Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-11-24
THE PRISON MANAGEMENT.
Who 10 TO Blame for tho deficiencies There
Examiner Editorial.

Who ,s to Blame for tho Deficiencies Theres
Examiner Editorial.
So the grand jury went to work, aud on
Saturday presented to the court unani-
mously signed report, ard to show how
"some facts long since and very persistent
" pointed out by the INTELIIGESCER
look when investigated by the grand jury,
We make an extract from their report.
= = So much has bcen said at differ
ent times sometimes merely for tho pur
pose Of throwing mud, to accomplish party
ends, that We feel an especial pleasure in
giving the above vindicatiOn Of John L.
Wcisc, the keeper, a special notice. He
deserves all that the grand jury say il his
behalf, and it puts to shame his idle acca-
Scrs.
The Other Side.
An Ex-Inspector" in the New Era.
Last spring, about April 1st, the keeper,
Mr.. Weise, allowed prisoner named
Good, sentenced to separate and solitary
confinement at labor, to dress in citizens
clothes to 20 down town in broad daylight
to attend the moving Of Smith & Tripple,-
to the Cooper house. This, have since
learned, was the case referred to by Judge
Livingston in his April charge to the
grand jury, the facts of which were
months ago published in the Nep Era and
INTELLIGENCEH. Seeing this published
statement, and hearing that some favored
ccnyicts always wore citizens dress, l said
to an inspector: How can you tolerate
such conduct on the part of tho keeper ?
Your duty is to remove him at once. For
a similar Ofiense Gin 49, tho Inspectors
removed the. keeper, and every under
keeper and night watchman in the jail and
the people approved the action. They
will approve your course if 20 do likewise,
and will hold you respOnsibleif If you allow
such violations OF law to go unpunisilcd.
lie replied "Thc inspectors have not
the power they once had. Since 1871 tho
keeper has been elected by the people, and
l,c can onl be removed by tho governor
on address of twO-thirds Of tho Senate.
Why, when VIC even demonstrated with
him Oh this point, and on not compelling
all convicts to wear the prison garb, :s re-
puired by law, he threatened us, saying
If you are going to make fuss about
these little things, and let the newspapers
know how Good went down town, I'll
lock up every ID man about the jail,
and tile county may hire men to do tho
work."
Many of the prisoners are sent there rs
drunk and disordcrly others for costs, or
for simple imprisonment only. These
men arc detailed to work the pumps, the
heaters and for other purposes, and it was
to do the work they do for nothing that
Mr, Weisc threatened to make the county
pay.
Why did not the present grand jury in
uuire of these facts? Among the keeper S
favorites they might have enunlcrcted as
wearing citizens clothes Abe Buzzrrd, tho
notorious Welsh mountain thief; Airs.
Speece, the abortionist or Samuel Rupp,
tho adulterer, and John B. Dennis, neither
of whom ever even tried on the stripes.
Again, some one should be responsible
to the people for the keepers expenses.
BY the act of Assembly authorizing the
election of the keeper he is to received
81, 200 per year and shall not be charged
with ''housc rent, fuel, light or boarding
tor himself or family proper. The said
salary and allowances, however, to be i'll
full for all services rendered. We
speak advisedly when we say that
the keepers salary and allowances,
as he allows himself. costs the county
greater sum per annum than the
salary of the president judge. Take
the single item Of beef. The county audi
tors found in their last report that the
single item of beef for the keepers family
during the year 1879 cost over $500 (see
auditors report), and that this sum was
paid in addition to the beef bought for the
prisoners. Buying in such large quantities
they paid / cents per pound for beef and
10 and 10 cents for veal. II we take 13
cents as the average price, you see that the
family required 6, 154 lbs, of meat, in ad-
dition to the eggs and poultry.
The family proper" OF the keeper. Mr.:
Weise, consists Of himself, ono servant and
four chillren-his wife is dead. The in
spcctors diuc ut the prison once a month.
Allowing them the l54 lbs, which, is over
two pounds piece per meal, there is just
1000 lbs., left for each member of the
family proper.