Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1874-01-08


reuiicntiary Cs,n,Missicnss kepar..
The report of the Penitentiary
Commission, appointed by Governor
Carpenter last fall, has been filed in
the Executive Department. The Com
missioners-Hon, Hugh M. Thcmp-
son, of Scott county; Hon. r.. Cad.
Bryan, of Warren county Hon. S. j..
Cary, of Howard county, and Al.
Swain, of Greene county Judging
by the completeness of their report,
gave the matter the closest attention,
aud we doubt not but the true condi-
ton of the prisons of the State, with
their needs and capacities, will now be
known Just as they are. We extract
from the report on Fort Madison PEN
itentiary the Commissioners findings,
| as follows:
s'F1nally, our examination of the
! Fort Madison Penitentiary warrants
the finding Of these facts.
1. THAT it has large unocoupied
capacity for the accomm odation of
| convicts without any enlargement
whatever.
2. "That an enlargement eau be
made and n further accommodation
secured for nearly two bundled addi-
tional convicts when needed, aat a COM
paratively small expense.
B. "That additional shop-room can
be had at small cost, should more be
needed for the profitable and proper
working of the convicts.
4. "That the management OF the
prison is praiseworthy in every way,
and that the utmost harmony prevails
in all respects. sif ass $50 y gs ass
8. "That Warden Craig and his dep
uty, j. II. Reynolds, by the merits of
their work, show that they are well
chosen officials, faithful to their trust
and to the bettering of the unfortu-
nate convicts in their keeping"
Concerning the additional Pcniten-
iary at Anamosn, the Commission
|fsays: sB4ss s5 la a4
taking into cons alteration location
and capacities OF the present inslitn-
lions of the State, we find
l. That excluding from the penal
institutions at Fort Madison all the
government prisORors, there will be
accommodation forever one hundred
more over the number OF State con-
victs, and that an average Of about
fifty cells is constantly vacant III that
|institution. aF}1 laas3s Qss8sy.4S
2 That al comparatiyels small cost
the capacity 81 the Fort Madison in
stitntion can he Increased to o large
number when such Increased capacity
is necessary. BsR3 fssesaH asa q
3. That the work uponthe edition
al Penitentiary at Ananaosa has been
well done, and Of the expenditures
thus far made the State has received
value for value, als es ha9 9aa ts8
| Al That the prison wants OF the
State, present aud prospective, In the
opinion of tho entire committee. do
not Justify any further expenditures
than az above recommend ed- for the
protection of9the appropriation ex-
pended--by the preservstion efs the
work ALREADY begun ~ 4 i
In preceding paragraph ofithe re-
port we find this: Recommending ni,
appropriation Of s$l5 600 to finish lup
the work commenced, and, shat al ter
said work has been completed the fur
Their construction of the additional
penitcntiary be suspended until such
time as the prison wa its of the State
shall demand its completion, and until
the condition of tho people, relative to
s1ch necessary taxation, shall enable
them to- bear. the additional burden
without its becoming too onerous.al
"a = + $50 80 - y