Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-14
THE STATE PRISON.
lis Needs, Management, and Discipline
Discussed Before Joint Committee.
INQUIRY AZ TO FooD PROVIDED.
Opinion Expressed That the Guam
tity Allowed ny Law Is insufficient
Always Good-Lcgisiatiye Gossip.

and Prisons was held in the Senate cham
Der yesterday afternoon at o'clock for
the purpose of inquiring into the condi-
tiOn OF the penitentiary and the advisa-
billty Of enlarging the cell accommoda-
tions for the male prisoners. The inqui-
ry took very wide scope, and included
an exhaustive investigation of the man
agement and discipline of the prison.
Major Is. W. Lynn. Superintendent OF
the Penitentiary. was first called upon
to address the committees. He read from
his annual report his recommendation to
take down the present cell structure and
rebuild entirely He set forth that the
congregation Of from twenty to thirty
prisoners in a cell. as was now rendered
necessary, was a most pernicious plan.
and he thought By tearing down the cell
building and erecting a new one the pri-
soners could be placed two in cell.
Major Lynn said. in reply to questions
asked by Senator Stubbs. that in some OF
the cells as many as thirty-fve convicts
are locked at night The cells he said.
are very poorly ventilated. and twenty
eight deaths occurred there during 1898.
He thought the mere huddling together OF
prisoners at night was conducive Of bad
conduct.
WHAT 1T WOULD COST
When asked the cost OF such building
as he proposed. Major Lynn called upon
Captain Dimmock 10 answer, and the lat
ter replied that TO add to the present
structure so as to have 600 cells would
cost about $1,000. To tear down and re-
build. as Major Lynn had suggested,
would cost very much more.
Major Lynn. resuming, said about go
of the conVlcts were employed In the
shoe-shop. about 80 in the tobacco-facto-
~. and the rest, with the exception OF
number OF sick ones. were employed In
the co0k-shOp and laundry. Both the
kitchen and laundry were too small for
the present needs Of the institution. Con-
tinung. Major Lynn threw out the sug-
geston that it would be better for the
committee. before deciding on any I'M
prOyements to the prison. 10 look into
the systems of other prisons.
TIE Superintendent was questioned by
Senator Morris. and stated In response
TO his inquiries that IL would be better
to enlarge the present prison than to
build another. though If the prisoners
continued to increase at the same ratio
as now, another prison would have TO be
built in the not very distant future.
Major Lynn stated that OF the 500 pri-
soners I'm the prison and on the farm,
only 300 are white.
The proposition to tear down the present
cell structure and rebuild entirely on a
larger plan, Major Lynn thought would
cost about S2000V, and while he believed
this 10 be very much the be.t'r plan. 'he
addition proposed by Mr DimmOck. 10
cost $4,000, would be a great Improvement
on the present plait
WHAT THE BOARD WANTS.
Mr. Frank r. Glasgow, OF the Board OF
Directors Of the Penitentiary. was next
called upon. and said that the board
differed somewhat from the Superintend-
ent as 10 the plan for increasing the ac-
commodations of the prison. He submitted
a bill which he had prepared authorizing
the Superintendent. with the approval Cf
the Governor and Board OF Directors. TO
erect an additional prison Of capacity SUI
fcient for about 600 conyicts and TO
provide sufficient hospital. cook. AL
iaundry-room, all on the present grounds,
in this city.
The bill seeks 10 appropriate $4,000 from
the Treasury and $4,000 from the
profits Of the institution this year TO
defray the cost Of such Improvements.
Mr. Glasgow explained that the plan
formulated by the board was substantially
the same as that Of the Superintendent.
except that the Superintendents plan
would cost very much more.
Mr.. W. S. Gum also spoke endorsing
what Mr. Glasgow had said.
Mr. w. ID. Chesterman. another MEM
t.a,. of tho hoard said no fhOl'alt Mr.
Lynn's plan a very much better one than
the boards. provided the State could af-
ford il, but realizing that the State could
not well afford 10 appropriate so great
a sum as proposed. the board had
contented themselves with asking only
for what was absolutely necessary. The
boards interior plan. however. was identi-
cal with that of the superintendent.
CAPTAIN William White. First Assistant
Superintendent, was asked II il would not
be better for the convicts 10 be fed in
a general dining-room than in their cells,
and he replied that undoubtedly ii would
be. The plan Of the board did not con-
template dining-room, and it was shown
that to make dlning-room in the pro-
posed new building would naturally cause
the sacrifice OF about seyenty7iiYe cells,
lnasrnuch as il would necessitate the oc-
cupancy of one floor for the dinng-room.
1t was thought that a dining-room might
be erected In the court within the horse
shoe building.
THE QUESTION OF DISCIPLINE.
Senator Stubbs, dropping the building
question. took up that of discipline Of the
prison. and asked Mr. Glasgow II he
didn't think it would be well to so amend
the laws as to take the appointing power
OF guards from the Superintendent and
vest il i'm the board Mr. Glasgow thought
it would.
The question of the advisibilty of per-
hitting the Board OF Directors TO select
a State depository for the funds or the
institution, instead OF having, as now. to
deposit all funds and draw all warrants
through the Auditor and instead OF nav
ing the Auditor worried daily by de-
posits and warrants. TO relieve him from
that burden, and let him have quar-
terly settlement With the institution. was
next taken IN. AMI the members of tie
board present thought such plan was
most desirable.
AS 10 PUNISHMENT.
The question of punishment was ne>t
discussed. and NJ. Maupin EXPRESSED HIM
self as being shocked that In the Nlr-
ginia Penitentia-v. under so humane a
management as that Of Major Lynn, con-
yicts, after they were whipped d,ross a
barrel. were strapped to a cross and lef'
there all night.
Captain White said he could exp.ain the |
cross, and t'is Il was started as a
humane measure 10 restrain refractory |
prisoners from hurting themselves or I
others. The prisoners. he sale, we're I
strapped ID the cross. but not too tightly /
for them to move and instead OF being /
swung up, they were simply laii on the 4
c~oss on thei. Leds and coyerei over.