Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1833-05-23
THE ENQUIRER.
LITCHFIELD, MAY 23, 1888
STATE PRISON REPORr.


charges against the late Warden, Mr.. Amos Psbury.
and transmitted to the Legislature at its present
sion. The Report is signed by each Of the committee,
Judges John @. Wilson, Joseph Eaton, and Morris
Woodruff; it occupies 10 pages of pamphlet, is
drawn up with impartiality SO far can judge,
and endeavors do justice all parties concerned.
We have room for the Whole of the Report, even
if we supposed our readers would wade through it.
but will give brief synopsis. 1t may not be out of
place to stae that the principal accser is Hon. Mar
tin Weltss, between whom and Mr.. Psbury there ap
pears to be rreconcileable luminosity. The char
ges alleged against Mr.. Psbury are nine viz:
l. That the accounts not kept according to
law
2. That the Prisoners suffered for want of food.
8. That they were for several weeks furnished will,
bad water.
a. That they suffered from cold and bad air.
3. That the sick Prisoners were treated with great
cruelty.
6. That the bylaws were dis egarded.
z. That depredations were committed on the public
property.
8. ThatP Prisoners illegally punished for breach
es the Prison Discipline.
y. That the Prisoners we're permitted TO leave the
Prison.
With respec: to the first charge, the committee state
that the books kept in the form prescribed by laws
in posting and ong addition; that they
not find against the late warden any fraad fraudu-
lent INTENT and that the that he said u.s. that
he has COMMITTED mistakes which all book keepers
or less liable, and that he is not perfectly
correct book-kceper."
On the second CHARGE that the prisoners suffered
for want Of food, the committee say they carefully
vestgated it, and express the opinion in plain terms,
that "the charge is not proved
The third charge, that the prisoners were furnished
with bad water, the committee find, "is proved";
that the water in the we'll formerly used would become
bad from some unknown cause, and afterNa regain
its former sweetness. The committee think that nei-
Their the warden nor directors censable, for
" unreasonable delay occurred in correcting it," by
digging new well.
Upon the 4th charge, that the prisoners suffered from
cold and bad air, the committee 60 into long detail
Of the manner of warming the prison hall. cells &c.
and venta,ing them: they express the opinion that
the prisoners sometimes, in going to the hail. to the
place where their rations dealt out to them, and
back to their cells are subjected to unnecessary
exposure TO cold" but that in this, in the manner
Of heating and ventiIating the rooms, If there be
any where, it "w was in judgment" and
that they edo not find any evil intention the part
Of any oficer.''
The 5:r charge, that the prisoners were treated with
great cruelty, is folly Investigated by the committee
and history Of the sickness in the prison from the
time it went into operation in 1897 is given. They
express the opinion, after giving the why pri
frequently eign sickness, to avoid labor, that
they lido find there any gross act Of cruelty,
;rQ: :.l
err The committee close their remarks upon this
charge, and ia auson to the perfection to which pri
discipline in this has arrived, with the fol-
lowing compliment
" The Committee may be pardoned for an act of
justice which posieriiy will not fail recognize when
they record auong the most conspicuous Of those in
divduals, the OF John Russ, Martin Wees, and
John 8. Peters. And it is small encomium upon
these gentlemen, that they should have availed them
selves Of the intelligence and enlighend zeal Of Capt
Moses &. Pisbury, for the improvement and periec-
ton Of such discipline. II is deerly to be regretted
that any subsequent Misunderstanding should have i'm
paired the future usefulness Of the first named
gentlemen, either Of ,hem 10 carrying still
higher state Of perfection, the work which they
successfully commenced. This Committee would per-
in the ambition 10 achieve SD desirable an end, per-
haps felt too ardeny to be exp' essed with fitting mod
eratiOn."
As regards the 9th charge, the committee find the
facts TO be, that of the byeaws have not been
carried into full effect" but no blame is attached to
the laie warden a. the emission was known to and
sanctioned by the directors.
The 9TH charge, that depredations were committed
upon the public properly, the committee find, in the
first specification, TO be true viz " that chips from
the shops where the wood work was performed were
used on the kitchen fire Of the warden''-which was
justified by the warden the ground that the work
for the c0Bvicts done in his kitchen. There were
other specifications such taking beans, peas, &c.
from the public stores. converting them his own
use, and afterwards replacing them; that the warden
kept his hogs with those Of the sate and fed them
from the wash Of the prison cook room, sc. These
are certainly in our view very frivolous charges-and
the committee say they have no means Of knowing
whether The state the warden had the advantage in
this proceeding. "They have doubt il was an error
in the administration Of the affairs Of the prison.
hut, on the whole, Of opinion that "they furnish
no evidence that the warden has been guilty Of any
depredatiOns upon the public property"
With regard to the 9Th charge, that the prisoners
were illegally punished for breaches Of the prison dis
ciplne, give the views Of the committee in their
own language at large:
1.-THE Committee find that in several instances the
inferior officers have laid hands upon the coBvies bnt
they did il 10 enGOrce instant obedience when they
were threatened with bodily harm. The Committee
are not aware Of more than two instances, and