The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1889-02-28
WHOLE NO. 253
INMAN AND TRACY CITY.
Statements From the Superlntendants
ut Those Points,

The Tennessee Coal, Iron & Rail.
road Company, lessees of the convicts,
requests that The American publish
the following statements from their
'uperintendants at Inman and Tracy
City, in response to the minority re-
ports submitted in the Legislature, re.
garding the treatment of conyicts by
the above lessees.
these Statements are as follows <
FROM SUPERINTENDENT LODGE.
VI desire to state that | have heard
OF the presentation to-day of minor
ty report by two members of the Pen.
4tentiary Investigation Committee,
'harging defective accommodation
and clothing, and critisizing the care
and treatment OF convicts worked
1t inman. | am the Superintendent
II that division Of the Tennessee Coal
Iron & Railroad Company's property
and desire to state that the prison in
which the men are confined at night
is new one, good one, and com
Portable one, and that it was built
last year replacing an old one in
strict conformity to plans and speci-
tcatlons furnished by the State Of
hcials, who have charge of the con.
victs; and desire to state in this con.
nection that the prison furnishes as
comfortable quarters for these men as
are occupied by the laboring people
in that district.
So far as the bedding is concerned
the straw in the bedding is fresh and
clean. The rations furnished are of
good quality, are well prepared, and
are OF the quality required by law,
and are in excess in quantity of that
required by law-the rations required
by law being three-fourth pounds of
bacon and instead of that we give
them a pound per day.
In regard to punishment, | under
stand that the minority report states
that men have been punished for fail
ure OF duty to the lessees No punish
ment can be inflicted except by order
lf th, Board OF inspectors, and none
has been, nor do know of any pun
lshment inflicted at the instance OF
the lessees for more than two years.
desire to state that these men are
rs well fed, as well clothed and as W III
housed as free labor employed in the
same way in that district. If there
has been any single instance of neg
lect, do not know it
The clothing is heavier and better
han ever used before-in fact, no mills
in the State make stripes of the weight
1sed, and we had to send out of tue
State to get them The men make
nc. complaints as to their clqthing,
bedding or fare, nor is there any nc.
cassion for it, us is evidenced by the
health record, there being in the hos
ptal n0E from ont Of 208 men only
two, one OF whom is there from hurt
on his leg. We have here n clergy
man and a physician, who aie appoint.
ed by the State The state hls':inade
no demand upon this company that
it has failed to comply with. j LODGE.
FROM SUPERINTENDENT NATuuRsT
I have read the minority report ui
the Penetentiary Investigation Com.
mittee J am uperintenhent ii
Tracy City division Of the Tennessee
Coal, Iron & Railroad Company
have been connected with tn, COM
| pany as an officer Of said complrv
since the first convict was brought
there The Gonvlcts are,weIl clothed
and fed. The company has given me
the authority to comply with or re.
| fuse any demands made by the State
officials for food clothing or bedding
No demand has ever been made Nv
these that | have not granted Not
only have the conyicts received all
the law allows, but anything the war
den has thought necessary. Our pris-
on steward Mr.. j. ONeill, keeps de-
tailed record of everything furnished
to the concicts and an inspection of
this is cordially invited.
The quarters of the convicts are
clean, well ventilated, warm and COM
Portable The prisoA at Tracy City
was built under the inspection of the
( State officials. and only been com
pleted four years. Everything that
can be done to promote the health and
, comfort of the prisoners is doge.
This being so clearly to the interest of
the company no question is ever rails
ed to deny anything that will promote
the same.
OF 369 conviets we have one sick in
bed, and three or four excused from
duty.
As to the food | wish simply TO say
the convicts have all they can eat,
without limiting to what the law al
lows. never have fell back on the
law in the matter, but furnished all
that the rnnn wnnld nnnsnmn This