Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1861-02-08
D1roR1A1 CORRESPONDENTS.
No. Is.
COLUMBUS, Jan 20. '61

COLUMBUS, Jan. 90, '61.
Dear Telcgraph:-As our last letter
stated, the Legislature adjourned over
from Friday night until 8 O'Clock to-mor-
row (Monday), aud most of the members
have gone hone. This is a most beau
tiful day, bright, cold, but pure and ex-
hilarating; and having attended church
ull-day We have not had time to write
our Sunday letter. We designed when
we sat down to write terry pious ep;stle,
embedying the thoughts of the sermon
of thc day, with our reflections thereon.
But the time of night, and eyes some
whatsore from too much use by gas-light,
admouish us to forbear.
We have concluded, therefore, to make
lip this aud several succeeding letters
chiefly with abstracts from the reports
OF the various State officers. These doc
uments contain much useful information,
but are too long to publish IN full. We
will begin with the report of the Direc
tors Of the Penitentiary. They say:
1.-The Directors take great pleasure in
expressing their cordial thanks to the
Warden, Matron. aud all their subordi-
mates, fer their individual and united eff
forts to carry out the views which have
governed them in their earnest endeay-
.ors TO fulfill to the letter the require
nents of thc law.
"The health Of the Institution has
Teen. during the entire gear, remarF ably
good aad uniform. There has been no
epide.aic disease, aud comparatively very
few cases of serious illness. When such
cases have occurred, they have, with few
exceptions, yielded to proper medical
treatment, and the patients have very
soon returned in good health to their ac-
custoned ayoea.iors.
Taking the number Of convicts now
: Within the walls as stated in the report
Of tie Warden, 929-and adding to them
the 500 which have been discharged du.
ring the year, together with the officers,
guards, and employees of the several
contrscfors- will be seen that not far
from thirteen or fourteen hundred per-
sons have, during the year, been subject
to tie fnAuenees affecting health within
the walls ofthe Institution. Out of this
entire number, only nine of the prison
'ers 4haye7died from sickness or casuali-
ties, and, 50 far as we know, not enc of
the other inmates OF, persons employed
in the various departments of the prison.
"The financial department. of the
prison will be found by reference to the
Warden's report, herewith submitted, to
lie in highly satisfactory condition.
by this report it will be seen that
the current cash receipts and cash earn
ings for the current year amount to the
fum of S97 800 go, and that the entire
expenditures amount to the sum of $97,-
G10 26-learing q cash balance in favor
of the institution of 1895 81.
sin order to show more clearly the
capacity of the prison to sustain itself
and yield profit to the State beside, it
should be further stated, that labor has
leen performed by the conviets, upon
construction of shops and other build
ings, 10 the amount of S9.07l GO. IF
this sum te added to the profits as above
stated.,i will show an aggregate profit
ofS9, ,366 96. Although this does notrep-
resent money actually paid into the
treasury, it does show that so much has
been saved to the State; and that such
would have been the cash earnings of
the prison.. had the State not required
the labor in the construction Of build
ings for future use.
at may therefore be stated. as a fair
deduction from past experience, that
when the prison shall have been COM
rletely finished, and provided with suit
sble shops and conveniences, the insti-
tuition will not only be self sustaining.
but yield very handsome revenue an
nually to the State Treasury"
The Warden in his report to the Di
rectoEs, and which. accompanies their re-
port, says:
The Legislature of 1856 made an ap-
propfiation for the erection of an Insane
Hospital. The money was expended in
fittidg up a room for that purpose, in the
second story Of the engine house. The
location of this building is bad. and it is
20 lily constructed that it does not afford
even the comforts of the common cells of
the prison.
I'VE have 81 insane conyicts; num-
Ler of whom are, from time to time, com
telled to keep locked up III the cells
humanity demands that something be
done for these unfortunate creatures. A
comfortable apartment should be proyi-
ded, where they could receive the atten-
ton their condition requires.
The law of 1856 provides for dim
mutton Of time, for. good conduct, from
the sentence Of conVicts sent to the PEN
itentiary for term of years; but as no
special provision was made for United
States prisoners, they, received none of
the benefits of this law. am pleased to
know that through the exertion of your,
Goard the case vas brought before the
Attorney General asd an opinion OBJ i
tanned, by which the United States
convict receives the same benefits as
those Of the State.
LIE prisoners only, are now denied
the benefits Of this law; and, it seems to
ne, that something might be done even
for them. May not some ray of hope
faint though It be, brighten at least one
spots of their dark future? Does the
good Of society require thatany whom
il permits to live at all, shall live con-
seious Of no future but one of hopeless
despair? Is not the subject worthy the
attention of the philanthropist?"
There. a,e thoughts here suggested
worfh considering, but on which We
have no time to comment.
Every days experience, and every
hour's thonght upon the subject, but
demonstrates to our mind the difficulty
Of Legisiating with that wise and FAR
seeing statesmauship which will best Sc
cure the varied interests of a great State