The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-03-29
PRISON ECONOMY.
The Encouragement Of Portion OF the
Republican Directory of the
Northern Prison.
The Prospect of the Prison Becoming a
Pauper Rather Than n source
of Revenue.
Michigan City pIsrAteh.l

michigan City Disratchl
The following order, issued by Warden
Murdoch TO Ford, Johnson Il Co., contract
ors, is the first outcome OF the new regula-
tions which President Beeson, aided By
Deputy President Levy, have seen fit To-
make
MICHIGAN CITY, lid, March 10, lss2.
Ford, johnson & Co.:
Under the order of the new Board can not let
you work men for less t1sn the contract price.
You will have 70 pay foil price for all cripples,
cranks and disabled men you work, from now on.
JAMES MURDOcK, Warden.
For clear understanding of the effect of
this order il will be necessary to review
mart of the business relations OF MeSSrs.
Ford, Johnson & Co, contractors. On the
18th of March, 1890 the firm of Hibben Il
Strauss entered into contract with the
Directors, by which on payment OF thirty
five cents per day for each convict en-
ployed, they were to be furnished with
number of men sufficiently able bodied and
intelligent TO All any part OF the duty of
cigar makers and by clause, numbered nve
in the original contract, such cranks, inva-
lids or incaYables could not work as full
hands were to be let to Hibben Il Strauss by
the Warden on such terms as might be
agreed upon by him and them from time to
time; this contract was for two years.
with privilege OF extension 70 i've
wears. Oh 1ps AOp-f AAAD
ben 4 Strauss notified the Directors that
they would accept it for the whole five
wears and on the same day assigned their
interest TO Ford, Johnson 4 Co.. subject 10
the approval OF the Directors; the Directors,
in consideration of an advance of two and
half cents per day per man, approved the
transfer of the contract, with the exception
of Article No. 5, which was the one by
which cranks, invalids, incapables and such
convicts rs could not do full work should
be let out 10 the contractors for what in the
opinion of the Warden and contractors, they
might be worth. The great variety of light
labor which Messrs. Ford, johnson q Co.
can provide afforded an opportunity for
giving partial work to this otherwise useless
class OF convicts, and the humanity and
tact with which the firm manages its bust
ness has always made work in their shops
a favorite position with the prisoners, but
now from the wisdom of President BeesOn
and Deputy President Levy, about thirty
five prisoners will have to remain locked up
in their cells condemned to idleneSs, their
profit TO the State lost, their own happiness
diminished, for nearly every man IN the
Prison prefers moderate labor to total and
enforced idleneSs. and probably the services
of an extra guard required. And let il be
remembered that this is ali done from the
meanest OF all motives that OF Furnishing
Warden Murdoch by limiting the range of
his discretionary power, simply because he
refused to allow Beeson and Levy to do an
unlawful set inappOinting worthless favor
lite OF theirs TO the responsible Office Of
Deputy Warden
Ii NAV be interesting for the ex-P Postmaster
of Lebanon, who does the prison writing for
the Indianapolis Herald, to figure uD how
soon President Beeson viii save the State
$4,000 by reducing thirty-iye prisoners, who
have hitherto been productive OF revenue,
to the condition of droEes in the industrial
hive.
But il may be said in behalf of the Di-
rectors that the State can find employment
for these men, aud other surplus labor
either by employing them itself or by let
ting them TO other contractors. But the
statement would be untrue. There are less
than GOO prisoners in confinement The
workshops are so built as to afford facilities
for the employment of about 1000
hands, but owing to bad manage
ment on the part of President
Beeson and Vice President Levy. every inch
of shop room Is let to contractors; one whole
first floor Is used IS storage room by Pratt
d Co.; there is no appropriation for building
more shops. nor are more shops needed at
present; with good management the present
room is ample; but to administer the
local political influence Of BeesOn and Levy
wasteful contracts for room have been made,
and, as has been shown, nearly fifty prison
ers are thrown into idleneSs at q seri-
Gus loss TO the State. Other statistics which
we shall hereafter produce will demonstrate
that instead of making a saving of $40, 600
or $l4 coo, or 81 600 for the next year, the
present inefficient crossroads political man.
agenent of Beeson and Levy will entail a
heavy loss on the State.