Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-01-10

very few, and many lives undou btedlY
saved The opportunity was taken to
remove the old building and grade the
grounds, so that the Unhealthy effects
which might result from much change
of the soil whilst the school should be /
in progress, are Obvisted.
In the month of October, facts which
came. to my knowledge satisfied me
that IN the mode Of conducting the
building of this Asylum, the architect /
and superintendent, Joseph N. Black
burn, had been committing a series of /
petty frauds and einbezzlements, reach
ing back to the very commencement Of
his services in that capacity in 1864. /
The high character for honesty and in
tegrity he had beGne in Cleveland, /
where he resided, and the great conf
dence Governor BF0ugh, by whom he 4
was appointed, was anoyFn to have felt I
IN him, made me very cautious in ex-
amIning the question of his honesty,
and with the assistance of the trustees [
Of the institution, and particularly Of t
Hon. ). Galloway, minute and care /
ful investigation -gas made. It was [
found that in the payment Of those
architect, a habitual OVerchauge for /
their work had been made, more being /
entered upon the -es5NEells receipted by /
them, than they were actually paid. /
The class Of men thus employed being
generally day laborers and ineXperi- /
ELCGu 4AAGAls gAAE-N VIEW Ed9aAg BAEhE4AACLA
from knowing the fraud practiced, or
made to believe the transaction an al
lOWable one. In a similar mode Of over /
change, lumber bills purchased in the
spring of 1855 were decreased in amount, /
and difference in both cases appropria-
/ ted by the architect. No pretence Of
right to charge commissions existed or
was claimed, he 6ei0g employed at a
| fixed salary as authorized by law. The
total amount thus embezzled during
I the whole period from July, 1864, to be
a little less than ten thousand dollars.
The investigation was found TO impli-
! cate r. Il. Brookes a subordinate and
/ assistant of Bfar uTh, and the case
I was placed in hsa auds of the AttOr-
I ney General, who has commenced both
| criminal and civil prosecutions against
/ the offenders.
the discovery Of these frauds natur-
/ ally gave rise to minors ana suspicious
/ that others would Be found in the con-
/ tracts for building, ect. So far rs 1
/ have been able to carry this inVestigR-
/ ton, no NAL practices have been proven
/ in the dealings betWeen architect and
1 contractors, nor have I seen evidence
1 that any such prafit has been made by
/ the contractors which would lead to rea-
/ sOnable suspicion, For their justlhca-
/ ton. however, as we'll as for more
/ complete examination than 1 have been
| able to make personally, I would re-
/ com mend a searching investigation by
a committee fully authorized to send
for persons and papers.
AS soon as the facts referred to above
were known. Mr.. George Bellows, of
/ this city, was appointed Architect and
/ Superintendent, in place of Blackburn,
removed, and has been occupied IN
making careful measurements and es-
climates of workfaone as compared with
contracts and Specifications. As soon
as this labor is sufficiently advanced,
his report viii be laid before you, show
ing the precise condition of the work
and of the various accounts connected
l with it. Meanwhile it is extremely i'm
| pOrtant to the inEerests of the Institu-
ton that the heating apparatus and
plumbing should be promptly finished,
aDd the little caTpentering and plaster
ing still incomp plete should progress 50
far as not to delay the re-Opening of the
school. For this purpose an early par
tial appropriation is necessary, and, IN
my Judgment, may be made without
risk, as the withheld percentage on the
contracts viii cover all margins neces-
sary for the St8ts.
The change of the plan of the engine
/ house, authorized by the last Legisla-
ture, by which it was separated from
the main building and placed on the
north side Of the alley in rear Of the In
stitutiOn, was the cause of a Considera-
bic addition to the estimated expense
Of the structure, but the great adVan-
% VI LOGA4Af u 44E3A41 dA1AAA 1AL Al eA4C
school building, and the health Of the
whole establishment, made that change
a real economy. In digging for the
foundation Of this part of the building,
/ a quicksand and springs greatly imped-
ed the work and increased its cost, but
two strong flowing wells were secured
which promise te be permanent, and
which supply superabundance of good
water for the use Of the whole Institu-
ton. These will be invaluable, and
much more than repay the extra cost
they have Oceasioned.
The Reform School continues its val
4 liable work, and is every year more
clearly seea working upon the
only true priul5sp sple in the treatment of
Juvenile offenders. Appended to the
report of the Commissioners viii be
found the report Of q committee, ap-
pointed under authority of the Assem-
bly,, to select a piece of corn laud to add
to the Farm. The committee have Sc
lected a farm in the Hooking river bot
toms, which, in their Judgment, meets
the wants of the School, and, when add
ed to the high, hllly and thln-sOiled
tract now occupied by the Institution,
; will give the variety of employment
and of produce which is greatly needed.
The fruit culture of the hills has been
profitable during the past year, as the
report shows; and the addition of some
corn and hay land will tend still furth-
er to reduce the expense of the School.
When it is remembered that the whole
investment in this Institution for land
and buildings is not over One-eightb
the cost of some of the AsyIums having
no larger number Of inmates, there
f Will be little hesitation in appropriat-
ing the moderate sum now needed.
The need Of a similar ref0rmatory for
girls becomes more apparent every
year, and the. propriety Of establishing
one is respectfully urged upon your at
tentiOH. -,
The administration OF the Peniten-
tiary during the year shows an efficien-
cy quite equal, if not superior, to any
= that has been witnessed for many years,
, | and in one Tespect-that. of economy
= the result IS. q peculiarly gratifying
one. The receipts for the labor of pris-
Oners have exceeded the expenses OF
the prison by the sum of thirteen thou
sand dollars. This result, the Directors
, report as not produced by charging the
state with labor performed for it, or by
any charges or credits for which money
has not been paid or received but il is
a balance Of cash receipts over cash ex-
l penditures. It has been secured by a
, strict attention to economy in all de
partments, and a rigid saving of the
waste which is apt to become large in
so large an institution. This fact is
most Significantly show in the average
cost per convict for clothing, food, bed
ding and hospital, which amounts this
& year to S5.5T against an average OF
. SS7 90 for three years before. The Di-
rectors are further able to say that,
although the expenses have been so
materially diminished, every depart
ment has been as well maintained as i n
any former year" They. very properly
give the chief credit for this result to
the Warden and his principal assist
ants, but it could, of course, be brought
about only by a jealous cooperation in
the public service Of all concerned,
from the Directors themselves down
ward.
Your candid consideration is invited
to the reasons assigned by the DireC-
tors why minimum price for convict
labor should not be established by law.
The accounts of the prison demonstrate
that since the passage of the existing
statute on that subject, there has been
a clear loss to the State of two thousand
dollars per month by reason of the
nOn-employment of cOnYicts for whose
labor responsible bids had been made
10 nru-r H. L. rrfNs- --Te