The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-01-10

probable that the strpsspcy Of discipline that ought
70 .xss u prison must necessarily b. sswevast
sbsted They found entire freedom Of iutsroouese
o~tw<en prisoners. s'so bst~eoa ths prisoners aad
tbee not confined which, the opinion ofthis Ora
Jury, wss most truly luxurious
There prisons excepting tho ous at the chiefs oaios
are under the direction OF Mr. Edmond. the had
keeper with . number OF a.sistsn'., and tho grand
Jury have full condolences IN hts purity aud the
r~ctDs Of his general views prssrduG the treatment
f prtoners Mr. Edmooss before ths ipq usst, and
each prisoner separsts and dstuct from the others.
aso TO the evil that from institutions Of that
XIII being under political sud consequent CHANGE
abe direction That the kespsr cannot do ~ In hts
judg@s mt he thinks best hs holds his os- at tis
mercy OF thu Corporation 1.-THE keeper had the fall
power TO control the prison 1t would be . great i'm.
provsmsnt, The further the pri.su regulations
owed from the Corporation the better. He has
.u,pended . keeper for cause aud tina entire Com.
nitt.s Prieops, made up Of both Of tbs potioxt
psi ties have requested his being put back duty
In the month Of April is45 the foreman Of the pre-
xrsct showing some Of the evils that then sxjstad,
together with rsoomm- ndarions, 10 made; and al.o
to cay that NO alteration whatever has been made to
correct any of them; and that they exist In the
tsne or greater force.
Er,ratt - Their attention WAS frat directed to the
city prison great evil was Immediately brou ht to
then notice in the way ,oatou bst ori.
soptrs fined in the range OF cells through ths
prdi, OF the water pipes Ths might be corrected wish
little difficulty and expenre
AZ this priou IL mostly Intended for the detention
of persons awaiting trial o-irvs that all means Of
20 The end that pubic ju tice should not bs pre-
vented. Dor su,pecttd but innocent persons oonaa-
ed with the guilty.
fact ~ br ought to the knowledge Of the jury H.
lusstipR the facility with which prisouers
together and tie detrim-Dt arising thrrsfrom A ph.
called testify the trial OF another and
r.fused to answer theiQuestions put to him Another
Indictment was p+n0iDg against the nan who had
sequent rial B~ipg COL fuSd the same corridor at
. distance Of oss apart individual In zoe of
the intervening cells overheard . conversation
tkn IL. L.
which conversation the msu to be tried urged
the prisoner to persist In the course no had taken,
and still refuse to answer questions.
Another evil which came tn their knowledge,
and which, In their estimation, Is Of great
moment IL, in allowing any person other than
Responsible to the authorities. to have free access
to the psons and uDrestransd Intercourse With the
pri4op-rr 1t requires but little experience. human
nature to know how r~sdily ssfnt-r-st might induce
irresponsible person with such facilities co bcome
the medium OF piostion between the guilty there
should 10 trusy person appointed to convey sach
peeesary intelligence es the keeper may deem proper
to allow relating to obtaining counsel or bull or insr
with family friends Such officer should be-
paid salary and should not be permitted to a,ospt
fees the inmates thereby the prisoners
without money the privileges absolutely necessary to
Another evil arisss from the number of ooun-
, %u IA constant wsisios sb'uf the prison
public well to the prisoner requires that . sepa-
rate room b. provided where . prisoner may have
with bis counsel uudisturbed.
There things: at tfat time presented, still exist,
and believe, in . form more extensive, and
with effects vastly more Injurious.
The water pipes that then afforded Q means OF
communication, stiil coutinus to do so, beside
which, they or the supply pipe, or both, have BIZ.
come leahy and Il number Of cells the northsr,y
end Of the preon uDdt he used for the
but In conrsqu- Of the DIVIDED state of
tie pri.on they u'rd, and persons therein
fneo TO the injury Of at this Of the year,
their comfort and b. altb.
