The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-01-29
HOW THEY FEED THEM.
LETTER FROM DIR. JONES, SURGEON
OF THE PENITENTiARY.
Concerning the Treat.
mcnt Of Prisoners I'm the vir.
ginia Penitentiary.

Mr.. Hurt, the President pro tenn. Of the
Senate, yesterday received from the Sur.
geon OF the Penitentiary communication
requesting him TO cause to be summoned
before the committee investigating the
charges made in the Carpenter letter" "
II. Lindsay Walker. w. r. Terry, Samuel
Z. Williams. G. p. Cross, w. p. Seay, w.
I. Ashby, John +. Meenley, g. b. George.
w. +. Ross, and $. q. Fairbanks. He also
requested that the report Of the late Super
intendent OF the Penitentnry for the last
year be made matter OF evidence, especially
that part which says:
"The health of the prison. "a you have seen
from the weekly reports of our efficient surgeon
tJ. II. jones' since his appointment March I,
1888, has been excellent, and only In Justice "a
myself In refutiDg the Oftenrepeated charges that
the health Of the prisoners was impaired by being
overworked, land under DIR. Jene- the task In the
cooper-shoD has been increased by order OF his
Excellency-in the other factories they have bcen
comparative statement from March /. 1882, TO
1883, To October l, 1882
see also the report of the President and Board OF
Directors.
[Then follow number OF statistical ta-
bles as TO the health of the conyicts, &c.l
The Doctor SAYS: take the Liberty 10 state that
by referring 10 the acquisitions book OF the hos
p'tal, 10 appears that from March /. 1888, 1.-THE
Time at which the prc,ent surgeon took charged to
tniS date, there has been used drugs and medicines
ieXclusive Of whskcy) Ia the amount Of ssJ2.3
and that for the corresponding PERIOD anterior To
that date there was used In the hospital and
medicines exclusive of wbiskeyl costing
$l,lO2 "a. which shows that under the present
management the state has been benefited I'm the
Item 0i medicines alone 10 the amount of s2j0.25.
The diet of the prison Is regul,tod by law. See
Code OF Virginia, chapter ccyi., section lS. which
says: The cOnvicts shall be fed on bread of In
dian meal, or other coarse bread. and have one
meal day Of coarse meat. The Board of Direc-
tors may change or regulate the diet for good
cause"
Section Q of same chap:er saws: The Superin-
tendent may, when ne may deem 81 necessary. and
shall. tchen the surgeon shall so ddrise, change
the diet and adapt Il to the health or condition of
the prisoners. or any Of them or be NAV allow cX-
ira diet To those who need it,
so, IL VIII be perceived that any deviation from
the diet other than the cOarsest prescribed by law
is regulated by the Board of Directors, suDerin-
tcndent and Surgeon, and that the surgeon has
large discretionary powers. and properly so. too.
TIE diet Of this prison, issued and varied as
occasion may require, consists Of beef, bacon. her
rings, mOlasses, rice, wheat bread, corn bread
Ii ish potatoes. sweet potatoes white beam, green
corn, blackeyed peas, snap beans. cabbages.
sprouts. turnps, suer kraut onions pickles, stur-
geOn. cheese coffee, vinegar, salt and pepper. I'm
addition to the above those In the hospital have
chickens, eggs, sOda-crackers, oyster crackers,
dried peaches. dried apples sugar, toast tea,
soups, etc. and MILK as prescribed by the surgeon
Since the present surgeon has been here, aud on
his recommendation. wheat bread has. for the
benefit of The prisoners, been issued two days In
the week Oftener than heretofore: In addition 10
which the friends Of the prisoners may dt any
time send them such articles of diet as they may
desire SUBJECT only 10 the inspection OF the officer
in charge.
Prisoners may also purchase what provisions
thev may wish twice a week out of all moneys that
may be deposited for them 81 the Office oy them
selves or their friends, or that they may earn nv
Oycrwork In the shops. Many of them. notably
MdrrfR, have been allowed 10 provide Themselves
with Kerosene cooking stoves with which 10 cook
any delicacles they may have. Those without
stoves can have their pies, pastIy, etc. prepared
by the regular cooks of the prison, provided they
furnish 4 portion OF the materials. tfhe rooms
The writer believes that this prison Is now and
has been conducted upon principles Of justice be.
NJ Violence and humanity which viii compare IA
vOribly with those Of this or any other Land lie
does not know nor does he believe that there has
been exercised by any of the officers. guards, or
EMPLOYEES during the term he has been here any
tyrainica unjust, or cruel treatment, or any un-
necessary hlrshness toward the prisoners. He
would condemn and dcspiSe the man who would
do 80, for he believes such person should be exc
Grated by all men and turned a. an ontclSt npOn
the world with the mark Of Cain upon his fore
head, and relegated 10 everlasting inrlmy.
Instead OF cruelty being praet'ced on the con
vlcts, II - on the contrary. within the knowledge
of the present Surgeon that on two occasions the
guards and employees have exercised remarkable
fOrbearance-Once when negro convict W. Jones
attacked Guards ii. IL Smith and W. VI. Lsfes, the
latter being struck on the head with a cane and
slightlyc with large carving knife keenly sharp
ened. On another occasion Foreman Wood of the
cooper shop, was attacked By negro convict ". Il.
Campbell and received painful wound on the
forehead inflicted by cOoper'S ad2e. Society,
believe, would hive perfectly Justified them in
shooting either Of these prisoners. rs their own
lives We're in peril: but they chose rather to take
the chances Of being injured themselves than TO
use their pistols on even an insubOrdnate ard re-
DclliOus convict.
Therefore inasmuch ~ unfortunately. and As |
believe improperly too. the charges III THIS case
have been given To tie public before they were
adindicdte1 and passed upon by the properly con-
stitued tribunals and for the purpose Of relieving
the tension of the public mind which IL exercised.
and justly 50 too. by any nnputatiOn of wrong
done upon the poor, The unfortunate. and the help
less by the cruel hand Of power, The undersigned
prays tha. your honorable body may make DISPOSE
Ton aud report upon his al It's ctrlcsr practi-
cal convenience. and he hopes and drHifg belfereS
that ii VIII "uOihing cNtenuaic or sci down aught
In malice
For fer that this matter may become monOto-
nous | sincerely hope that thiS may be the last
communicate n that may he deemed necessary to
transmit TO that honorable body ,hc senate Of
Virginia.
Respectfully. ETC., !. II. JONES,
surgeon virginia Peniieutlary