The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-03-03

A. No; am alone at night. Until re-
GENTLY there were two Of us here at night
but MIR. Cummings has recently married, and
am left alone. ~ ~ .'."a7 - =
Q. Suppose a prisoner was very il, how
could you send for the doctor: 81. .,iy, ,.,~,-r
A. There is prisoner / can send out for
the doctor, but he was sick last night. Upon
reconsideration | think 1t Wolrsd be well TO
have nieht.guard. 1t is quite dangerous
for man to 60 alone and open cell al
night; he might be struck down and killed
by the prisoners. ''Ii4 :: .ata-,
@. Did you give deceased any ice?
q. never beard about the ice until to-
night. The mustard.plaster DR.. Coakley
placed upon deceased. 80 :. ,-> .j.It3 +
THE JAIL COMPLETELY ISOLATED. .
@. Is the jill connected With the police and
fire-alarm telegraph!
A. No, sir.
Witness (Mr. Briggs: In regard to the
second alarm given by Montgomery: was
awakened at II 80; Mr.. Monts omery hallooed
| to me that be thought the man was dying.
| Immediately pnt on my clothes and went
down, unlocked the cell, and went in. Ibid
not think he was dead at first; upon further
examination found him TO be dead. 1 then
| took two men out of No. cell and put them
in with Montgomery and Ferguson to keep
| them company sitting up with the corpse.
HOW THE JAIL Is MANAGED.
@. Don't you pay any attention to the
messages sent by the Police Justice in regard
| TO the treatment of prisoners?
A. never received the message said to
have been sent in this case by the Police
Justice. If any messages are sent they are
or should be sent to Major Cook.
Sergeant Cook: My orders to Mr. Briggs
and Mr.. Cummings. are positively 10 allow
no prisoners to stay upstairs unless so
direct. This has been my practice since [
have been sergeant. This explains why Mr.
Briggs told deceased he would have TO take
him down stairs. '.' .n... .'''-< =
Q. How many prisoners are now confined
here -. ----- .-
The witness (Mr. Briggs: There are now
1G6 here. -. a-a~ via. s'''-.'' i.@'' -'.
'.. ~ POSTMASTER VAN LEW. ,f2 ,~r.i-..
Miss f. i. Van Lew, who was present,
declared that the men who were confined in
the cell with the deceased Informed her du.
ring the day that they were afraid to
tell The truth. She desired to be sworn as a
witness. ....." .',at .t <ir. t'..- ~.
i mere WAS solDe otJtCllop. .r.f... s,.- 80. a
Miss Van Lew begged in Gods name that
she be heard, as she could throw some light
upon the subject.
The coroner decided to swear her.
She gave her name to the clerk as g Eliza
beth l.. Van Lew. POSTMASTER Of ofRichmond."
She then described her visit TO the prison and
view of the cell and dead body. She came
to bring the prisoners some papers, and only
bt, an.il,.nf hon ri al,nnt rho 1pptb of Sick los
The prisoners came to her and told her tina.
they were afraid to'tcl the truth; that Mr..
Briggs was unkind to them and they would
90 to the dungeon. They said MIR. Cum
miugs WAS kird to them.
Montgomery and Ferguson both denied
that they had ever told Miss Van Lew any
thing Of the kind.
Miss Van Lew insisted upon the truth Of
her statement.
She described the cells as foul, bady.yent-
Hated, poorly lighted, and in cold weather
insutficiently heated. The mserics of the
prisoners she depicted in soul.stirring terms.
A great deal of her testimony Tor state
menU was ruled out as irrelevant.
Miss Van Lew signed her deposition as fol.
lows:
"Isign under protest, not being permit
ted to sta:e what | know Of my own knowl-
edge. Z. VAN LEW, Postmaster"
NOT ASHAMED. .,.......
William Denny. prisoner confined for
drunkenness, being sworn, said: 81 am
neither afraid nor ashamed to say anything
in regard to Mr.. Briggs or any other official of
the jail. The treatment of prisoners con-
slider Very good--in fact, maybe better than it
ought to be for the sake of encouraging evil
doers."
Here the evidence was closed.
THE VERDICT.
The jury, after deliberation, rendered the
following verdict:
The jurors swore to inquire when, how,
and by what means the SAID Henry Sickles
came to his death, upon their oath do say
thst lie came to his death by deiirium tre-
mems on the 1St day OF March, 1915, while
confined in the city Jail; and they are of
opinion that the cell in which he died
is an unfit place for the confinement
Of even well person, and that while the &c:
commodatons for sick persons are shame
fully inadequate at the best, in this case Dep
uty Sergeant Briggs failed to do as much for
the relief of his prisoner as he should and
could have done; aud they are further of
opinion that the condition of the Jail, in
| many particulars, is dsgraceful TO The city
authorities and imperatiYely demands i'm.
provement.
In testimony whereof the said coroner and
jurors hereto set their hands and seals.
Signed: William FL. Taylor, coroner;
Leon Schaap, foreman; l.. A. Whiting, A.
| NJ. Newell, S. Ro<enblatt, j. Hamilton, II.
II. Pollard, F. Helfert, Joseph Hlrsbberg, C.
u. Hirshberg, b. b. French, Abraham HaR
riS, l. KTaker.
| THE DECEASED.
The deceased was native of New York.
was 42 years Of age, and had been conductor
on several northern railroads. He told Mr.
John Wren that he had not been drunk before
| for fourteen years. For fourteen months, &C
cordipg to his statement, he had been em-
ployeu on the western division of the Chesa.
peake and Ohio railroad. He had been here
ior several weeks, and bad boarded at Foro's
| hotel. His friends and relatives in New
York haye been telegraphed to. If they do
not arrive this morning the body will be in
tered By the city.
To BE CONFINED IN THE P.EEITESTIARY.-A
negro named Henry Washington was ar
raigued and tried in the Hastings Court yes
terday for breaking open the stable of Messrs.
Turner & Go. and committing larceny. The
accused was found guilty, and sent to the