Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1857-11-27
OPERATIONS OF THE TENNESSEE
PENITENTIARY. 3

/ We have received the Report of the
i Agent Of the Penitentiary from which we
; eondense the following facts. They show
the Institution in a fourishing condition.
! The aggregate business of the Penitentiary
: for the past two years, ending on the 3Oth
) September, 1857, foots up the sumof s21s,-
: 879,86. Work done on the State Capitol
, by the convicts amounts, during the two
}, years, TO S51, $40. The cash transactions
! including the amount received from the
Commissioners of the State Capitol and
appropriations by the Legislature, sum up
S134, ,059, ,92-$91, ,09656 of which was re-
ceiyed from current sales and collections
from the Both Sept. 1855, to the same date
1857. The whole amount Of manufactures,
sold for cash, on credit, and for the Prison
itself is $184,026.95. The present in
ldebtedness of the Penitentary is SIS, 1885,
Bits available assets $50, ,S4953.-show-
ing net balance in its favor of s35, ,564.-
l19-which may be set down as the net
profits of the institution for two years
There is further balance due the Prison
on the old books, bad and suspended debts,
which it is improbable will ever be colleo-
ted. This shows the financial concerns of
the Penitentiary to be in healthy con-
dition. And the Agent predicts that the
\ profits will hereafter be increased. The
number of conyicts in confinement at the
date of the last report was 240-admitted
since 197-discharged by expiration of
sentence, pardon and death $50, escaped
leaving still in CONTINENT on the 30th
Sept. last 2S6. Gov. johnson pardoned
21; the President and 16 died.
Of those now in prison Davidson county
has a representation of 81, Shelby 30,
Stewart 10, and the remaining counties
each smaller number. OF the occupa-
tions before conviction there we're 10 farm
ers-81 laborers-105 no occupation--14
blacksmiths--15 shoe e-makers, and II car
penters-of other trades and under
There were 13 sentenced for murder in
the first degree-39 for murder in the
second degree--5 for manslaughter-13
for assault with intent to kill-16 for horse
stealing-6 for negro stealing-S for arson
--5 for passing counterfeit moneys for
rape--9 for false pretences--5 for malic-
ious shooting-125 for grand and petitelar-
ceny--and less numbers for other crimes.
The ages Of the convicts range from 15 to
20 years-the largest proportion being
from 20 to 30. There were married and
widowed 162-never married 124. There
are who can neither read nor write So
who can read 78-with common school
education 148-classical education A.
There are who were temperate 33-mode-
rate drinkers 128-intemperate 125-hav-
ing Incorporate parents 81.
The Chaplain, in his report says that,
'the history of Penitentiaries forbids us
to hope that they will ever become schools
of reform for the unfortunate, the ignorant
and the vicious; their tendency being rath
er to render vice inyeterate and crime con-
tagious, by associating the depraved to-
gether in masses-the combustible elements
thus becoming more explosive by contact
and compression" But he tells us that of
the whole number now in prison, SO pro-
fess to be sincerely religious, 81 of that
number having made that profession since
their imprisonment. He also says that
most of the convicts are in the habit Of
paying earnest and serious attention to the
ordinances and services of the Lords
day
The Agent states that the grounds &c.
of the Prison are too limited for comfort
and convenience; and that under the ex-
tension of the city it is becoming a nuisance
to the residents and property holders Of
the vicinage, and strongly recommends the
purchase of new site and the erection of
new buildings, somewhere on the Cumber-
land river, three or four miles above the
city. He states that the present establish
ment can be sold out for nearly enough to
cover the expenses of removal, and thinks
it would subserve the interests Of all con-
cerned to change the location. The ply
sician, DIR. Robertson, urges this or some
other measure, as sanitary one.-Nash
Patriot.
The Devil Plaster, much used by an old
surgeon of Morollo and his sons for the