Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-12
JODSON DAN III,
Physician-Inspe of ConViets.

reason that can be accomplished along
this line. Respectfully,
JUDSON DAVE
Physician-Inspector of ConTiets.
Report of the Physician-Inspector for Feb
ruary.
Speigner, March 1, 1896.
Col. r. Fl. Dawson, President Board of
Convict Inspectors, Montgomery, Ala
Sir. | hand you herein my report on
convict matters for the month of Febru-
airy,
So far as the general management of
the prisons. hospitals, bedding, clothes,
food and treatment of the convicts them
selves are concerned, | have nothing unu-
sual to report; everything is moving
along nicely.
Our farming operations are under full
Roadway and well up with the season.
Work on our new brick yard at this place
is being pushed to a finish as rapidly as
possible, and l think by the middle of
March we will be ready to begin the max
ing of brick. The foundation for the cot
ton factory has all been nicely eXcayated
and Is ready and waiting for our convict
brick masons to finish their work at the
new prison, No. 4, on the Tallapoosa rlV-
err and to begin work-laying the founda
ton with what brick we have on hand
already at our old brick yard. L think,
however if we build the mill in the time
we contemplate we will have to hire "a
u
During the month | have selected and
sent away from the mines to this place
and to the Walls about sixty of the con-
vcts who We're, in most cases, unfit for
mine work About fifteen of the ADLER
ones were stopped at this place for work
in the brick yard, and the others were
sent to the Walls. Most of them, how
ever, will be sent to No. for work al
that place. Nearly all of these men need
more or less recruiting before they VIII
be able to work much. Some of them will
never be worth but little, having been re-
ceived in bad condition from the courts.
They were taken away from the mines
because the state agreed in its contract
with-the Tennessee Coal Iron and Rail-
road company not to give them convicts
who came from the jailS permanently
unfit for labor"
AS the season advances and our farm
ing operations become more urgent, and
the work in the brick yard and on the
cotton mill increases, l think we will have
to have more men from the mines, or di-
rect from the jails as the spring court
convicts them. But so long as we can
do without them, and they are earning
anything at the mines, think we should
do so. And those that / send shall be Sc
lected from those less apt to stand mine
work. 50 far this year we are starting
out at the mines with less sickness and
better prospect for health than we did a
year ago.
1 spoke in my last report of the prone
ness of many convicts to fight and cripple
and even kill each other. While both
Captain Grayson and l myself have given
strict orders in regard to this, and are
prompt in having punlshments inflicted
for violations of these rules, often refus
ing to recommend short time" to those
who are guilty of fighting, still an occa-
sional fight ensues in which one or more
are often hurt.
During the month, as you know, pit
boss-and one of the best in the business
at Pratt mines-interfered and put a stop
to two convicts fighting in the mines. The
result was that one of them. while infuria-
ted, drove his pick into the pit boss and
killed him. After a good deal of trouble
the convict was overpowered and taken
in charge by the warden and three
guards. On their way out of the mines
the convict made break to escape and
was fired on and killed.
In the case of John Waldrop-the con-
vict who killed another at Coalburg re-
cently-the court at Birmingham has
lust finished trying him and sentenced
PIN to be hanged: and the verdict is
just one--he deserves to die. If you can,in
the abundance of your experience In con-
Wet matters, suggest any additional ade-
quate measures for putting down this
evil of fighting 1t win be appreciated by
all concerned in the management of con-
Wet affairs. OF course, these instances
where convicts killed each .other--as well
as those killed. by accident in the mines
go to swell the general death rate con-
nected with the convict system.
There have been fourteen deaths in the
entire system, for this month, and dis
tributed as follows: Pratt mines Is
died from sickness, l was killed by tram
cars and 1 was killed by guards) N
Coalburg e died from sickness and l
was killed by another convict; Walls ].
Chewaca 2 and Speigner l. Including
haf ie q We GA
of about So per 1000 per annum ine the
entire system; and leaving out those that
were killed we have rate of about so
per 1000 per annum for the month of Feb
ruary
We have no epidemic of any kind at
any of the prisons. We still have more
deaths from tuberculosis than any-other
one cause. But l suppose when we con-
slider that nearly one-third of the human
family in the outside world die of this
disease, 1t Is not strange that we have
more deaths from this cause than any
other in our prisons-especially when. we
consider also that those outside are hide
pendent of the special causes, at our min
ing prisons. which give rise to the more
rapid development of this disease. and
which have heretofore been pointed out
Respectfully JUDSON DAVIE,
Physician-Inspector of Convicts.
Report of the Inspector for December.
Birmingham. Ala. Jan. 4. 1896.
Hon. r. H. Dawson, President Board of
Inspectors of Convicts-
Dear Sir: During the month Of Decem-
ber 1895, visited and inspected the fol-
lowing prisons and conyicts at each:
Coalburg, December L. Chewacla, De-
cember 8; Boiling. December 8; Walls,
December A; Speigner No. 2. December
s.; Speigner No. 3, December 5: Pratt No.
2, December s; Pratt No. 1. December IA;
Pratt No. g. December Is; Coalburg.