Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1852-01-20

them for the neediui, about these days.
Massachusetts State Prison.
The Board of Inspectors, and officers ofthe State
Prison, at Charlestown, have presented te the Gov
ernor of the Commonwealth and his Coxnci de-
tailed report Of the concerns Of the priso for the
year ending September &c. 1851.
The report shows how many persons in the State
have been guilty Of serious crimes, during the year,
the nature Of those crimes, Of what countries the
convcs natives, and the various terms Of their
imprisonment.
On the Both day 81 September 1850, there re-
manned in prison 440 criminals, and during the wear
succeeding, there were imprisoned 1863, making
an aggregate of 500 prisoners, during 1851. The
largest number Of convicts in prison at any one time
was 4S0, the smallest, number 435, making an aver
age of 466 during the year.
The ages Of the prisoners range from l6 to 20.
The period of life most productive Of convicts, is
that between the ages of 20 and rs. Of the 472
convicts in prison, when the report was closed, l55
were over 20, and less than rs years old; rs were
under 20; S. were between 20 and 80; SO were
from 80 to 4; 043 were from 40 to so; 81 were
from so to So; and 8 were between go and 10 wears
of age.
The majority of crimes for which these convcts
he imprisoned, were committed against property.
n { hundred and forty were for larceny alone, and
hundred and twenty-five were for all those nu-
msTe sses 81 TksItdous crimes codmpre6ended
between highway robbery and forgery. Seventeen
persons were convicted for assaults upon the per-
sona sanctities Of domestic lie the others for
those destructive crimes such as murder, assault,
manslaughter, arson, &c.
The table of the nativity Of these criminals is Of
curious interest, showing from what various and dis
tant points of the globe, men come to our shores;
and suggesting to the imaginative reader many
changes, vcissitudes and trials OF life
One hundred and sixty-eight criminals
tives Of Massachusetts,; forty-one Of New York;
twenty five of Maine; twenty-five Of New Hamp-
shire; seven Of Vermont; twelve Of Connecticut;
nine Of Rhode Island; three Of New Jersey; four
of Pennsylvania; three Of Maryland; two OF Ohio;
six Of Virginia; three Of North Carolina; one Of
District Of Columbia; two Of Louisiana; two of
Georgia; one Of Delaware; thirty Of England; ten
of Canada. and twelve of New Brunswick ireland
gave ss; Nova Scotia, 5, Newfoundland, 2; Scot
land, /; Germany, 2; France A; New Holland, /
St Vincent, Il Spain I; Cula
The of money requisite last year for the
improvement Of the prison. and for all other regular
expenses, amounted to sS45,S4S IS; This amount is
not chargeable to the State, but to the prisoners
shenselves. The balance sheet shows excess in
the expenditure of 1885 over the income, which
would not have been The case had there not been
extraordinary Improvements made on the prison.
The prisoners earned $44, 664.66 by their
labor, which chiefly consisted in stone cutting,
cabinet-rnaking, shoe making, brush making, and
tin work. The convicts are contracted for by
employers at fair wages, and do net come in COM
petition with honest labor, to the detriment and
disadvantage of the latter.
The following record shows, as far as could be
ascertained, how 1872 prisoners spent their lives
during the ten years subsequent TO their dis
charge before the lst of October, 1S4O, and gives
some notion Of the reformatory effects Of the pri-
son discipline
BY reference to the prison records, it is found,
that fiom the LIST of October, $780, to the 30th of
September, 1850 period of 10 years,-l52
convicts have been discharged from this prison by
aremission of their sentence or by pardon, and
from information which has been Obtained, from
time to time, relating to these individuals, the
following is found TO be the result respecting
them, subsequent to the time of their leaving this
institution:-
80 are known to be dong well.
ID have been committed to this prison again.
have been committed to other prisons.
Is have been engaged in crime again, but have
not been sentenced to imprisonment.
Keeping house Of .fame
4 65 nolhing is definitely known.
3 hassa- dss& sinee, 4eaxiag prison.
10 have become very intempe1ate.
I52
We extract from the report of Rev. Jared Cur
lis. Chaplain,the following most significant facts:
lit may be difficult accurately to point out all
the causes which operate in producing the state Of
1hings to which reference has been made, nor is
it the purpose of the undersigned 10 tax your Ex-
cellency and Honors with any attempt on his
part to do it. He will, however, hazard the
opinion, and it is deliberate one, founded on
careful observation, for more than quarter of
century in his connection with public prisons that
the use of Intoxicating drinks is the prolific
Of a greater amount of vice, and crime, and deg
4. l. IL. III Il