The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1875-03-23
THE PENlTENTlARY.
BAD CONDITION OF AFFAIRS AT THIS
INSTITUTION.
had Bccf. Red Contracts. Bad Manage
mept, Had all Through.
REPORT or THE PENtrENTIARY sUD-coM-
MIITEE.

AullllH lilt uIIblllAtu ny
you to investigate the management of the
State pcnltentiary, at Joliet, beg leave to
report as follows:
In pursuance of their duty, your COM
mittce examined large number of wit
ncsscs, aud herewith submit the evidence
taken by the committee, and the docu-
mentary proof Introduced In evidence.
Your committee would report that they
have come to the following conclusions
from the evidence submitted:
|. Your committee find gross irregu-
larties IN the purchasing of beef for the
prnitcutiary. under the contract of Rap
pei 81 Co. This contract was entered in
TO OH November goth. 1873. between Rap
pei & Co. and the pcnitentiary commits
siouers-Canisius, Baine and SJulhwOrth.
add It provides that Rappcl n Co. should
furnish To the pcniteutlary three hundred
and tOrty-iive head of cattle, at such
lines aud In such quantities as should be
required, aud that such cattle should be
good fat native steers" and cows, not
esS than Ouc-third TO be native steers
strictly butchers stock, weighing 900
pounds and upwards. for which they
we're TO receive - Gj per 100 pounds In
weight. The evidence shows that up to
August. 1874, the cattle received were moi
n accordance with the contract; that the
attic were poor aud thin, aud not susit
cattle US are called "butCh"rs' stock :"
hat the larger proportion were cows, and
,ycr Onp-thru of the cows were with
calf; that the average weight of the calves
With the bag. taken from the cows when
butchcred, was sixty pounds that many
II the steers were not native steers. but
Cherokee cattle; that many were bruised.
mi when Killed. were covered with pu-
trid sores and unfit for use that some of
'ucl cattle were thrown away. uniit Tor
Use, and In some instances fed to the con
tlcts that. IN some Instances, the meat
vas so putrid that the couvicts could not
at 1t. and the consequence was thafa re-
volt was imminent among them.
The evidence further shows. thatrmany
If the cattle, instead Othaying be,an twelve
hours of OF food aud water, assrequircd
~ the co tract. were driven from adjOn-
Ing pastures 10 the scales OF the pcnltclI-
nirt. AMI received IN such condition.
The evidence also shows that the master
# the penitcmtiarysllad knowledge OF the
quality of the beet so furnished. and that
10 REQUIREMENTS or reductions were made
IN the contract. Upon Major McClaugh-
Try entering upon his duties as warden.
the bad cattle were reported, and no more
Jad beet was fed TO the cOuvictS.
2. That Il large quantity OF hay and
wood was furnished 10 the penilcntary
not In accordance with the contract, Tor
tic uetalis ut which we refer TO the evil
JcnCe taken.
Your committee find the following ir-
Irregularities III the contracts made by the
peiltcntlary commissioners for the nanu-
ldcture of tobacco and cigars. The rec
ords of the pcnitentiary COPIES OF which
Nc herewith slibnit) show that, on Sep
'ember II. 1870. the commissioners en-
tered into Il contract with j. e.. Fuller for
lie manufacture ot eighty thousand ci-
gar. per day by machinery. and tor which
hey were TO receive 1928 per thousand.
ana cents per pound for other mauuiac-
cured tobacco. The contract was to take
elect january !. 1871, and extend To Jau-
uary !. 1876. On November .. 1871, i.
q. Mckay entered into the contract as n
partner OF j. G.. Fuller. On September
l3, 1873, j. &. Fuller, aud Reid 81 Jones
succeeded Fuller aud Mckay in the con-
rnct, ANA entered into Il bond for the FIJI
Illlment of the conditions OF the contract.
ncld, Jones ~ Co. Then operated under
he contract and on Nov. IL. 1873. the
commissioners made an order, ratityinW
lie contract with them, and extending 1t
Tor eight years from November |, l673.
On December 3, this contract was dis
claimed, and Il new contract was made
with Reid, Jones 81 Co.. running for
eight years from date-thiS contract being
Tor the manufacture OF handmade cigars
instead OF by machinery, rs IN the former
contract. The evidence shows that al
most the same amount of labor was re-
lured under each contract, and that the
TO the pcnltentiar,, under the last
was about one thousand dollars
less per month than under the first con-
tract, mus making loss 10 the pcnitell-
.iary OF $1,000 per month.
Your committee therefore state, first,
hat the commissioners acted without uIl-
-hority of law in letting contract before
he expiration OF u former contract for
he same labo'; second. the commissions
RS had no right by law 10 extend
contract beyond its original time OF cX-
piratiOu.
g. The commissioners had no right
by law To receive new narlics To
a contract laen IN force, or ratiiy any such
contract.
4. IL was gross irrcguiarity for the
to make u new contract mt
! loss To the peIltcnliary Of one thousand |
loilars per month. when Il contract was |
II force that was earning To the pruitrnri- |
Try one thousand dollars per month more |
han that entered into.
The evidence further shows that no |
limit was placed on the number of coz !
nets leased uuurr the cigar contract, and |
hat there had been employed an average |
II one hundred aud iiity per day. at the !
ave oil lhlrty cents per day for each con-
'lct'S labor. About onc-half OF the COLI
'lcls were ablt-bodied men. Under the |
contracts, abc-bodicd convicts brought !
~ average OF seventy cents for each days |
abOr
The evidence also shows that the able
BODIED cOnNlcts leased under the cigar
contracts could have been leased To other
AT IN average OF about Sevpn-
y cents FOR each days labor, aud that by
easing them To the cigar contractors
mere was IA loss To the penilcntinry of |
'Dout iorly cents for each able-bodcd
'ohVlcCs labor per day, which would
l.he total loss per day 10 the penitcn-
larry of about $40.
D. HE committee would further re.
loft mat Il contract was made with j. IL.
" lnterbothum a. Co. leasing about lG5 |
'ohNlc's Tor coOperagc work. This con-
rlct expired in the month of JANUARY.
IA, when the commissioners extended |
ne contract until April 2. 1870. without
'uNeruLInI the labor as required by law,
lnl ~ the same time made a
NV CON ract with j. III. Win |
,'.,, o Wv yum Co., leasing from
~ ~ u,h,rly-llve men until April ,, 1879.
- w i"itner "DETAILS OF which we refer 10
lhc copies OF the record in evidence.
u. our committee wouId frrther ro-
port, that IN March, 1873, the commisslo
FRS made contract with what il kno,vn
rs the Illinois Car company. Under liz