The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-31
Gardeners Compelled by Democratic Of
ficials to Compete with COnvicts.
A Prisoner in Stripes Sent Into Market
Among Honest, Hard Working Produc-
ers to Sell Cabbage Below Cost.
Driven from the Place by Indignant
and Excited Dealers and Buyers.
A Public Insult and Wrong Against Honest
Labor for Which the Democratic Com
missiOners Are Responsible.

The average daily number Of work.house prisoners
during the past seventy. Since this
institution been in operation how to utilize the
labor of the prisoners has less perpexed the
County Commissioners. The problem never reached
a solution beyond breaking stone until spring came
and offered opportunity for gardening. Enough
vegetables raised to supply the institution for
the winter and coming spring But it seemed the
Democratic majority of the Board of County Com
mssioners had a theory that gardening for
the public markets might be proftably followed by
the prisoners. This was an idea to be lost, but
before any attempt should be made on large scale
the Commissioners, while not formally ordering it to
be done, tacticly approved the raising of large
quantity of cabbages. Without admitting any defined
purpose in cutivatng this vegetable beyond supplying
the demands of the institution they awaited with in
terest the crop of cabbages. If it large and of
marketable quality the sales of the
heads to consumers at low rate
would be undertaken in competition with
gardeners and green grocers. If this sale should
prove remuneratve then nex year the scheme of gar
deaing at the work house for market purposes would
be developed III other vegetables.
That the Democratic County Commissioners sought
to carry out the experiment has sufficient proof in
the report of the vegetables raised this year in the
work house garden. With the exception of cabbage,
barely enough vegetables produced to meet the
wants of the institution until spring but of cabbages
the product 10 900 bushels or 900 barrels com
pared with 600 bushels of potatoes twenty-five of
onions each of sweet potatoes and fifty of turnips
The stock of csbbages delighted the Commissioners.
I'VE will have enough to SELL said they and at the
time they chuckled the prospect of utilizing
prison labor for gardening The vegetables will
bring in nice income" reasoned Sahm and Reveal,
land materially reduce the cost of work-house man.
agement. The vegetables could be taken into market
and sold at figure even below commission house
prices
But the Democratic Commissioners did not attempt
to make the final test in the markets, in competition
with honest gardeners and dealers until they had got
rid of the Republican superintendent, Mr.. Thompson.
He would not aid them they well knew, in carrying
out such scheme. On the 18th OF this month the
Commissioners elected Sim Coy Democrat. r. VI.
Boone, to the SUPPLEMENTARY He took immediate
possession, and has been running affairs to suit his
esfT obsyed Sim Cow in eecng him
to the position. Among other things concerning
| the workhouse he and the Commissioners talked
mendous resource of $4,000 bushels had been drawn
not only for the of the house. but nine barrels
of kraut were made The stock seemed almost mex
haustible, and the Democratic Commissioners know
ing they had the to carry out their wishes talked
with him about selling good portion of it. Day be-
fore yesterday Superintendent Boone with the idea
of bearing the cabbage market awav below honorable
competition, came to the courthouse to the Com
missoners- Not one of the the Commissioners
there except Captain Clinton.
II intend to take load of cabbages to market to-
morrow" said Boone
You had better make the surplus stock into kraut
replied the Captain. THAT will keep for years and
the expense of raising large supply of cabbages
next spring The ground be used for some other
vegetable. If you dontwant any kraut than the
nine barrels you have bury the cabbage 1t will keep
a long time that way Boone did not heed the adj
vice. he wished to out the purposes of those
who appointed him. Yesterday morning early he went
into the East market with wagon load of work house
cabbages As if this not enough to insult honest
gardeners, grocers and vegetable dealers, he put
the load liz charge of Bill Knapp, prisoner
panied by the guard Pennington Knapp was dressed
in the work house stripes, and with Pennington stand
ing him. with club and revolver ready at
hand, dealt out cabbages to whomsoeveP would buy,
at twenty-five cents per barrel-ten cents below the
wholesale price of gardeners and commission men, and
from fifteen to twenty five cents below the retail price.
The appearance OF prisoner, in convict garb selling
work-house cabbages in the public market created
intense sensation. The gardeners and dealers with
whom the prison rnarkeeI into competition did
not alone resent the insult by indignant protest but
the buyers joined with them In defiance of this
guard Harrington. held the Inundated Knapp to the
business of selling under the market price for cab
bages TWAS not until IL o'clock that the worhouse
cabbage could be got off the market and then not until
Democratic politicians made frantic
appeals for them to leave. BY this time most of the
load had boen Sold for buyers could not resist the
chance Of getting workhouse cabbage at fifteen and
twenty-five cents lower than the vegetable was offered
by honest gardeners and dealers.
The spectacle of workhouse prisoner in striped
Dress thus displayed created intense disgust and
poor felloW Knapp, once brave ana faithful SOL
der for the Union but who gave way to drink keenly
felt his position The only charge that be brought
against him is that he is victim Of drink He is not
a criminal but the Democratic representative of the
work house. at the instigation of the Democratic
Commissioners has treated him than he would
the meanest criminal under his
The excited gardeners rushed to the courthouse to
demand of the Commissioners removal of the often
sve competitor. Not of them was there and the
gardeners and dealers had bear the insult until the
team, prisoners and cabbages taken off as a
matter Of party policy But this did not atone for
the wrong against honest labor the in
suit to the marketers. It was a wellcon-
cocted scheme of the Democratic Commissioners
to sell their cabbages notwithstanding both Sahm and
Reveal pleaded ignorance Of how it came about. The
latter could make reply the reporters questions
yesterday, exceptin saying I'VE had too many cab
bages." Sahm tried to explain the matter away by
throwing the responsibility upon one, whom he
did not know. II don't know anything about
the matter" was all he coud say. He not
only in this effort to glut the market
with workhouse cabbage, cut below the market price
but sold them under his estimate of cost of pro-
duction. he placed this at 80 cents per barrel and
the unfortunate prisoner compelled to sell them
at 25 cents per barrel AT no time this year have
dealers been able to buy under 80 per barrel
Yesterday cabbage, by gardeners and green grocers
were sold at 40, do and 80 cents per barrel.
The County Commissioner who perpetrated this
outrage is candidate for reelection. He aspires to
be reformer and trusts in the workingmen and sa-
loon vote to pull him through Yesterday when this
act noised abroad he ready to throw up both
hands in appeal for mercy. Sahm, on election day
will be especially marked for defeat.