The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-06-19
The Last Psnitentiary swindle.

The attempt made by the Illinois Manu-
featuring Company, who at present control
the convict labor of the penitentiary at
Joliet, to blackmail the state, is exciting con-:
siderable comment among the people who
have to pay taxes.
The swindle is so barefaced that it would
seem to be unnecessary to make any remarks
thereon, if certain persons and newspaper
correspondents in this city were not speak
ing of the robbery as if it were matter OF
some doubt whether the company really in
tended to rob the state or not.
The penitentiary was originally leased In
1860, we believe, to Pitman & Co., and was
sold out, transferred and assigned through a
succession of persons, as Buckmaster, Judd,
Job and the Mitchells, until now it rests in
the hands of the above named company, the
only ostensible parties to which are, we be-
lieve, Messrs. Root, Hatch and Burns.
The company have the services of the one
thousand convicts for simply feeding, cloth
ing and guarding them. They pay the state
nothing for rent or services On the con-
trary, large appropriations have been made
at every session of the legislature, to pay
| this company or their predecessors for work
and repairs alleged to be done on the peni-
tertiary buildings We have neither time or
| space to give list of these appropriations.
| They may be seen in the report of the state
auditor, and have been felt by every tax
payer. The company have about $780, 200
worth of machinery and an equal amount OF
| stock and fixtures at the penitentiary the
| state owns nothing except the buildings and
| land, not even the clothing on the convicts
| backs or the tin spoons and plates from
which they are fed. The company propose
to abandon the penitentiary ON the Both inst
| and whoever succeeds them IN the care o.
the institution must be prepared to buy from
| them on their own terms every article needed
about the establishment, or must be prepared
to supply others for the same purpose. Still
more, the parties who take charge OF the
penitentiary on the Both, must, if it IS ex
/ pected to employ the convicts at any remun
| Grating labor, buy from the company thu
| 100000 worth of machinery and fixture:
therein or must allow the company ninet.
| days to remove the same. and must theI
supply other tools and materials.
The gist of the whole matter lies in the
fact that no person not directly interested il
the Illinois Manufacturing Company. cal
make any bid for the leasing of the peniten
tiary without losing six months labor of thu
convicts, or finding themselves at the mere,
OF a company which has shown itself desti
tute of the remotest ideas of honesty o
good faith.
These are the facts, and on them we vii
indulge the prediction that if proposals 70
leasing the penitentiary are advertised for
the successful bidders will sooner or later b.
discovered to be the partners, silent or az
tive, of the now dead-beat Illinois Manufae
turing Company. Mr.. Metcalf struck tn
right key when he proposed in the senate, O.
yesterday, that no person having connection
direct or indirect, with this company be a
lowed bid. An extension of this prohib
ton to certain other parties, who are activ
in this matter, might be made with advant
age to the state and satisfaction to every on
who desires to promote fair dealing and hon
field Register.