Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-01-10
THE WORK-HOUSE.
Two Reports Concerning 1t Presented
for the Digestive Apparatus Of
the County Court.
The Prisoners Hereafter to be Worked
al the Jail-Disposal OF Other
Business.

- /
at the Jail-Disposal OF Other
Business.
Tue County Court met yesterday with
Charm an Smith presiding.
At the request of citizens of the Sixth and
Seventh Districts, DR.. w. c. King, B. W. |
Pryor and q. Anderson were appointed COM
missioners 10 let out the building of bridge |
across Reeves creek, on the Somerville road.
POOR AND INSANE.
The annual report of George K. Duncan,
superintendent and physician Of the asylum |
Tor the poor and insane, was as follows: |
Patients remaining from previous year, ia; |
total under treatment, 5Sl; dismissed in |
year, 107; died in year, %; died and dis |
missed in year, 1856; remaining, 12S.
PEsTHoUsE.
DR.. o. II. Brown, pesthouse physician,
M ade the following report: "During the |
past year there were admitted to the Shelby |
county pesthouse 365 cases of smallpox; of
this number 46 per cent, or III died, and
1856 were discharged. There are still on
hand s. OF this number there were 220 who
were never vacciuated. OF this number 81
per cent. died; of those vaccinated about 26
per cent. died. Only few had ever been
vaccinated more than once There were 30
cases of malignant smallpox, and large
proportion Of continent cases. Several cases
were brought 10 The pesthouse dead, and
quite 3 number died soon after admission"
The Workhouse Committee ade msjority
and minority reports. Tbs following Is the
THE MAJORITY REPORT.
shelby County, State of Tennessee-To the Hon
orable County Court Of shelby County, January
Term, 1855:
Your committee appointed TO report to
this term Of the court some plan by which
those persons convicted Of crime and sem
fenced to a less punishment than twelve
months Imprisonment can be most economi-
cally, safely, and at the same time, humanely
provided for by the county, beg leave to sub
, NIT the following the result of the most
earnest consideration:
Ii ia a subject in every way environed
with difficulties, and even the very best OF
the several projects presented is in some re-
spects unsatisfactory. 1t may not be amiss
for us 10 briefly review the main reasons
which have induced us to adopt the plan
which we have done, and reject several
others, which perhaps have more advocates.
The plan we shall first sllude TO is that of
a workhouse, 10 be located in or near the
city of Memphis, which lie to be leased out
| 10 lessees as is usual with State penitentia-
| ries, or 10 be carried on by and st the ex-
pense of the county through superintend-
| ents selected by this court. 1t ia well to bear
| in mind that we are striving TO fix upon
| plan which is to be permanent.
Then for a workhouse of this character
commensurate to the wants of the number
| OF convicts we are to expect, and also of the
| ground necessary for its erection in or near
| the city, we would have Immediately to raise
| a special fund OF many thousands of dol
| lars-how much we cannot attempt even to
! approximate. II alter this great expense
| for ground and buildings, we tried the ex-
pertinent of county superintendent of the
institution, conjecture OF the number of
superinlepdents, OF the food, tina clothing,
the utensils and mschineTy, the medical
provision and host Of incidental expenses,
satisfies us this would never do, even if we
failed to appreciate and consider that feeling
among the laboring class of our community
| which il unfriendly to any sche me to bring
the products OF prison labor into COMPETE
ton with their voluntary work. But We do
| appreciate this argument, and therefore, in
connection with lis great expense, reject the
plan.
Next ia presented the project OF en-
ploying the prisoners upon the county
roads. If, as before remarked, We are TO
provide permanently for these prisoners,
ground must be bought and suitable
buildings erected somewhere near the city
for a central station. This would not per-
haps cost 50 much in land and buildings as
workhouse proper, but the long list Of
guards, provision and clothing bills, uten-
sils, facilities of escsps while at work, shoot.
ing OF prisoners in attempts at escape, all
array themselves sternly against the adop-
ton of this plan.
And another urgent Que against it: Sup
pose the whole plan perlec'ed and work in
progress, jealousies between the civil districts
would at once arise. The labor could by no
possibility be go divided as to satisfy all,
and the scheme would be abandoned as a
most expensive failure. Again, every neigh
, borhood in the county would arise in arms
against the location OF your prison in its
midst. We cannot, therefore, recommend
this scheme.
: We are perfectly cognizant of the fact that
,, a great many persons in the county are In
imical to the occupancy Of Presidents Island
as a work house, but the reasons which We
have briefly recited force US back TO thai
, place IS peculiarly and above all other,
fitted, in economy to the county and the
ssfe-keepiDg of prisoners.
In the first place, it would break up NJ
neighborhood; its isolation from all outsid,
: contact by its river barriers makes few
guards necessary, an item Of very great an(
continual expense anywhere else. The fer
! tiity OF its soil makes profit possible to thu
iessee, il il be desirable 10 lease the prop
: erty, a matter of no small concern in thi
{ come ction, while a farm elsewhere in to-
CO unity would be from the opposite caus
uninviting to contractors and unremunera
tive 10 The county il worked by the count,
itself. Besides these considerations its near
ness 10 the city, the convenience of access il
carrying and returning prisoners and 0
transporting all needed suppies-all ihes
recommend the location of a workhouse an,
farm there in preference TO all other plani
and above any other place.
i We then recommend that the counts
Q if possible, upon reasonab terms, purch as
as much of the upper end of President
Island, including the present building
3 thereon, as may be determined by this couf
to be sufficient for -workhouse and farr
ID combined. If such an amount cannot b
y bought at a reasonable price, and the sam
can be leased for long term of years, W,
" recommend the longest possible lease whic
n can be made with the owners And afte
such purchase or lease, as the case may b.
the said workhouse and farm 10 be declare
{ and held to all intents work house,
s. every meaning of the law suthoriziu
counties TO confine and work prisonei
therein.
j. If our views thus far made be adopted b
T, this court, we further advise that the wori
u house be leased and the prisoners hired I
some responsible person for such time an
?, under such safeguards as may be deeme
I. prudent by the court.
e If this cannot be done satisfactorily, the
the workhouse and farm to be managed an
"a worked by such superintendence as tn
II court may direct.
m We have not failed to remember tn
prejudice which exists with many person
:, against the Island. The causes which CAV
- rise TO that feeling could, with imprope
management, exist the same anywhere els
4 III employed on roads, if confined within th
walls OF a workhouse and only employs
IS therein, could not cruelty or other mismsn
<, agement be practiced with the same impI
q nifty as upon the Island?
e Fully alive to the necessity of providip
humanely for all persons under the prote,
h ton of this court, yet We have not thong
as it our duty to recommend the selection
lie grounds or construction OF buildings for Il
IS. rest and recnperaton OF evil-doers, while v
It. would demand such positive supervision
lie will insure humanity in all respects.
. A. C, WELLB0RN,
g B. C. BLEDsOE,
z Committee.
e THE MINORITY REPORT.
As one of the committee appointed to CO
slider the best disposition to be made of Il
T, prisoners and convicts of whom the coun
d has charge, beg leave respectfully to Gu
10 init this as minority report,