Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-01-19
Prisoners in our County Jail.
PLAIN WORDS.
RUTLAND. Jan. Z.

Editor Rutland Herald Il noticed in
your HERALD of this morning, an appeal
in behalf of a library for the prisoners in
our County Jail 1t is certainly an en-
couraging and hopeful sign for our social
and moral progress, that the sympathies
of our community are being so constant
" aroused and exercised for the different
classes of the ignorant, the poor, the un-
fortunste, and even the criminal But,
in order to accomplish lasting good, those
sympathetic emotions dictated by Christi
anity, should be enlightened and wisely
directed. have often visited our COdnty
Jail. My heart has often ached for the
forlorn condition of thoee there confined.
I cannot but rejoice at any efforts beng
made for the improvement of that eondi-
ton. Let me tell you what ! have seen :;
have looked through the grating of the
iron door, into an underground apartment,
compared with which the cellar OF my
own house, is light, dry, and comfortable.
| have seen there, crowded together. men
practised in every vice aud sin, VIII" could
not speak without au oath, and young
boys twelve, thirteen and fourteen years
old awaiting their trial for some first Of
fense, some petty larceny. | have seen
boys there Vho we're accused of 40 crime
whatever, except that oF haPing nG nqDle.
| have looked ut this sight, and have
thought to myself that there was one Of
Satau'a sehool- in most succe<sful opera.
tion have gone many a time. into the
WoIdr5.t T"am. au unfinished attic. un,
Ueiled. o,y-r white washed. -" pfcps,,-
tions taxi u t. prevent every sind OF YER
miu from ab uudlng. b-va 1T there
on hot July day, hen the blazing sun
beat upon the roof over head, and only
one Wjndnw gave any air. hav" been
there ii told January .4nrp;FRt "pd seen
half drz-n girls and -om"u nuddled
round broken stove, which would not
warm "A room Of half the -iz8. have
seen girls and women Of all ayes and de.
grees of crime. shut up there with nothing
to do, and let me remark that employ
ment for hDt hr1.ds j. quite As necessary
for a womun's reform az any COOS Ino
only excepted ] have seen, ani my
blood has run cold at the sight. Innocent
little girl- aud boy allowed to stay there
week after week with their wretohed
mothprs aud to hear and see all that is
gilc I have known that every effort l
made iGr tbs Improvement of the young
girls, was nutralzed by tneit qqn7ta4t
open intercourse with th9 men in the
room beneath them, through board that
was taken up or put in place at pleasure,
I have seen women lying sick on a
wretched bed, and getting no rest or quiet
for the con stant laughing. quarraling, and
fighting of the women in the room and of
tie 4hpn be.ov. have seen all these
things, till heart lex, / have ielt that my
individual efforts to do any good there, /
were in vain where all things evil had
such full sway And it does seem to me,
that if the excellent men who compose
the Y. M. G A, would pray, not only for
tie conversion of the inmates of the jail, |
hut aI40 that the hearts of those in author.
ity .,,jEht ne touched to provide better
accommodations Tur ,ne4a, and i some of
the time devoted to laboring with the /
criminals, were given to using speech, |
influence and money, to replace such 8
curse az our present County Jail is by |
something more snited to a Christian
they would be doing a great,
and lasting work .or thi9 place. Give
the prisoners library by ali means, out,
oh. give them too, room where they can
have more than Fix hours of day light to
read by. Give them moral and religious
indeed, but see to it that some
is made betwean the young,
the mparatively innocent, the easily i'm.
pressed, a..d the hardened and heavy Of
Tenders. ii You do not wish that al i'm
preston your teaching may have made,
should be effaced as soon as your back is
turned. VERITAs.