Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1871-05-06

All EeFy materially i7 me Danger no -
aTprshsulel frQm frr- ihr core sspFtiali.
10 ihis % shea ia is taken .ulo egHsiisrs
lion thai. ia case 0fsUfh an accident -lhsU
are no means al hand % TlsVenl q eours
fuiion, We are, ihsre,oTs. af lle Op'nioi
I issl an wooden huiliings sAsll hs TsmoN'
81 from inside iAs Eaiis
In regard 10 ils arrangement Of con,
Vi,ls in iAs inslilailon, yauT eaamiilss
ars constrained, fT0m their own persona
observation, as Ns.l as fTom The evidences
Of every witness that sas examined before
them, most emphaliea.ly 10 eonis'aA Ib'
rn1na selnsHt OF the present snPsFinlshi'
snt' sad here, would say that lhs ellhshs
sAaninel touching this matter, were mem
b.rs OF The board u Directors ~ The Peal
IsHiisTy, as als0 so'n- otihe most respect
able oiiiIeas VI Huntsville,
"Thr liberty granted eonVleis Is without
precedent, Your eomulllre fa~ eonN.eis
on the streets, a. all hours II ihs lay,NilA-
out guards The eyiisncg he0rs u shows
that some eon'ia's are PaFnlllsl % iT'ss
iu citizens elolheS, eni are allowed 10 at
tend public enlrral lnmcni' a. ihe court
house Al night, and u this by the consent
ot ihs Superintendent, The eOnViels 70
whom such libsrliss are grated, are not
I ,sEen fr1m those whose lsrms of service
have about expired, nor from those sen
fenced Tor the liehier otieuse,; neither was
/, from amongst lhoss who, ~ their uni
f5rmly good conduct, while 10 the insIilu-
ton, would have glvsn plea for such IN
diligence, but in most cases they were
granted TO prisoners who hal PerPe,ralei
tho most grieyous 0denses, and had long
periods of inearccrs,lcas 10 serve.
"That your eommil,Ve may not be ehars'
,i with exRsgeraiion Ia this matter they
respectfully submit '5me OF the evidence
taken on this subject.
The following 10 taken from the tesii-
( ;nony Of one OF the directors;
"ipriseners have too much latitude
prisoners sent here 'or twenty years Tor
hhrLcr are allowed to so 10 town auer
dark without guard, dressed in citizens
clothing; have seen several prisoners 80
dressed at shows ut night; have talked TO
them such liberties have never been al
lowed before to my Knowledge have been
a director about three years have been
ACQUAINTED with the workings of tho insi-
tuition since il was first started II has been
the custom to lc, prisoners wait en- the n
nancial agent when their time has nearly
expiaed; cannot say why conviCis are en-
ploved outside; cannot, ns director, exam
inc b my satisfaction, the matters IN SUI
pcr!ntendants books have convicts on my
place sentenced fr0li two to fifteen years
at scvcral meetings Of the board, tao SH-
perintcndan. opposed the directors IN tho
discharge of their duties rs such board
has called his attention to liberty given
conyicts; Director Green, when board was
in session, called tho attention OF the SUI
pernteudant to tlst fact; the Superinten-
lant would not give any reason why ce"-
tain convicts had these privileges the SUI
perintendant does rot reside, nor has he
resided, within the Peniteniary, though
he has been notified by the board that he
should do so.' .,
From thet estirony OF another director,
we extract as follcvs ..
".Prisoners have been allowed too much
liberty; hayO seen Them down town with,
out guards, also seen them in citizens
clothing; have often seen several IN town
at night with citizens clothing have li7ed
here thirty-one years; have never krcwn
such liberties before the Superintendent
has convicts to attend to his matters; was
not so, to my knowledge, before; good
many are employed outside; | have ere IN
my employ; Superintendent does not give
board perfect satisfaction why conyicts are
employed outside the one in my employ
has no guard, has about one year to serve;
there are q number of convicts emp loyed
in Madison county on farm cannot say
il the State has ever received full rcnuner-
alton for services Of outside convicts; SUI
pcrintendaut does not consult with the
board Us to tho letting Of convicts outside
he opposes the board in regard to feeding
or hogs, claiming that was his own matter;
the board has called his attention TO the
liberty crcohvicts the Srberihtendant has
convict to clerk for lin; Ills clerk
dresses ii citizeas clothing, goes shout
town and transacts business; . stranger
would not know that he was o convict; tho
Superintendant does not live in the Peni7
tenti,ry; board notifad him Tint he sheuld
do so he says that he V il lnot live there.
ave here extract frcih the testimony Of
resident of the city, who furnishes goods
TO the institution: Have lived kere thirty
five wears have known eonvict5 Cr special
occasions, when their time had nearly ex-
pired. TO he in town without guard hsyc
seen several at public entertainments in
citizen's clothing without guard, one OF
them sentenced for twenty years; this was
ot niyht: knew them TO be conyicts; knew
two Of them by name; one was Cotton and
ono PARKER: had some conversation with
them; have one in my employ who has
about one year to serve | board him ne
sleeps IN the shop tie shop is on one Of
the main streets, not in the enclosure OF the
PeHitentiary is about three blocks from
the Pemitentiary; he dresses in citizens
clothing; he is nut required 10 report to
the institution, except when he comes to
change clothing; gets his washing done at
the Penitentiary superintendent does not
reside in the Penilentiary proper.
awe also extract from the testimony OF
Superin!endent Bennett: When came
here. found nothing TO work ON TO support
the Institution; was compelled to use the
force 1T ihy control to raise means to ope-
rate and take care of eonvicis; have made
changes in The discipline of convicts have
convists employed as per report. (lour
comniittee will explain this report in ano-
the+ place. All conYicts employed outside
Get sixteen dollars per month; cannct tell
If aHv are employed III Madison county; all
conyicts thployed outside, except those un-
der guard, are in the yard at eight clock;
know that noneare outside aiier that; meme
are allowed cut after that time; there IS
hoard Of directors Who supervise the mat
ters Of this instii~.ian; so tar as they saoWr
they have done Heir duty; do not consider
them capable; not enc Of them are business
men; have. differed with them on the hog
question. and on thai only, and succeeded,
as there was nothing TO feed hogs with
consider them all honest, but not business
men: have never known any convict out
side at night, except with me; had two
yitb ne; they were dressed in citizens
el,tbing: have always taken the law as
mr. guile there are no laws Of ny own
raking.
The above eTidence. We think fully
bssrs us out in the opinion we haze eA-
pressed.
q To one portion Of the evidence. however,
We Desire 10 call your special attention- IL
j. that bearing upon the large number ot
eonrists employed outside the prison wall
urU- farms. mills, buieher-shOps ETC. With
oat il some esses, any guard being over
them. TIE total number 81 eonEieis, 50
-mrl5rsd. is si1ty-siK; six q that NUMBER
being or = farm outside - Walker County