Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-11-04
PETTY CRIMINALS OF THE DIS
TRICT.
What should be Done With Them.

REPORT OF THE tIHS-KorSE COMMISSIONER.
Mr. GEORGE A. caswell commissioner for the
Washington alms-hOuse, has submitted MS re-
mort 10 the District commissioners, covering
the eight months prior 10 July list. in which he
states that he endorses the recommendation OF
Visiting Physician j. j. Dyer for the enlarge
ment OF the dispensary building, so as TO pro-
vide office and sleeping rooms for the physician
and student. A small lying-in ward might h :.
erected at tritiing cost, and large ward for he
accommodation of chronic cases. which re miro
constant attention rather than special treat
ment- But twelve paupeTs are IN the George
town poor house, ana are in charge of the man
ayers OF the Industrial Home school, as tenants
ut VIII. The niaiR building. is dilaptdated. and
the Gut-bnidlngs are beyCsd repair. One of the
chief neutrality-suspicious. in the management
OF the asyl Iin has been the lack OF proper fac-
TIES for regular and profitable employment OF
the inmates y large majority of the inmates
are uhskiiieo iabOrerS, whose terms OF imprison-
ment range from seventy to ninety days. To
attempt to teach trade in three months would
be folly To employ the men on the streets
throughout the city is not only Improbable but
Is offensive 10 public taste. During the past
season many of the men have been employed in
grading and identifying the grounds OF the
asylum. There IS no way in which the short
term prisoners might become as nearly self-Slls-
tanning as in the cultivation OF land. The num-
Der OF abie-bodied men in the wOrk-hOuse is
eighty. and there are but five acres OF available
land connected with the Institutional quantity
entirely 100 small. There is no land On the west
side Of the Eastern branch which could be profit
ably purchased for agricultural purposes; but
the land on the east side OF the branch, and di-
rectiF opposite the grounds OF the asylum,
might be made available. This land is assessed
from $50 To 1925 per acre. Could three hun
dred acres of this land be obtained, he
believes that the WOrk-hOuSf side of the ASYLUM
could be made mainly self-supportng. The
men and horses necessary to the cultivation OF
this tract OF land could. without difficulty o. eX-
pense. be transported across the branch in fiat
boats. Should this land be purchased clause
could be inserted in the street sweeping and
garbage contracts requiring that material
gathered should be transported i'm boats and
landed there. Thus the farm could not fail 10
become ~ fertile as 10 yield very heavy crops
He recommends that Congress be asked to a,
prOp1ate SiD,0G1 or as much as may be neceS-
sary to make this purchase. Twenty-Five per
cent. OF the inmates OF the ylum are natives
OF the District. while over fifty per cent. are
natives OF the states, who nave been drawn 10
Washington chiefly because Of its being the cap
ltal and political center Of this country. He be-
ieyeS that il these facts are properly represent
ed congress will make the necessary apprOpria-
ton as an act of Justice. He gives the names
OF thirty prisoners with the number Of DAYS OF
imprisonment served by each during the pat
year. showing that most of their time has been
spent there. Many OF them ere also confined
during portion of the wear in the al lie
asks ''COuld not The laws be Sd amended fhGt
tie Judge OF the Police Court might REQUIRE
hardened Offenders IN give proper security for
good behavior or in default, be sentenced 10
TERMS In the W0rkhouSe. ranging from SIX
months TO three wears. Much good would be
Thereby ACCOMPLISHED Larger work sh0.,S
could then be established and these persons
taught useful trades. Discipline and enforced
bStnence from vicious habits would do much
In the way of reform while possession o. a
Trade whereby they might earn IN honorable
livelihood would have q tendency to wakpn
their dormant self respect. Much OF the Dis
trtct work now done under contract could be
done in these workshops ut triiitn@ cost one
OF the saving that might be accom-
pushed IN this way Is shown in the item OF shoes
Tor TIE inmates. The books show the amount
PAID for shoes the last fiscal year to have been
over 81 800
Win the present accommodations. bows
under ten years OF age who have committed no
greater crime than that OF throwing stones or
bathing in the river during the dav. and
hardened criminals are or necessity thrown TO-
getier- Young girls who have fallen thrOu III
weakness are brought in hourly contact with
the most abandoned prostitutes Under these
circumstances reformation is impossible. It is
doubtful whether the Old offenders can ever be
reclaimed The younger ones go ont in worse
moral condition than when they entered The
institution is at present little better than a
school for vice.
