Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-05-20

Public Prison and Prisoners.
Such an institution as that which Penn
sylvania has In the Philadelphia Society
for Alleviatlng the Mlscries Of Public Pris-
ons' cannot but be OF great practical value
in the judicial and moral economy of
State. II is found there that the majority oil
arrests originate in vindictiveness, malice OF
intemperance; many from thoughtlcssness,
suit being brought on the impulse OF the
moment, when sober second thought
would have deprecated such course. Par
ties seem to be encouraged in these suits by |
the conduct of many of the magistrates,
| who, being dependent upon the fees OF
| their Office for support, instead oil salary,
which would insure disinterescdncss in
| judgments, issue warrants in almost every
case. The society referred 10 has an agent
| who makes 1t his business to examine these
cases, not to defeat the ends Of justice, but
where the innocent (and large proportion
of the persons released by his influence are
of this class are improperly arrested, where
the cases are of u trivial character, or &C
companied by such mitigating circumstances
as to make longer confinement unneces-
sary and oppressive How much benefit
might be realized in a reduction of the Grim
inal business, and u lessening of the burdens
of taxation, by the adoption OF similar agen-
cies here. Our crowded prisons might be
relieved, and our many minor offenders dis
posed of with bat Insignificant cost to the
State. The evils experienced in regard to
colpred minors might be in some degree
mitigated by the interposition of such influ-
ences, and tho establishment of c0lored
House of. Refuge the grand jury having
!, now to permit many to go free on account
of the want of such an institution. In look
ing at what las been accomplished by the
: Prison Association in Philadelphia it is well
to bear ia mind that IL is voluntary nsso-
ciati IN, not dependent on State or municipal
assistance for support. This voluntary prin-
ciple is, after all, more efficacous than any
other, in charity as well as in religion. The
fountains OF bcneyolence will dry up even
!. in the most humane natures, If the means OF
y relieving misery are not supplied by them
selves, thus keeping their charitable energies
: in active exercise, but are looked for in TIT
e appropriation of corporate bodies.
The Philadelphia society seems to he do
C ing work of great practical humanity ant
y bcnevolcnce in a direction which has no
/ generally occupied the attention even o
o philanhropists,b but which certainly presents
Ii a wide field for their efforts. The fifteenth
o annual report to the society of Mr.. W. j
|
2, number of arrests made By the police II
9, Philadelphia during the past year amount
'e to thrty-six thousand three hundred ant
81 thirty three, showinga decrease in conpsri
" son with last year of G,2Sl, and the nunlbe
81 Of commitments to the county prison With
u the year was seventeen thousand six hun
W dred and twenty, showing decrease in III
number Of commitments of nine hunlre
ST and iitty-tivc as compared with the prcylou
u year. Over 3, 700 cases have been examine
W and inquired into magistrates and otht
III officers of the law have been consulted, an,
DC through their exertion, the release froi
IL prison of COB persons has been eficctc
~ within the year. The release Of these pc
III sons from prison has been u saving to Il
NJ tax payers Of $lS, 26l 20, Of which amour
al $il, G2l.75 would have been require
M for ignoring their cases, and $6,G30.
e. would have been expended for the
IN maintenance had they been detaint
or in prison until the earliest pciit
81, in the term of the court for disposing
We their cases. The whole number of pcrsu
Oh released through the interference OF u
he agent during the last fifteen years, (sirCe Il
oil commencement Of his agency,) has be-
u, 792, at u Swing 10 Tho country OF $40
N. 2j5 47-facts whicl, taken In y pecunia
ew point of view alone, would make his N
W. sion one Of importance.
md One of the remarkable cases relieved
hes the agent was that of u man who was CO
lci milted to prison, August, 1867, as a witn'
,ad for the United States government agaii
let, certain persons who had tefraudel the n,
ms ernment in the bonded warehouse. One
at persons was tried and committed upon ;
mt. prisoners testimony, the others fled, IA
oar the efforts of the officers to arrest then W,
He'd unsuccessful. In the meanwhile, the with
was kept in prison for Il period of ci.
lch months, where, hut for the timely interi
o. ence Of the agent, who got a writ Of hab
opr corpus, returnable at the prison, it is bell
red ed he would have died in few days fir
gh the close confinement and fetid air of
not cell. The agent Justly remarks that the |
lea under which United States witnesses are
a prisoncd is unjust, and ought to he al
the ished.