Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-12-06
A NEW BROOM.
The City Prison Under Maloney.

The City Prison Unuer MaloheS'
On last Monday the work house
changed hands, Thomas Stanley retir-
ing and James c. Maloney taking his
place. No ceremonies graced the inau.
eural of the latter; the transfer took
place silently and unostentatlously.
The Committee on City Prison probably
knew of tiff they read the papers-not
otherwise, for no member oil 1t was
present. 1t has been a subject OF won
derment whether the Committee, as
such, has ever visited TIE institution.
Most likely not.
A REGISTER reporter climbed up
there, yesterday, to see ii any change
was visible in the appearance and con-
duct of the prison since Mr.. Maloneys
advent. A new broom proverbially
sweeps clean, and several Improvements
have been commenced. A notable one
is in the "Otfice, a coop-like little room
in the southwest corner. This Is being
renovated and papered made to resem-
ble a human habitation. The kitchen
is spotlessly clean, rs il always was, and
the prison proper is still the foul and
unhealthy place it has always been. In
to the latter place the reporter followed
Mr. MalOney. All the prisoner save
those who We're incapacited by sickness
or want of clothing, were at work.
Five sick men were living about and four
others, half clad, were standing about,
giving the place the general air OF
hospital on a battle field. The men
were unclean and their surroundings
were unclean, and at the end OF the
room the odOr was fairly sitting.
Tomorrow, said Mr.. Maloney, I'VE
will have an engine and hose up here
and give the room thorough cleansing.
| will make the men turn out with
brooms and give the floors good scrub
bisg and try and clean things up n lit
| tie A good plan.
Look at those pictures, he contlnu-
ell, pointing toward the rows OF racks, or
| berths, used as sleeping apartments.
/ The reporter looked. On the walls,
/ over each were numberless spots Of
/ blood. looking as though the walls had
/ been sprinkled. Ii was perfect slaugh-
ter of innocents. Each one OF those
/ spots marked the destruction OF ctHieT
/ IsciuIariIis, done in cold blood in the dead
waste and middle OF the night. 1t was
"a picture.
ON Wednesday, about noon, two
prisoners ESCAPED. When first elected,
I MIR. Maloney said that "nO prisoners
were going to get away from him.
/ II has always occurred at nearly regular
/ intervals before and always will occur
as long As the surroundings of the prison
are as at present. The circumstances
/ Of Wednesdays escape were as fol-
lows. The men had been to dinner
and were filing back TO work at breaking
stone i'm the shed. MalOney, Weir and
Fox were on guard. Two Of the prison
ers, instead OF entering the shed, turned
the corner and broke away over the
hill. They put the shed between them
and Maloney and prevented hin: from
using the pistol he at once produced
| He could not pursue them, as that
would give all the others an open chance
Wier was at the other end and could dc
nothing, and Fox had not been sworn
i'm and was afraid TO shoot.
IL is difficult matter to blame Ma
loney, as, had he been enabled to and
had shot and killed one of the fugtives
public opinion would not have sustained
him. The men were merely committed
for vagrancy. The fault lies in the sur
ruundugS. There are always forty mer
working in the open air, and nothing but
s,ed shuts them from liberty. i
three or four were 10 make dash at any
time, part OF them would be sure to gel
! off