The naval magazine is located on lands adj
Joining the asylum. During the past season a
nee within three feet OF one OF the magazines
was struck by lightning. II Congress could be
Nersu| ded 10 turn over TO the District this pro-
perry to oe used for charitable and refOrmaiOry
purposes the building now on the grounds
ne utilized III classifying and reforming the in
DattS- The new WorkhOUSe now nearly COM
pleted IS or sufficient capacity and will barely
accommodate the male PRISONERS An addi-
tnpal wing is an absolute necessity This
would cost about Sl4,HID.
The law authorizing the apprenticeship of
Children should be SO amended that pr0pnr
houses for the children or paupers mi Ihf bt.
found III the neighbOrng states.
The estimates for the next fiscal year inciIl-
ing salaries. provisions. fuel, forage. lumber
shoes, dry goods. drugs and mpii-
zines. new hospital buildings and cont in~.nr
aggregate. SIS. 100
THE REPORT OF COL E. F. NJ FAEHrz
lhtehdant OF the asylum. notices the improve
nthtS made on the grounds mostly without ~
pense, save for material, and besides the IN
mates nave done $4,000 yards of grading on G
srecI southeast and about the premises, besides
DONG the farm and garden work. The alnJult
Of Work done in the way of cIOthinr Nc il
given. ana the fac; that there is now on hald
shoes for men and women and Il sufficient
amount Of prison clothing tn last the refna indar
OF the year. He notices that from the five acres
nf garden large quantity of vegetables has
been raised, most of which was used in The
house. and tended much to improve the sanitary
condition OF the inmates; and l.. tons OF hay
were cut. Besides there was paSturage for :;
cows. yielding $500 quarts of milk. The new
plggery contains 40 hogs, including boar AMI
sOWs OF finest Berkshire breed and ii is expected
next year ii Will yield 10000 pounds of PORK
He calls attention 10 the many thousand trees
raised on the best portion of the grounds for
the benefit OF the Capitol: the many hundred
coffnS made and used elsewhere: the medicines
furnished and medical care To persons not in
mates. and the services rendered by inmates
&C.. outside the premises for which the reci,,-
tents claim. II reports are co rect. remuneration
and even appropriations by Congress- and he
the pecjIniary loss thereby at from
sln0o0 TO $4,000 per year. He gives statistics as
follows: MISUNDERSTANDING. :l2; discharged
l54 died %; remaining 1876. WOrkhOtSe re
ceived. 40; discharged. 620 escaped. 9: died /:
remaining. 49, The nativity table shows ~;
natives OF the nited States and l02 natives Of
foreign countries.
Commenting on the tables he SAYS that
among the prisoners there are lnaieS 10 | fe-
male and 3 cOlOred 10 white. BY far the great
est quota TO the contingent of inmates is fur
ni>lcd ny the influx from other states. as il is
seldom prisoners or pauperS hail from the Dis
Tract. and he says the taxpayers here have not
Only Ito de1ray the expenses created by the
of their own WayWard citizens
but also those caused by the i'll conduct or such
hall alien and wholly Improbable and unWrl-
come visitors To the seat of the government
and he requests the Commissioners not To cease
calling on Congress for a liberal approximation
TIE VISITING PHYSICIANS REPORT.
The report of the visiting PHYSICIAN Dr. j. J.
Dyer. states thai the sick call was daily aver
age of six inmates, and !, 400 prescriptions have
been dispensed 10 prisoners. while tn those i'm
The almShOuse and Shantes. 200 more have
been dispensed. The death rate has been high.
owing 10 the fact that the inmates are. either
the V, ~ poor. o. have been reduced by habits
OF the lowest diSSipatiOn: but the death rate
win compare favOrably with those OF similar
institutions. There We're % cases OF labor and
% children born--One being a case OF tripletS:
and but ) or the women delivered are believed
To have been married. He tiiSapprOyeS the eS-