New-York tribune., 1870-02-05
THE TONES.

To the EdItOr Of The Tribune.
SIR: Much has been said and written about
the abuse and neglect Of prisoners in the TOmbs painful
stories are told Of bad and insufficient food of nadequacy
OF utensils for eating the OF filth. and OF prisoners
being eaten py rats After several months OF frequent
and close observation the following facts pretty well
established in my own mind and justice seems TO demand
their publication.
First All prisoners conducting themselves properly
and observing prison rules treated kindly ana con
sideratey Most OF the officers and Keepers are more
humane and lenent toward criminals and their crimes
than are the community at large. nstinctvey rather
than reasonngy they to assign crime to its true
and primary cause and thus come to regard the unfor
tunate under their charge as victims rather than Of
Tenders and they cannot therefore IN the nature Oi
things wreak senseless and ineffective vengeance by
verbal abuse such the unthnking usually ndnge III,
nor would they be likely to neglect III any great degree
those whom they pity; the contrary they appear to
attend strictly aud cOnscentously to all their duties,
and 70 give prisoners the fun freedom and accOmmOda
tons allowed by law.
Scondly There seems he plenty Of food, such as il
a. certainly It Is not o the best quality. Of its kind;
and there is very little variety. Evidently, somewhere
between the laws proyison-which is quite bad enough
and the prisoners bowls. large sums of money are
coined But the probabilities are that the food Is as good
IN the majority and more regularly obtained,
than when the prisoners free to shrK for themselves
servants OF law however. have no right to assume
tle fact nor presume upon it, People who go INTO the
Tombs and the food and the ACCOMMODATIONS Tor lts
Inmates make the very natural mistake Of comparing
the same with their own homes and home comforts
instead OF with the prisoners previous condition
Thirdly; The rats no doubt hnnoyngi Dut mat can
scarcely charged fault To anybody because rats
propagate and grow Fat and fearless Soetues III tc
best regulated households III spite OF arsenic OF enact
ments. ,
as rule. hty and totally insufficient TO Their purpose
The female department better in this respect Is clean
even 20 eXaetnes well ordered ana senGiy nsr as wf
owing. doubtless, to the fact that woman Is III eaIge.
Thus the general complaints are answered. put tnEro
are abuses the TUmbs 10 the male prisoners especially
that outrage civilization; ana These CONSIST III tvh
Of warmth and ventilation Between me Oaa ar witln
and the biting air without these inlseianie vlcuis
shiyeF cells day and night with blue lips ana
pallid, and sess for want OF fresh arr ana II IL were
possible them the Sxi6 feet paraelograis a
the top of the cells, msnamcd windows (Which are
always fastened) they would only increase their dis
comfort the alternative OF being stihened with cold
the reason already named there Is not enough Ia get
under. Either the fires are cnminay and cruelty In
sufficient, the system OF heating Is at ianit; ana ia
either it is egect and abuse that demands imme-
date investigation and reform.
There is ventilation whatever except the little that
comes from the opening aud closing Of outside doors
aud with three hundred prisoners. aud the exhala
their hty clothing aud bodies. their breats
reeking with whisky and tobacco, tue poisonous OdOr
from the ordure receptacles, together with the just sun
cent heat To steam all these together makes the place
resemble "a tomb" indeed, with all the oheusyeness Of
hundred dead bodies in the worst stages Of decompoSi
ton
The Tombs is sort OF political lever and bono of
tenton at best, aud ts vlanous planning for yepila-
Gus one OF having the receptaclcs," named
above. stationary In every cell, Is worthy
such politicians as Hamlet must have been thinking Of
when he said, one that would circumvcnt GOdW How
much right the law has to punish for crime, II he
criminal itself II. IN the process ~ administering
this right, 10 permanently Injuries the health aud mpairs
the strength of It's victims by neglect IN any way, or
IN failing 10 Obvlate such results far as lies III It's
power through the help Of science and architecture
AT present most prisons do not reform criminals IN the
slightest degree aud believe IL to be mainly due To The
fact that the entire regimen Of prison life tends tn weaken
aud deblitate the physical force, aud through 1t tho
moral. MgnaClcs, and bars. and prison fire and
prison punishment control, aud not unflequently
| parayzo the limbs but the evil passions receive
10 check save for the time being. and that
solely because Of the pOwerlessncss of action To
obey impulse. BroOdng In solitude for months or years
what seems To them UNJUST punishment through
action TAKEN the majority of prsOuers leave their ccls
sucn, half-mad aud blasphemous outoasts; nos only
ready but anxious 10 revenge themselves by committing
| another crime.
But they have Christian COUNSEL Yes and they snecr
at IL. and have II much opinion OF "Chrstiaus
AFTER they Of prison than before they went
because these dlscOmiOrts Of stomach and nrrb.
and weakness pel them 10 say In their hearts ~ least
"If you much for me why not give the things
need aud the want of which only makes them deaf
To persuasion but impatient aud contemptuous under IL.
There is another thing needed ~ prisons aud that
library Of entertaining ANA Instructive books, nnd their
aud unlimited by prisoners Want OF occupation
and Nucuity OF mind would drive Them at nrs
10 reading ~ means OF dstmcliun abd eventually u
taste would fOrn aud out of that grow enlightenment,
and thence n great way toward reformation. Finally,
criminals need induceneut rather than compusiom the
latter ias ucry To refOrm-shy not Try the iormtrI
AE 1ATI NIt +