Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-12-23
The state Peniteutiary In Virginia.

| 1900 From that period up 10 last oep-
tember, 1861 white persons have been incar-
cersted therein, of when only 4o were wo-
men! Also there were S73 free negroes sent
there, of whom 90 were females. The ag.
gregate during is years amounts to 500
prisoners. Of these within the above period
! 5G2 received pardon; 500 died 10 prison; IL
escaped, and 2,052 were discharged. We DO
not include in these figures some 81 negroes
sent there previous to being transported &C
cordlpg to sentence.
On the 1st of January, 1901, there were
only ~ prisoners in the Penitentlary; on LIST
January, 1903, there were l24 prisoners; IN
January 1922, there were 209 convicts there,
aad the number received during the IL
months was l03; in January, 1852, there
were 203 prisoners, and up to the present the
annual list has been increasing, so that now
there is evident necessity for an enlargement
of the institution.
The bill for simply transporting convicts to
the Penitentiary the last fiscal year, amount
ed to Sl0,S64 &c!
Tho fiscal year in the Panitentiary man.
| agcment ended on the Both of September
last, during which period the average num-
Der of couyicts in that prison was 3O9, !. O.,
for the first eight months 33l conVlcts and
three transports. On the lst OF October,
| 1857, there were 10 the Pententiary ~
white persons Of whom two were women; 93
were free negroes, of whom nine were women.
During the fiscal year Ill white men and 4
white women were received there, and q free
negroes, of whom two onl were females,
making in all IA free persons, a number
much larger than ever before received 10 one
year. Out of these, "a white men, one white
woman and one colored man were pardoned,
and eight white men died, also two colored
men, and one negro man was shot for resist
ing authority on the North River Canal.
Among the discharged during this year
were 40 white men, II colored men, 5 colored
women and | white womsn-in all, 67.-
Three escaped from the penitentiary. This
left in the penitentiary and on the public
works on the lst of October last, 25l white
persons aud 100 free colored persons, "A Of
| the former and of the latter being women,)
10 all, 35l prisoners. Besides these there
were Is slaves in prison. At that date IL
free negroes and slaves we're in possession
of n. b. French, for public works, and SO
free negroes and ii slaves in the hands Of the
James River and Ksnewha Company.
luo ldst u5Cai JSai pSiooio
were received into the Penitentary, Of when
% we're convicted Of murder end voluntary
mansaughter; p for malicious stabbing and
shooting, showing an uncommon increase 10
this fearful line OF crime. For grand larceny
81 for abducting and bel ping of slaves 6;
burglary and store breaking l6; forgery S;
dealing and passing counterfeit money 10;
rape /; horse stealing ). Of this number 81
arc for | year. &c for , years, % for years,
Is for years, for 10 years, 9 for Is years,
for 20 years, for IS years and | for 40
years, with others for intermediate terms.
OF the 3jI persons in prison, - are SEN
fenced for murder and 81 for cutting, &C.,
with intent to kill, making 33! per cent on
the whole number sentenced for offences
against life.
The ages of the convicts are as follows:-
males, from l. to IA years, l; from Is to 20,
SO: from 20 to 25, 81; from IS to 80, 63;
from 80 to So, 50: from 80 to 40, 81; from
10 to So 80; from SO to co. II; from 60 to
50. 9--total $40. Females from 10 to 20, 3;
from 20 10 80, 4; from 80 to so, 5--total IL.
Their places of nativity are as follows: Vir-
GINA 249, (94 colored:) Maryland l3; Ohio
| 5: PenusYlvapia Q; New York 5; North Caro-.
lima IL; New Jersey 3; Kentucky 3; South
Carolina |; Delaware .; Tennessee, 2; Massa-
chusetts ,; Michigan /; Alabama 2; Connec-
tcut |; Georgia i; Ireland 49, Germany 7;
England 1: Scotland /; Italy 3; Prussia l.
France .; Belgium l; Canada l; Saxony l;
at sea |.
During tho last year the balance against
tie Penitentiary in the manufacturing ac-
count, with the agents commissions, amount
ed to S5,6lS So. 1t appears that the manu-.
factures 10 this institution were somewhat
reduced by the employment of numbers OF
the negro convicts outside of the prison, on
public works; o plan which has been found
very expedient aud practicable, in an eminent
degree, for the benefit OF the State.
The labor in the Penitentary is divided
into four separate wards. 10 ward No. | will
be found shoe and harness makers and tail
ors; 10 ward No. > are the blacksmIths and
axe makers; in ward Ne. 3 are the weavers,
and in ward No. are the wheelwrights and
carpenters. THUS, every prisoner is set ben
ctcia.ly to work in some department, accord
ant with his trade, profession, or genius. The
balances Of the annual accounts of each
ward, together with the production OF the
garden, make the whole amount earned dur
ing the year equal to S25, 100 SO, or about an
average amount of ISL IS for the year by
each convict in the Penitentary, which, as
Col! Morgan says, is "more than is usual in
many of the modern-t built Penitentiaries, but
much less than ought to be earned under
proper system of criminal law, and an i'm
proved condition Of the prison" --Rich. EnQ
HUXTISG WITH ARTILLERY-Albert Pike went
on. racau,lv with Major Rector Indian Sunern-