The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1868-08-03

Kindness, and attention whicn tney
The large number OF witnesses called, many
access during the heated term through which
bailiffs very severe, which II affords the grand
Jury great pleasure to say was performed with
eheerfulness,. promptness, and dlspatch. VIC
allowed by law TO dsfrAy the cost OF horse hire
or within easy distance OF street railways, but
mss e sss sntrs dsass We fespectsly
suggest that the attention OF the law making
power should be called to this fact and In.
to %ssS oasrod s a hs more
We respectfully represent to your honor
that the rooms appropriated TO the grand and
petit juror are nneE%,Sr'aSle' badly .snsi
are not assuming too much when we say that
we can see no plausible reason why men should
be confined ~ these rooms when they are re-
tho life and liberty OF their fellow creatures,
surrounded by physical discomforts calculated
to affect the temper and consequently disturb
appliance OF comfort and convenience which
can render men cool, deliberate, and calm are
so essential to the easy, prompt, and careful
sible duty. We hope that your honor will use
your influence to produce reform In this
matter, which an inspection OF the room will
YSs + GSGy eaes before
the grand Jury for consideration, many OF them
OF very grave Importance. In making up our
decision in these cases great care was taken
to arrive at Just conclusions, and much time,
perhaps more than necessary, was consumed In
the examination OF witnesses. II any errors
have been made In making indictments We can
much than too little solieitude; that the rela-
tive rights OF society and individuals involved
In these cases should be fairly tried before
your honor's court. Some cases, we feel con-
strained to say, were of the most trivial char
acter, and In our opinion could and should
have been settled by the magistrate by whom
they were sent to the grand Jury. Apart from
the time consumed in the consideration OF
these oascs, the Government Is involved In
costs for witnesses, and all to no purpose what
ever. We respectfully suggest to your Honor
In accordance with custom, the grand jury
have made an official visit to, and Inspected
the jail We ISu9 3sms there iSs XII. s
Der, Is wcge boys under Is years,e Of that
Is under 10 years OF age. The demon aliZing
effect produced upon the character Of boys By
combining them with old and hardened offend
era, and that some measures should be taken
to separate them from such concentrating In
nuencea, Is so obvious that II requires no COM
ment from us, and We trust that q separate
place Of confinement may be speedily provided
for them
The grand Jury, accompanied by the physi;
clan, the warden, and his well organized and
eificient assistants, visited and Inspected every
department OF the Jail, and 1t gives us pleasure
to bear testimony to the good order and clean
liness that everywhere prevailed. TO keep a
its construction and the habits OF most of tho
prisoners, Ia a work Of much greater magnitude
than can be supposed BY those who have not
diture OF lime and water, must OF necessity be
used to make the air within its walls at all
besrable.
ern date more unsuited to the purposes for
which II was erected than the jail OF this
county; the interior seems to have been ar
ranged without any definite plan, too much
space Is appropriated to rooms on one sido,
leaving so little on the other, as to be totally
inadequate to the security, and destructive to
the health Of the prisoners. The rooms on the
south side OF the building, generally occupied
by female prisoners, are larger than necessary,
yet they have no convenience or appliance for
oared or shs use Of tss must be
taken In and then taken out OF the roomsj a
very inconvenient, slovcnly, and costly neces-
sity, and which could be entirely avoided by a
| comparatively small expenditure Of money.
Numbers of prisoners are frequently secured
| In these rooms at one time, and II any Of them
should be taken sick they must be removed to
Gus proceeding. II the rooms were properly
constructed, about half the present size, fur
nished with proper facilities for cleanliness,
and occupied by not more than ten persons at
one time, the prisoners could receive all the
| care and attention required, and the necessity
| OF removing the Bick to tho hospital could be
/
vision assigned to male prisoners-the archi'
tcctural enormity OF the building eliminates.
There we found ninety men and boys cooped
up in a narrow passage not five feet wide,
most OF them in a state OF semi.nu dity-thc
| excessive heat of the place rendering clothing
oppressive. This space they occupy during
the day. with the privilege Of going into into the
confined at night. These cells are eight by ten
feet on the tioor with arched ceilings nearly
resembling bakers oven ,h IN shape, with nc
air and lights Is through grated iron door
they are occupied at night at this time by i've
persona each and we have asccrtained BY ref
erence TO the reports OF former grand juries
that II has been found necessary sometlmei
from tho number Of prisoners 10 jail to eonfint
from ten to fifteen In each. While we stood
the bar6arity OF confning five or ten human
beings within their walls at any season, but
especially during the hot nights OF summer
degrees In the open air we felt Inundated fol
our age and country that such inhuman, de
grading cruelty should be permitted and wer,
lo,Gisy reminded Of massage from P%nggsss
country, published about the beginning OF TIT
present century.
Prom hi. birthstone bed at broak Of day.
And see how HI. stock goes on.
Coming by Cold Bath Yields.
And The devil was pleased, for II gavo
Him a hint for Improving his prisons In hell v
Tho records OF crime afford a melancholy ey
idence that his Satanic Majesty has stock
on this continent, and has extended his walks
to our country and II the suiferings OF one
solitary prisoner, confined in cell OF the
"Oold Bath Fields" prison, in the city OF Lon
don, could have given him passing pleasure
how intense must be his qualification when ht
passes through the Gold Bath Fields OF the
city OF Washington, where he eau see, not one
but groups of Ave and ten miserable creatures
whom crimes or misfortunes have eonsignet
1T 's ssstnns s sPns tEe
semblance Of humanity, but Its spirit degrade
by the cruelty Of their fellow'mcn, to a leve
with the brute creation.
While the preservation OF morals, the secu
rity OF life and property demand that the law
enacted should be rightly enforced, yet 1t car
conserve no principle OF morality or justice
to execute tho penalty for their Instruction
The spirit Of laws for the punishment, o.
rather for the prevention OF crime, contem
plates the moral reform Of the criminal n
much perhaps as the punishment for the OF
fence no has committed against societyj tina
punishment, except in capital cases, consist
not only OF deprlving him OF personal liberty
but tempering Justice with mercy. ~ give
him the, opportunity to reflect upon his cyl
spectacle member OF society he vii! be harm
less and perhaps usefulj but thrust him Int
one OF the cells OF our prisons IA place scarcel!
ut for swine or cattle) and the IRE Of mannoo
deep MS to be uneradicablc; he feels the breatl
of 4 felon with every pulsation; the last iinh
| of virtue that binds him to the moral worll !,
broken, and he comes forth with heart full
of savage ferocIty, with "his hand agains
him.h
The officers of the prison do all they can I
plan of the jail itself that renders all their e
forts nugAtory. The prisoners must be 81