Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-06-13
OUR CITY DUNGEON.
Pest HOuse-An Invitation to the ChO-
lera-A Disgrace TO n Civilized COM
nunIfy.


We have been laboring almost aided for the
abolition OF those barbarous punishments the pill
Tory and the whipping post which now disgrace
our State, and we have no doubt that in time we
shall accomplish our object as we have Christian
lty and civilization on our side. For this disgrace
to the State SO long as the Democratic party re-
main in power, the people Of this Republican city
may claim they are not responsible.
But there exists right here in the centre of this
enlightened city an institution which is shame
and disgrace to our people, and for which, if
they longer allow 1t to continue, they will be di-
rcctly responsible We allude to the City Hall
cells, the most horrible dungeons we believe, (tlc
southern prison pens excepted in which human
beings have been confined since the days of the
| lnquisiton.
For the purpose of showing our citizens what
kind of an Institution they have here in their midst
we one evening went down in the cells and
| through the kindness of Chief of Police Dough-
erty were shown all through them, and we fairly
shlver with disgust as we attempt to describe
them.
TIE POLICE OFFICE.
BY "a fight of six steps down, we enter the Po-
ice Ollce, little dingy room about 10 by 16
feet, more than half below ground, and lighted
by two grated windows on level with the pave
ment Opening into this, besides the out door.
there are Two doors. One of them opens into
A NARROW ALLEY
Running along the cellar tho whole length of the
windows opening into the alley-way between the
hall and the COMMERCIAL Office. This alley in
side is used MS place for throwing rubbish and
Is OF very little advantage for any purpose though
quite disadvantage on some accounts MS we
shall presently show. The other door out of the
police office opens into corridor which is
THE ENTRANCE TO TIE CELLS.
This place has brick floor and is lighted by
two grated windows, on level with the pave
lnent II Is the only place Tor keeping the fuel
used in the cells, and is also the only place where
| prisoners can come to get the fresh air. 1t is u
basement, the stencil is abominable. Til. place
| is where prisoners who are not confined to any
| particular cell can generally be seen from tho
street, pacing up and down.
| From this corridor door leads to
TIE CELLS.
The first room is what is known rs the mem,
room-a small, dark place. about ten by twelve
the latter being the only sleeping aceommoda
tions provided for prisoners. This room has mo-
single window opening into the open air, ant
| is lighted by gas jet out in the corridor.
A door on the side towards Sixth street lead
into large room also appropriated to male prs
onels, which is about twelve by twenty feet ha
u brick floor and stone walls. The room is Lighted
by one grated window opening into the yard be
tween the City Hall and the Sayille building
The floor is damp and the walls very damp drop
of water standing on them like perspiration. TIL
room has u door leading into the sinks and waite
closets for men, and the stencil is horrible bein.
greatly increased by the filthy habits Of many 0
the prisoners
On past the mems room, is the womcn's room
smaller even than the mems ROOM and darie
and worse ventilated. The smell here, from an
other set of sinks is abominable.
To the south of these rooms and communion
| ting with them, are three small dungeons, abou
six by eight feet each, in which vicious and yer
! dsorderly criminals are confined. These tire
, dungeons depend entirely for light and ventila
: ton on two small windows about one foot square
in each, one of the windows opening into the
! alley we first described, and the other into th
mems and women's rooms. How any prisont
! can live through a nights confinement in one
} these rooms we cannot imagine; but they do i
i But, to all these horrors of dampness and poe
ventilation, is added the disgusting one Of a
6 kinds of yermin. Every room il infested wit
c rats, mice reaches, " thousand-leg-bugs, bct
G bugs and lice.
o This is the place which this enlightened cit
+ provides for combining not only its criminals an
Migrants, but every one, whether guilty or inn,
d cent, who may be arrested by our city officers
: and this is the place in which a man was sci
fenced, in default of the payment Of fine for sc
q ling liquor without license, to be imprlsont
# for six months
l. 1t is impossible for any classification of tho
d confined there to be made, and, into this pla,
D. the vagrant, the drunkard and the boy arrestt
d for the violation of some city oididance 9TH
J. against playing ball in the street for instancc)
O. all thrust together.
re The summer is coming on, and the chole
Of may come with it, and the foul air and stencil
rs these cells are extending to it a warm welcome
Sc The fault, Qor fault there certainly is som
OF where) does not lie with the police force, tn
h. have the cells frequently cleaned but they cam
correct the filthy habits of some prisoners, fro
ut which all must suffer- and they cannot RENE,
IN the want of ventilation and the dampness
I'd fact the very process of cleaning the cells max
n them all the damper.
This state Of things demands remedy, a
~ demands il immediately. No matter how low
ST. degraded man ora woman may be, common L
en- manty forbids their confinement in such n pla
ad rs this, and not only this, but the possible {
re proacl of the pcstilence should lead people,
the preservation of the health of the city to f,
en- bid such pest house to exist in their midst
is We have in no way overdlawn or misreprest
ire ted the horrors of the place, and if any doubt
IRE we invite them to do as we did, go and see
themselves We did it as duty and believe
an was the most disagreeab,e and disgusting dl
ne we were ever called upon to perform.
ID And now as to the remedy. There is but on,
of the binding Immediately of a decent city pris
ne above ground. Say, for instance, in the rear
KS the City Hall yard, on King street, or in a
other suitable location.
We earnestly call the attention of the MAY
lie and Council the Board of Health, and of our
ct, liens generally, TO this subject.