The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-28

PUBLIC PRISONS.


journal of Prison Discipline and Philau-
thropy." This work has just been published for
the present year. 1t contains much valuable
information.
The journal refers to the purposes of the So
eiety, and claims that the society has b9en in
etrnmental in efecting many reforms in the
management OF prisons. 1t SAYS
Snow, while this society has been unostentatiously
engaged in the good work which It professed to have
m view, the value Of that good has constantly in
creased, by the development OF the miseries which
were almost hidden behind the greater and more
obvious evils. And it may be added that while
philanthrOpistB for time limited their eXer-
lions and their views and hopes, to dimnution OF
the crying miseries OF public prisons, those ex-
ertions lead them 10 consider how imprisonment
might be converted from simple brutal instrument
of public vengeance TO means OF individual I'm.
provement and, In proportion to the number % OF
those individuals to an occasion OF pubic Denent.
so that the prison. instead of being pest mouse OF
incurables, should become a moral inhrmary, where
offending member OF society might be received,
nursed and restored TO the community In soundness
Of principles and purity OF morals
Referring to the County Prison, the journal
says
iOrhe members Of the Committee the County
Prison report about seven hundred visits year
from their individual members. There are ABOUT
two hundred visits also made by ladies', who regu-
larry visit the cells OF the females and produce much
good Within the year the committee nave had evil
dence of great moral reform In several prsoners and
letter from one thus improved shows now much
may be effected by moral suasion and now much OF
practical ordinary school lessons may be impaired
AS these letters are not numerous, their publication
IS withheld lest the fact OF punieaitl0n make make
there is an opportunity to deal with the conscience
and common sense OF prisoner alone, without any
one TO the lesson to comment upon IT TO the
prisoner in the absence OF the teacher good effect
s almost invariably produced Separate con-
Hnement that is, the separation of one prisoner
from al Others is the condition OF success and that
condition having been found in the Female Depart
Iuent more success has attended efforts to improve
female convcts tnan has been obtained among the
males, who are crowded together several In cell,
though il is evident that in the County Prison. good
male convcts, are to be credited 10 the excellent
visitors"
The Eastern Penitentiary is referred to as fol-
lows
'The visits of the Committee on the Penitentiary
10 the cells and the occupants of the cells In that
great reservoir Of the punished (and we wish we
could say OF the penitent, are more numerous than
are those of the County Prison. The committee at
the Penitentiary is more numerous and the labor is
more promising as the prisoners have longer lease
OF their cells, and by the discipline OF the place
made TO depend more upon their kind visitors. The
fruits of these abors are necessarily more abundant
at the Pententiary from the fact Of the better and
more secret interviews OF the visitors. Great good
we have occasion to know has been done by these
visitors, not only in making the unfortunate and
guilty inmates of the cells feel that they may be
helped forward, and that feeling is strengthened and
augmented by the pure sympathy which the visitors
manifest in their condition. and especially in them as
human beings"
The statement of the visits by members of
the Committee on the Eastern Penitentiary
shows that the work has not been neglected.
This, however does not include statement of
the visits by the ladies, who are unremitting i'll
their attendance:-Vis 443; in cells, 3%21; in
doors, 35l7; separate 4443. The journal in re-
ferring to the great work accomplished by Mr..
William j. Mullen who is the agent of the
society and member of the Board of Inspec-
tors Of the County Prison, says:-
"Some thousands of were settled by Mr.
Mullen in 1869; many more than In former years.
owing to some new arrangements OF the committing
magistrates Something of the appreciation which
the society has of Mr.. Muen's services may be in
ferred from the fact that 1t Is not thought possible
for any prison society to exercise its full power and
produce the good results OF which it IS capable,
without just such an agent 1t may not be improper
here 10 state that the whole number of persons whose
release was in 1869, procured by Mr.. Mullen, was
1886 It would startle an inexperienced person to
the list OF Ofenses for which that great number
was committed. 1t is humilistlng to human being
of any sensitiveness to see in how many ways man
may violate the laws"
The journal refers at length to the necessity
of the House of Correction, the enlargement of
the County Prison. and things that call for inn
provement relative to the duties OF aldermen.
Interesting items of neurology, and extracts
from foreign reports, especially Ireland and
Scotland, are appended, and the entire work is
one of interest, and well worthy OF perusal. Re
fefring to the Legislature the journal says-
i.'We confidently expect that the Legislature will
initiate and perfect bills relative to prisons and
pententaries and their discipline, and will insure
great amelioration OF the condition OF prisoners
The plan OF Communication is one which has for 9
long time received the approval OF this society and
1t cannot be doubted that as it has commenced
though only with penitentiaries, 1t will be improved
and applied to all the prisons OF the State"
THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD GRAIN DEPOT
The extensive and wel-built frame structure
situated on the north side of Market street, or
the west bank of the Schuylkill, erected by th,
Pennsylvania Railroad Company for the pur
poses of vast grain depository, is at length
completed, at a cost of over 100000. Tht
timber used in the construction of this ware
house is all of the best quality, well seasoned
and well put together, whilst as a protection
against fire the sides and roof are slated. Tht
new depot is 555 feet long, 125 feet wide, aud s.
feet in height There are laid down six track
sufficient to accommodate 600 cars at one time
There are six rows of platform bins each hold
ing $50 bushels, or one car load. Running
across the bnllding, and underneath the bias
are ways for wagons. A wagon can load 10
bushels in three minutes. Wheat and oats ar
already in the bins, and are being daily recejyet
and discharged. Besides all these facilities 70
transferring grain, there is room within tn
building for tiering $4,000 barrels of -four,
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COUNTERFEIT BANK Notwithstanding
the immense and severe penalty provided by tn
laws of Congress for the punishment of partie
engaging in counterfeiting United States notes
nevertheless there are many persons now EN-
ployed in this business, and at certain period
The country is flooded with their paper. Jus
now three different kinds of bogus notes are il
circulation, one a $40 counterfeit on the Thir
National Bank another 81 bill on the SiXt
National Bank and the other $5 bill altered I
$40 on the Consolidation National Bank. Tn
first may be detected by the absence OF the lette
in National Currency on the right and borde
near the top of the note. The second is poe
attempt at the spurious, and almost tells o
ITSELF whilst the latter, being an alteration OF
genuine So, is not easily discovered, and is al
TO deceive even experts. Our business men ar
citizens should make note OF this and act pr
IDENTITY.