Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-06-06
CHARITIES AND CORRECTIONS.
The Sessions Of the Prison Reformers
at willard Hall.

ANciSa ny Cu@IleS Duuiey warner. GOV. dOyt
spoke OF the evolution of the prison. He looked
upon prison as place Of punishment, and
thought 1t just and proper that persons commit
ting crimes should be disgraced and punished,
and he advocated the classification of prisoners,
separating women and children and first
Offenders from the hardened class of prisoners.
Mr.. Warner described a recent visit to the re-
formatory at Elmira, as an example of discip-
line. He thought discipline was one of the
most important elements in the training of
ch1ldren al nome, and the reform manage
ment or prisoners in confinement. He con-
trasted the Old and new style Of prison manage
about the same in either case; it cultivated
an a. interest in the prisoners in prison affairs
Ihls he thought, did not promise Well for re-
form, and expressed the opinion that if such
was the best reform modern civilization could
accomplish, the hardened criminals had best
be killed at once.
Judge VIM B. Smell of this city, read an in
tiOns OF this city.
,1 The president announeed that Mr.. Julian
Hawthorne would address the conference next
Tuesday night.
The Session To-day.
To-day's session of the conference Of Charities
and Corrections opened at little after ten
o'clock this morning. The opening prayer was
delivered by Rev. Father Placide l.. Chappelle,
pastor OF St. Matthew's church. The call OF
states not being completed, the regular order of
the day was dispensed with for the moment
and the
REPORTS FROM STATES
not yet called were read.
Mr.. Lindsey read the report from Oregon,
which called attention to the necessity of some
reform in the matter of confining innocent per-
sons on suspicion and persons held as witnesses.
In the case of wealthy persons arrested, 1t is
said that they are allowed to 90 out on bail
While the poor, though innocent, are confined
In vile prison cells. High tribute was paid to
the works of charity effected by women. The
report was eloquent throughout.
The report of PENNSYLVANIA was then read bv
Mr.. Sawyer. who said that little change had
taken place in the charities of that state since
their last report in October. Some changes in
the Oi1lcIa! management had been caused by
death and resignation. y marked improve
ment had been and was being effected in the
prisons throughout the state. An unexpected
number OF insahe persons had been found con-
lined in private places, many OF whom were
bound with chains and submitted to terrible i'll
treatment.
Tne report for Rhode Island was read by Mr..
Green Reference was made with regret to the
death of Prot. G. l. Chase. on whom, it said the
board Of charities and correction relied tor ad-
vice and assistance. The most important law
passed by the last legislature, the report said,
OF insanity toa curative asylum. 4 bill giving
the Roman catholic clergy the right tO ~ min
sons In the institutions of charity and correc-
tlons In the state who desired it, had failed in
the legislature, but the board OF chayitie. and
corrections had permitted the administration
OF the rites OF the Catholic church notyvith-
standing this, and they had had no reason to
regret their action.
q METHODS OF TIE ENGLISH POLICE FORCE.
The regular order OF the day was then taken
up. Mr.. Broadway read report written by
Mr. Barwich Barker, the famous English author
treated upon the methods Of the English police
force. 1t said that so years ago the policemen
were looked upon us watch dogs merely That
a policeman snouid try to correct and reform a
criminal was Il thing not to be thought OF; but
as time wore on, policemen were selected from
a better class OF men, until now men OF emil
nent ability, who have served in the army or
navy with distinction, are chosen as police
Officers. Henceorth the prevention of crime,
the writer thought, would be the principal duty
Oi the police.
Now the police are no longer watch dogs, but
are looked upon us friends to ALTO the honest
by protecting them, to the criminal by assisting
ing him when he persists in crime The habit
o! employing shrewd. INSCRIPTIONS men to
catch snrewd criminals Is, he says, growing ont
OF fashion, and strict honesty and truth in OFF,
cials is found 10 work best. A policeman must
be childihe in the courts of England, the paper
said. If he would aVoia being baked by the at
forneyS, and he must stand hard words and
hard blows without getting mad The police
are used as inspectors Of roads and for prevent
ing the spread OF cattle diseases, as well as in
the suppression Of crime.
CONSTRUCTION AND MANAGEMENT OF JAILS.
The next paper was one ON the construction
and management OF jails, by Prof Wright, of
Wisconsin. The first consideration in the con-
struction of Il jail should be to make it secure
and to make it secure it should be built Of
stone, iron Or brick. The weak points of Il JAIL
the paper said, were the windows and doors.
The danger OF prisoners cutting through the
bars of the windows is lessened if the bars are
made OF mixed steel and iron we'll imbedded
In the wall. The doors of the jail should never
open directly into tile room occupied by prison.
ers. The roof and closets are other weak points
The next consideration in the construction of
the Jail is heathfulness, and third. the moral
surroundings should be cared for by having
separate cells, so built as to separate women
and children from the men. and the criminal
from the sick lodger or tramp. There should
never be less than two rooms In the smallest
Jail. In the fourth place, provision should be
made in jails for the employment OF the prison
er.. When the labor test is not in force the
prisoners occupy their time, tue writer said, In
telling stories or hatchug UP mischief.
Next the management of jails was treated
and practical advice given as to the precaution
preserve their health and prevent their
escape. All prisoners should be kept at work
for reasonable time, and when not at work
good reading matter. Above all, the writer
said, the Police Gazsite and such papers should
be kept out of the jails. The main point was
that there should be strict discipline en- orced
The paper closed with n set of general rules ior
the management OF jails A general discussion
followed the reading of these two papers.
JAILS AS SCHOOLS FOR CRIME.
Gen. Brinkerhof, OF Ohio, during the discus
sion said that the average Jail In this country
was school of crime. He said he thought a
false impression had gone out as to the views
OF the Delaware jails, and the effect of the
treatment OF prisoners there adopted from q
paper read IN the conference yesterday.
Mr.. Griffin, of Baltimore, made some re-
marks, alleging that the prison population of
Delaware Was greater than that of the neigh
boring states. He said that when he visited
the Delaware jails two years ago they were
nothing but schools of vice, q disgrace and re-
proach to any civilized community. He re-
gar,ded de the use OF piilory and whipping post as
failure to provide against the evils OF 1dleness
and also to secure a proper separation of pris-
onerS He criticised also the policy OF the pilory
under the suppOstion that it drove the crini-
inais away from the state. Notwithstanding
this policy he asserted that the criminal or
prison population Of Delaware was larger in
proportion than that Of any other state.
THE WHIPPING POST DEFENDED.
Mr.. Massey, of Delaware, said he had col
lected some statistics in relation to jail matters
In his state. He thought Mr.. Griffin's remarks
would give wrong impression. The statistics
which he (AIr. Massey had collected were not
so very unfavOrab1e "fOr an uncivilized state
which uses this relic Of barbarism." The total
number at present In the jais was 50. The
average was about 100. He said he was not
native OF Delaware and had only lived there for
SIN months. Upon finding SO many citizens of
in favor OF the whipping post
he had inquired into the matter with some in-
terest, The clIicf Justice of the state. he said,
bad told him that the Delaware whipping post
was greatly misunderstood. 1t was used, he
said. only upon hardened criminals, in whom
not considered of q reformatory, but of q pre-
ventive character. 1t seemed to him that this
question was worthy of a careful, unbiased
by this convention, IN its discus
Mr.. Round, of New York, secretary of the
NaLoAai Frison association, made O brief