts respecting commitlleHts
/ for crimes and misdemeanors to the lrlHe
we'll Prison in New York. In lo2', ., =
and 5, the persons committed were o4lo'
OF these, 2273 were trieds and 6l45 as
of those imprisoned, teere Meier tfaght To
tr7Gt; and even of those who wee tried
(2213) nearly one-third (6S7) were acqult-
ted; making the number condemned as
less than one-fifth of the whole number
1 committed. Some of these night have
been guilty, though they escaped; but Ii
is fair to presume that the greater portion
of them were innocent. Some were de-
tanned but short time oud others tol
months, exposed to the cohtamlnating IN
huence of hardened criminals. Mr.. Dwight
also found occasion for the following state
ment, when visiting the Washington City
Jail in 1925.
The Jail Delivery, which takes place
twice year, only, (leaving it possible FOL
fined, in this wretehed place, six month:
before trial. occurred while | was il
Washington. Of the forty-four persons
above mentioned, fifteen were discharged
IN single day, against whom no bill:
were found. Among the persons thus dis
/ charged, were all the women, in the room
/ with the children, one Of whom had beer
confined four, and another five months
+ Also, two persons, who were detained tou-
months, as witnesses against George Ken
dali, who was with them discharged, IL
witness having appeared against him. The
whole term Of confinement of these titteel
persons, who were discharged as innocen
on this occasion, amounted to iorty-tw'
months, or nearly three months each. 1t i
an old maxim, that between the arrest anc
I trlal) the LAW ABHoRs DELAY.
MIR. Carey says: q The evil might b.
remedied by system whereby culprit
should be brought to a speedy trial; and
previous to trial, be secluded from PERM
cious association with depraved charac
ters." To this we may add some plan
which shall diminish the facilities of com
hitting persons to prison, by the mistakes
of the well meaning, or the evil designs o
the wicked. At any rate, Mr.. Carey judg-
es right in supposing that a full exposure
Of the evil viii rftCC It's removal. 1t has
been overlooked but, when the American
people clearly discover it, they will discard
it at once.