The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-12-14
.,.,,,,,.,,,,. cost. and I'rospecss % s'e
NV'W. ...,,an i,cuftcnttnEy.


..s.,atrJ ia Mr.. George +. Strother, whose
',,,nr, or his operations was on ycsteraa!
| '.,,,,;,t.d ,o The General Assembly. During
,hc ,er;od named the manufacturing faciii-
fir. Of the pcnitcntiary have been ih,Eeiy
| ;,crooscd nv ;hc erection OF conlnodious
work sbon in rear of the old shops. The new
building. constructed OH plan Drawn ny
General W. c. Ncwbcrry, is $50 feet ionS,
80 feet wide, and three stories h'gh, WIN
wing for the reception OF the engine,
which has been thoroughly ovcrhaulcd and
s,,npliGd with two 30-horsc return tubular
boilers. and now occupies position inside
thc new house. This improvement has ne
ccssitatcd the building of a new wall about
fifty feet in rear of the old one. Anaddltioh
has also been made to the womcn's depart
men, by the erection of n two-storIcd DUNG
inc. which cost. exclusive of convict apor,
81 800. The new workshops cost, exclusive
of convict labor and brick ha'llcu iroih 'i.c
nrmorv. s. 402.50. All these improvements
have been effected, without any cNiia aplto-
priation by the Legislature, through the re-
ccipts from the sales of manufactured arllclcs
and the hire Of the convids.
The Board of Directors are now lntrodu-
cling the city water into the institution,
which will cost 81 800, including the erection
of two fire plugs capable OF dlsclarS1n% lnrcc
streams each, which will he very ,Sclil III
case of fire. Should the General Assembly
so elect. the spring lot, on Main street, could
I've sold for 4 good price after this connection
with the CITY reservoir is effected.
II appears that on the 3Oth Of September,
1870, there were in prison and on public
works TGl prisoners. or that NUMBER ll1
were white men, :l1J colorcd men, and 81
tt,,' |, al
Der. 1870, TO the 30th of September, 1871,
there have been received A white men, !
white women, 81 coiorcd men, and - colorcd
women, making 304 received in that time.
There have been Iardoncd white men; re-
mandcd for trial. l white man; dicdin prison,
white and L. colorcd men and ) coorcd
women; died on Chesapeake and Ohio rail-
roa,!, 81 colorCd men; killed on railroad, >
cnorcd men: discharged, 80 white men, ZIG
solrrcd men, and II colcrcd women; escaped
from Capitol Square, = colorcd men; from
railroad, white and II colorcd men; leaving
in the penitcntiary and OH public works on
the isl of October, 1871, white men, l53
white women, 4; colored men, 600; conrcd
women, CD; total, SIS.
The general statement Of receipts and cX-
pcnfliturcs of the institution shows balance
of =, OS2.51 which, after drdirling agent $
commissions aud reduction on goods made
hy the Board of Directors, leaves net
balance in favor of manufacturing and labor
of - G2J.Gl.
There are SiXtv-tllrcc Womcn--tWcntv Of
whom are AT work in the wcavc-Shop. twelve
washnk clothes. and tlirty-onc arc employed
in making up clothing for the prison. Until
this change was made, some two months
ago, the women had scarcely anything to do
men were required To 90 this work. They are
now more proIlahly employed and If the
prison was so arranged that the women could
do the cooking il would I've done, but under
present difficulties it would not be prudent or
practicable.
The report of the Superintendent con-
clulcS as follows:
al would again call the attention of the
General Assembly 10 the necessity of en-
klrgiu. the pcnitcutary, by increasing the
number of cells. and heating the same by
Stcaln-pipcs. II IL" 1913 convictS at work on
the railroad should be returned here, there
would lie no rltcc TO put them, rs there are
only 10 cells, and they arc small. ! would
respectfully call your attention to the fact
that all of my predecessors charged in their
reports one dollar per day for conyi"ts labor
in. on the square. You will observe that
have only charged twenty-five cents, the
mere cost Of keeping. II will aEo be seen
10y comparison Of reports that in lS6G,
when there were not more than 250 c0nvlctS
confined hrrc-and q large portion Of those
were military prisoners, for the keeping of
which the United STATES paid bcard-the
was brought i'll debt; and i'll
1865, when there were only 600 prisoners,
and large portion Of those hired on public
works, the prnitcntiary cost the State $50
600. Now, YOU will observe hv my report
t hat the balance in favor Of manufactures
and labor is - ,G21.6l."
The following is from the report of the
Board Of Directors to the Governor:
1T gives us pleasure 10 say that the disci-
pinc of the prison is good and this, we
think, j. due in Il large degree to the chary
exercise hv YOU of the pardoning power;
for il is almost impossible To keep Il convict
satisfied so long as he is continually looking
forward TO an carly pardon and release.
Aor when felon is admitted into the insti-
tuition he is very we'll convinced that he must
either serve his time or die out. This settles
the question in his mind ~ to a release, and
he immediately enters upon tic discharge of
the duties assigned him with alacrity and de-
termination.
awe refer with qualification TO the uniform
attention to business and cheerful obedience
to the directions and suggestions OF the Board
on the part Of the officers of the institution.
They oil seem to vie in their cndclvors TO dis
charge their duties in the most acceptable
manner. and to make their several depart
ments yicldas large an income us possible. In
this connection we think we are justified in
suggesting small increase in the pay Of the as
sistant keepers Of say one to two hundred
dollars per ann,rm. They now receive $500
EACH with the exception of the first assistant
keeper, who receives 5000.
CHAMBER OF CuMMERCE-MEETISG or TIE
BOARD OF DlRECToRS.-A meeting Of the
Board was held last evening. The President
reported to the Board that he WAS unable to
find from the active members of the Cham
1. IL