The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-11-26

A Walk Through the Penitentiary
ROW THINGS LOOK INSIDE.
PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS

PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS.
The Military Commission appointed to
consider the necessities Of the penitentiarv,
ana report what measures will he needttIl to
| provide for those necessities until the LegiS-
| l;lture shall be enabled to act upon the qIes-
| ton, met ut the States prison yesterday
| morning ut 10 O'Clock, pursuant to adjourn
ment.
GENERAL INSPECTIONS.
The Commission, of which Sllperintnnd-
cnt Wardwell is member, proceeded to
examine the various workshops in which
| the convicts were employed. They found
the whcclwrightS, coopers, shoemakers,
| carpenters, basket and chair-makers, wea-
vers and backSmiths, all ut work on their
various Jobs but in the betlstead factory
where there arc twenty-cight conyicts hired
| TO contractors, all was life and animation.
In this particular room every man seemed
to be cndcavoring to sllrpass his fellows,
and allappeared cheerful and healthy. We
| learned from the superintendent that none
| Of these convictS were mechanics. The
contractors had taken them "grecn" from
| the prison, taught each one his particular
| duties, and are doubtless being handsomely
rewarded for their trouble in the profits Of
| their manufactures.
TIE CELLS.
From the workshops the Commission
visited the cells, and were gratifed to find
that they We're all neat and clean, and many
of them highly ornamentcd with grotesql!e
figures, painted by the convictS. To make
room for exercise, many of the prisoners
have been permitted to erect chunks"
seven feet above the floor, in which the
"mcsseS" bundle" thus adding to their
| own comfort and the neatneSs of their va
| riouS apartments.
The Commission were satisfied that nearly
all the "cclls" We're very insecure, because
constructed of brick; but, with a proper
guard and strict discipline, the prisoners
may be kept secure for the time being.
TIE HOSPITALS.
In each of the hospitals, for white and
colored, there were very few patients; and
| only one. a colorcd man, seriously inGiS-
| posed. The rooms We're neat and clean,
and the attendants very polite. OF the CO.
!orcd patients there is Il very old man who
is evidently fit subject for Il unatic aSy-
| lum. He imagincs that he killed three
| Federal officers in 4 little skirmiSh in
| Princess Anne county. and regards it Is
one Of his greatest fcatS.
THE LIBKARY-ROoM
is an interesting feature Of the prison, and
| the t:lvoritc pet Of the superintendent. The
| librarian, Il sufferer Of epilepsy, gave the
| commission Il view of the library, on the
| well-iilled shelves of which were scores of
valuable volumes that seemed TO have been
| we'll read.
THE POLICE-ROOM,
where the morning courts are held, and of
| Tenders tried before the Superintendent, is
| near the Library, and was also shown the
| Commission. Here superintendent Ward
| wei! passes upon the offences Of his charge,
and when prisoners are found guilty SEN
tcnccs them TO such punishment II he deems
| sufficient.
TIE COoK-ROOM
was next visited, and, although under the
| ground and inconycnicut. seemed to an
swer its purposes. The cooks were busy
preparing Tine beef and bread for the board
crs, and appeared cheerful and neat.
THE FEMALE DEPARTMENT
was next visited, and was less satisfactory
| to the Commission than any other. In three
small roons are huddlcd together thirty-SN
women and five children. who have no en-
| pIoymcnt save sewing and washing. and no
| exercise save such IL can he afforded them
| in the yards after The males are locked in.
| These rooms are badly lighted and VEN
| tilatcd, and entirely unSutcd to the prr-
| poses to which they arc ut present applied.
THE WORKSHOPS
arc about 40 feet in length, two stories
! high, built in the shape OF IN L, and are
covered with gravel roofing. IN every
| apartment traces of " leaks from the roof
were discovered, and the Commission were
assured that work could not be carried Oh
satisfactorily in wet weather because OF
these leaks. BY way OF giving additional
| working area, it IS proposed TO add third
| story to these shops, and thus enable the
| Superintendent to employ two or three
| hundred Of the convicts now idle for want
| of rooms iii which to become useful. The
proposed addition is estimated TO cost
s.. 900 If the addition is not made, then q
new tin roof will be absolutely necessary,
and will cost about $500.
MANUFACTURING TOBACCO.
Under the laws of the United States, all
| articles manufactured i'll pcnitentiaries by
| prison labor, for the sole benefit of State,
| are exempt from revenue tax. With this
| advantage, the Board Of Directors are
| anxious to commence the manufacture oi
tobacco, and believe they can readily make
the institution self-Sllstaining by so doing.
| II there was any assurance that Congress
would not change the present laws within
| y
relieve herself Of the support OF her prison:
ers by manufacturing tobacco, but she could
| realize such profits rs would enable her to
purchase additional grounds and erect safer
| and more commodiouS buildings.
CALLED TO ORDER.
The Commission, having completed their
inspection, repaired TO the office OF the
Board of Directors, when George W. Smith,
| ESQ, resumed the chair, and called the
| meeting to order.
| Major Stanton offered 4 resolution recon-
| mending the appropriation OF SlO,UOO, with
which to erect a third story on the present
workshops, and separate building for the
| female prisoners.
Mr.. George w. Smith favored the resolu'
ton. believing the improvements recon-
mendcd absolutely necessary:
DR.. Smith concurred III the remarks ol
Mr.. G. w. Smith, and thought the work
ought to commence at once.
Mr. Joseph +. Powell regarded the i'm,
provements necessary, and therefore favored
| the resolutions.
Mr.. Wardwell was anxious TO see better
provision made for the female prisoners
| than the present.
Mr.. Lewellen was not prepared to favor
the resolution until other lights were af:
forded him. He had seen no plans for the
contemplated building, mad heard no one
saw what was to be its size, and knew
nothing other than that building of some
kind was to be constructed. lie did not be-
Iieve that General Candy would make the
appropriation, if asked for, unless he knew
how it was to be applied, and he therefore
moved that the resolution be laid upon the
table until rough draft of the desired
building could be prepared.
Mr.. Powell thought that a building % by
| IN feet two stories high-the first floor tC