Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-11-26
INSPECTING rnELaII.
Tho Grand Jurymcn Find the Institution
Croxaetl.

crowded.
The annual inspection Of the Jail at New
Castle was made by the members OF the
grand jury Thursday morning. The Jury
men arrived at the Jail IN delegations
representing the various hundreds. Each
| juryman was introduced to the sheriffs
wife and daughter and TO Warden Tucker,
and then the tour of inspection began
The following. jurymen were present
Joseph Chandler, foreman; William p
Stuckert; Joseph Biggs, John LeFevre,
Isaiah Mousley, Joshua Clayton, Samuel
Wright, Theodore Clark, Thomas Day,
Archibald Given, Joseph II. Gould, John
Townsend, James Miller, William Crossan,
benjamin Gregg, James Wright, James T..
Taylor. John Mahoney. William Locker
man, James J. Smith, w. D. Mccoy.
The inspection Of the prison was led by
the foreman, Joseph p. Chandler and the
sheriff. The other jurymen resolved them
selves into groups and were careful to
| scrulinize every portion of the prison.
sheriff Simmons was closely piled with
| questions concerning the management
and capacity OF the Jail, The sheriff in
formed tho jury that the institution was
crowded with $50 inmates, one-third of
inalnder, he said, are about equally
divided among whites and blacks, and are
criminals or prisoners serving out SEN
fences passed by the upper court.
| Sheriff simmons stated that the capacity
OF the Jail was not equal to the needs Of
the many prisoners incarcerated. He was
forced to double the number of prisoners
in the cells, which were not large enough
for two persons. He also complained that
the water supply of the Jail was not suili-
Gent 10 carry away sewage which collected
Mt the institution. Stress was laid by the
sheriff upon the need of hospital for sick
prisoners and a bath as II sanitary precau-
ton against disease and vermin. The
sheriff idea OF enlarging the capacity of
| the prison was the erection of another row
Of cells over those already in use. This
would make three tiers of cells. During
the inspection the jurymen found that the
| Jail WAS IN a state of perfect cleanliness.
and II visit to the kitchen showed the food
prepared for the prisoners to be of excel
| lent quality.
The jury next visited the Jail yards aud
inspected the whipping post, pillory and
the stonc-ple where the culprits earn their
bread by the sweat of their brow while in
generated. As the iurymen returned
! from the corridors they were invited hy
the sheriff to his residence where choice
dinner was served After this had been
partaken of, Foreman Chandler extended
the hearty thanks of the grand Jury TO the
sheriff and TO Mrs, simmons for their hos
pitality. Short speeches were then made
by Theodore Clark, Joseph Biggs, W. Is.
McCoy, Archibald Given and G. w.
Roberts,
Sheriff Simmons then made n short
| speech IN response to the vote of thanks
extended to him, and, while frankly ad-
hitting that he sought the Office for the
money in t,said he had endeavored always
to improve upon the condition of things
Us he found them. and thought he had
been successful. He reasserted his belief
that a speedy Improvement of the jail
should be made. The jurymen left The
jail ut Az o'clock and returned to their
| homes.