The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-01-13
THE, PENITENTIARY INVEsTI.
...a.ss .t GATlON.} 60 o.
The Importance Of a Good Dinner,
and How withdrawing 10 Done
1.-THE Penltentiary Investigating
Committee and How II Worked. -

Tho Importance Of a Good Dinner,
and How withdrawing 10 Done
1.-THE Penltentiary Investigating
Committee and How It Worked r
tFrom tho MoundByille Reporter9 -
The special committee sent by the Leg.
stature, to investigate the management
Of the Penitentiary, has come and gone,
and the State win get topay the members
their mileage and per diem, and that Is
tho most they will ever get, either In
knowledge or any other way.
The committee arrived In Moundsyille,
on Friday, at noon, we believe, and was
met at the depot and taken to the Peni-
tentiary, MOTTO look over the books and
into the accounts, ETC., but to splendid
dinner, prepared for that august body.
There Is about four hours time between
the arrival of the trains here. These
men arrived at the Penitentiary, took
dinner, and by close work got back to
the depot in time for the evening train to
Wheeling, where some. interested parties
had prepared Rgraud entertainment for
the benefit Of these gentlemen, most OF
whom are little more than beatdless boys.
The next day, Saturday, they revisited
our model prison pen, and went to work
in sober earnest, and dispatched business
speedily, that is, dispatched another dlu-
her, said to be a good one, too; by the
time this matter was properly attended
to, It was train time and Come Of these
soions were compelled to 60 home on the
half.past twelve train, else they would
not get a due share Of the $40 900 spree
which the Legislature voted to It's mem
bers. Our information Is, thetl during
the prevalence of the disease which killed
some seven Of the convicts last summer,
and when 1t was thought necessary to
have consultation with some prominent
physicians Of Wheeling, the Commissary
tearing to let 1t be known that they had
been fed on sour bread, unfit for use Of
any kind, had q small batch Of that mate.
rial, which tho head baker estimated at
ak or seven hundred loaves, thrown over
the fence to the hogs. We, would like to
know II the committee made any In
yestigation Of that fact, or will they
Judge OF the kind Of bread used there, by
what they were fed uponS WealSo won
der If the committee made any inquiries
about a little transaction In hay, wherein
the very gentlemanlY, Superintendent
figured extensively, and perhaps cleOred
a few dimes by using convict labor and
State teams to haul hay TO the stockade
and ship ii from there to Wheeling on his
own account. We wonder how It was
that Major Showalter was the only oficer
lett out In the cold during the visit Of this
Especial Committee" and the Board ol
Directors, for be 1t understood that that
Board was present all the time. BE ives
not only not present at either Of theSefat
dinners, but was not even INVITED to help
"Pet" ScrogEins and two ''common'
guards lick up the crumbs at the close oI
the feast. Had his warm and open sup
port Of Governor Jacob anything to do
with the slight3 OF course the STATE
will have to pay per diem and mileage tc
the Board OF Directors for being present
at this investigation, and showing tht
Committee how not to do anything
Common decency should at least have
kept them away while this investigation
was going on, but Of course everything Il
lovely now. Look out for q red ho
report from this committee. aN