Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-03-10

and without NeQIllaJlO0- N1SuluS-
ton County Jail is quite dark, poorly
ventilated and miserably kept. In
the hall of the Jail, when visited by
the Board, were six males, one Of
them a murderer, another an old con- /
Wet, and another a lad who had run l
away from the Reform School. The l
history of the others was not known. |
Such is the state of many of the jails |
in Ohio. Some of those which we |
have omitted from the above enumer- /
alton are hardly better. If prisoners
deserve more humane treatment, sure |
" the unfortunate occupants of the
County Infirmaries-pOOr houses as
they are called in other States-shOuld
be still more kindly cared for. How
agreeable their condition is may be
inferred from the following synopsis
of the statements of the Board:
In the Allen County Infirmary a
suicidally disposed woman was chain
ed by her leg to an iron rod; another
female maniac was confined in a dark
and close room, where she sat crouch
ing upon the floor, with the remnant
of a calico dress thrown over her
naked body. Her long hair was mat
furniture and very dirty. In the But
Ter County Infirmary, a dark, damp,
cherries basement, filthy insane per-
sons were found in most distressing
condition. The only apology was,
that it was the best that could be
done; whereas, upper apartments in
the same building could have been
used with but little additional trouble;
in the Geauga County Infirmary neg
lect is everywhere apparent, with
filth, confusion and indescribable
wretehedneSs; in the third story of
the Guernsey County Infirmary were
found six insane persons locked sepa-
rately in cells, the dimensions Of
which were six by eight feet. Some
of them were horrible filthy, aud the
accumulation of exerement, in part
of them, could not have occurred in
less than a weeks time; of the Ham
iltOn County Infirmary, it is said that
it would not be just to speak Of the
miserable old rat-ridden, vermin-in-
| tested, tumble down houses now Oeeu-
pied, because it is proposed tn remove
soon TO other and better buildings.
| The jefferson County 1nfirmary is
cold and wet, seven entirely naked
l insane persons, whose only bedding
was one blanket each, being found
there, without fire to warm them; in
| the Lucas County Infirmary, the in
sane, epileptic and idiotic are kept in
discriminatory as to age, sex or condi-
/ ton. In regard to one fearfully dirty
/ insane woman, who was left to the
care of an old male pauper, the latter
said, when asked why her clothing
and bedding were in so shocking a
state: "Ye may well say that, but ye
little know the troubles / have wild
Mary every time l change her shim-
N.Y." In the Summit County In
firmary, there was found an insane
man, whose hip and knee joints were
stiffened (anchylOsis.) He was entire
ly naked, and performed loeOmotion
by sliding about on his posteriOr with
the aid of his hands. In another pen
were four females, three insane and
the other an idiot; in the Trumbull
County Infirmary was found con-
fined a raging mailman, whose bodily
condition may be imagined when it is
mentioned that he had literally plas
tered or painted the walls of his room
with his own excrement.
We have omitted from our recapitu-
lation those counties in which the
Board found the infirmaries vel
managed, or only little deserving o
slight criticism. The picture which
we have copied is revolving one, but
shocking as are its revelations, they
should be known to the public. The
main responsibility rests on the peO
pie of the counties, for if they arr
willing and determined that reform:
shall be instituted they can easily finC
the means to effect them and the mel
to carry them out. The suggestion!
of the Board in regard to Jail improve
ments have scarcely less applicability
to the infirmaries, and will take the
place of any further comments of Oul
own.
Quite q number of our jails have
been repeatedly condemned by granC
, iuries, and declared nuisanees, unfi
for the confinement of human beings
and yet the counties, year after year
refuse to allow their commissioners t
levy tax sufficient to erect a bette
one. In some counties this inhumani
ty has continued too long. The BOarC
feels compelled to call special atten
ton to this subject, and to recommend
that the necessary legislation to cor
rect this evil be adopted. a simple
and efficient remedy would be a Law
forbidding the use of jail building
after it has been repeatedly-say thre'
or four times-cOndemned by granC
juries as unfit for occupancy, or as {
nuisance-the prisoners to be kept il
such adjacent counties as provid'
more humane accommodations anC
also, that after such repeated con
demnatiOns by grand juries, it shal
be the duty of the County COmmis
siOners of such counties TO levy tn
necessary tax and proceed to erect
suitable Jail building. Next to tn
corEupting influence of baser prison
ers, idleness is the bane of our iai
system. 1t is difficult to Introduce
labor into our Jails, and the WOrl
House, until our system shall be ma
terially changed, is the only remedy
In our smaller counties it will be diff
cult, perhaps impossible, to maintain
a well regulated Work House; and j
is recommended to the Legislator
that such statutory provision be mad
} as will provide for the sentencing o
prisoners from such counties TO tn
Work Houses of other counties.
number of such houses are now in tn
course of construction in differen
parts of the State, and such q Law
would probably encourage the erec
ton of more, and enlarge the plans o
those now proposed. Or, what wOulC
be far better, that our prison system
be enlarged so as TO provide for clas.
of prisoners corresponding to tht
house of correction, intermediate be
I tween the State Prison and the com
I mon Jail, in which all persons convic
; ted of minor offenses shall be confined
under sentence of ''hard labor" De
, tentiOn for trial, and punishment ol
/, conviction, are essentially differen
processes, and ''the fitness of things
require in each a special method il
harmony with its nature adapted t
the end in view. This would leav,
our jails, as they doubtless should be
simply houses of detention for per
sons under arrest and awaiting trial
Captain Mullins, of the Fifth L. S
Infantry, has reached Fort Hays
Kansas, with a wild woman of the
plains" in his possession. She is {
poor, demented, half-clOthed white
woman, about thirty years of age
The Captain was at loss what to dc