Thera "a tharo uhN To Ia mil al
me- ss+ ger. who never was appointed there aud
carries messages from the prisoners from the fact that
Either this system shouid be changed, as heretofore
euggested or the keeper should lay down tariff
tf prices a. the Grand Jury bsieve that mpositlons
are practised upon persons there detained One OF
the keepers in the ENex Market prison. In reply
to u question from the Grand Jury, stated that he
The up mt h,ty cents much to nvey MESSAGE
from the Market Prison the corner of Graud
and Attorney streets only four blocks distance It
is due to Mr.. Edmopds to ray, that when before
the Grand Jury. and informed Of the fact stated,
that he thought 1t most xorbitant charge and til It
he knew nothing about Ii
The Grand Jury recommend to Mr. E3monds In the
absence of any action on the part OF the Comm n
Council on this subject to give drec ton to 1t ami
correct such Abusss exist
In commu nicati0u from the District Attorney, he
faya 1T happens daily that individuals protesting to
be coun sellers 1t Law drmand adm'ttsno-, and have
prisoners who have never required their at
tendance" This remark applies to but few but still
there men may b. seen running In aud out OF the
prison. and taking from the unfortunate prison
anything cf value in their possession
In regard to the recommendation made to at up n
where the prisoner might SIC his counsel At his
own request this Grand Jury have only to say, that
they believe It 10 the only thing that tho
evil sDd they further believe that II the sppro
and every one who is ut all familiar with this custom
ct the prison
The Grand Jury think that the keeper should so At
range that the tice spent the corridors for
else should be In the first place extensive
as possible to thoss who are s,ck-next those
who feeble or disabled aud thst the remainder of
be- deal TALLY in the
distribution Of that privilege instead of It,
how to the al bitrary exercise Of the deputies
They also regret to that they think the escape
made rome short time since. OF the
most culpable neglect on the part Of the OH ser in
charge.
They approve most highly of the proposition OF
Mr.. Ldmobds, to build In the yard the prison .
cheap sbsnty. where the five day prisoners VIII,
there IN large NUMBER and sometimes in very nthy
cIDdtion could b- clesn.d nd where. IN stormy
ther they might take exsrcie without ag onrctsd
WITH the other prisoners This they believe could be
or, 1T benefit
Another rupss.tion is made by tho District
Attorney. which meets the entire approval of this
Jury-v's To provide on Frsnklin str ct, such
o. 10 Decersary for the pupose Of eetsotng persons
under y-srs OF age The necessity of keepin! tut,
clses fr all others and intercourse with the old
be so sppsrsn - to convince all
OF ite necessity
The care that occurred with the Deputy Who
" duced the keeper to oba,n the discharge Of
pr,eoner and Who the keeper after sArds discovered
received Eve dollars for it, clearly marked
that they dsPprovs Of the act OF the Of the
committee Of the Common Council. formed Of men,
berr OF both political parties who upon his suspsu.
zion BY the Ike. eng ned their to paper AK
Ing hts restoration That his rsstorat,on may have
been sdvissbe. nay even necessary Is probaoie but
the expectancy Of tns act Of the members OF
mit'ee IL To this Grand Inquest exceedingly doubfal
In justice to Mr. Edmonos ie to say that the
fscte came to hts kno Wedge previous to the actual
discharge Of tho prisoner and instead Of giving the
no returned the paper to the magistrate Who
iesusd IL
Mar Edmonds testfes that Of the gresssst
ipterfrreDces with the discipline OF the prison Is
the constant run Of visiters He informs the Jury
that count was kept for days, and the number
admitted was over 900 This IL evil Of grest mag
pitude. and . remedy should bs spplisd He says
that be II both abb and willing TO assume hie share
OF the bity Of the refusal the magistrates
and Others Who grant permits will assume shsr share
He also teehes that very OF these visitors Of
the WORT and most aba character aHd the
suits Of their Waits In every way uiurious
The building knovr "A the prison very detective aud
some hin bouId be done to aud make n what
oueh tobe Several plans have bssa proposed.
Of which Ia 70 extend II from the soes, and oonss