Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-12

NIT the following report of the convict
bureau for three months, ending Febru-
airy 20, 1896:
Financial.
At the date of the last report, Deem
Der /, 1895, there was a balance of cash
on hand in the treasury of $1479725
Since that time there have been been re-
celved $36, 27.04 and expended $31 ,94615
leaving a cash balance at this date to our
credit of $1S.96S.14.
There is due from the Tennessee COM
pany $40, $685. and from the Miner
Caldwell and Flowers Lumber company
S193.25, making the available resources
nj this date 500 96707, and there are also
on hand 303 bales of cotton.
The expenses include $6S69.15 for court
costs and over $4,000 for improvements.
Numerical.
There were ON hand December /, 1863
state convicts. There have been received
125 discharged 101, ESCAPED 4, died "a,
leaving on hand 1859
OF county conVicts there were on hand
December ]. 900; there have been dis
charged 2S6, escaped 10, died 49, and
there remain on hand al this date S35.
Health and Mortality.
The health is better than at the same
date last year. The greatest improve
ment has been at Coalburg. This is
largely owing 10 the arrangements men,
toned in my last report for removing
the women, boys and sickly men from
that place.
But although the death rate has been
reduced. it is still much too large-and
the death rate of county convicts is
larger than of state convicts-and this
has always been So
In my last report l stated what |
thought to be the cause of the death rate
being high, and | am still of the opinion
that the main causes are the bad condi-
ton of many when received from Jail
and the working in the mines of persons
unfit for labor 1t is very difficult to
avoid the latter, for not unfrequently
upon careful medical examination men
appear to be sound, and yet after short
time in the mines some disease is de-
veoped which results in death.
AS to the first cause. it still exists, al
though the state health officer, DIR. Je-
rome Cochran, has taken energetic hold
of the matter and is endeavoring to have
the county boards of health take interest
In the proper keeping of the jails. Since
my last report we have had one convict
to die on the way from the jail to the
penitentlary. For particulars as to these
matters / refer to the reports of DR.. Da-
Vie, hereto attached.
Farms.
Prepare tons are being made for an
other crop. but they are somewhat back
ward, because of the amount of hauling
that has been necessary on account of
the improve ments that are being made.
With good weather we will soon catch
up.
Improveme
1t is expected that the laying of brick
on the wall of the cotton factory will
commence before April.
The brick yard at Speigner has been re-
moved to new site where there is better
clay. Much work has been done on the
new brick yard under the direction of
Mr.. Howard Lane. and he will be ready
no make brick as soon as the weather per-
mts.
At No. a number of buildings have
been put up. The main cell 200 feet by
so feet by II feet, with dining room and
kitchen 80 feet by 40 feet is the most
comfortab BILE cell ever built In the state.
There are also two other cells, one for
whites and one for women, when worked
there, as is being done now; there are
shree guard houses, qua rds' kitchen and
dining room, laundry, bath room, store
room. blacksmith and wood shop, hos
pital, six cribs with capacity for 10, 900
bushels of corn, and mule shelter All of
these except the hospital are finished
and also four miles of wire and plank
fence. The cost of material for these i'm
provements has been about $4,000. In this
is not included the timber which has been
gotten out of the woods on the place-of
ahis good deal has been used.
AT the Walls an officers house has been
built and a good deal of repairing done.
Religious instruction and Prison Schools.
The chaplains continue their faithful
labors.
The night schools a Pratt mines and
the Walls have not been well attended,
except the school taught by Rev. Thomas
Maxim at the Shaft. He reports a good
attendance and interest. AS rule, not
much interest is shown At the Walls
and Pratt mines the Sunday schools are
well attended The same faithful teach
ers. ladies and gentlemen of Birmingham.
go to Pratt mines every Sunday, regard
less of the weather. They certainly de-
serve to succeed
Management.
AS far as the treatment of the eonvicts
is concerned it is fairly good al all of the
prisons.
But there has been an unusual amount
of fighting among the convicts They
have shown a bad disposition. AT the
slope at Pratt mines Mr.. John Cook. an
officer who had been there fifteen years,
and was universally esteemed, while try
ing to stop fight between two convicts
was murdered by one of them, Henry
Steinback. life convict from Lauderdale
county. Steinback afterwards tried to es-
cape, and was killed by the guards Mr.
Cooks death was lamented by the whole
community of Pratt City. / knew him
well, and can bear testimony to his up
rlghtness and worth.
At Coalburg one convict killed another.
The murderer, John Waldrop, has been
tried in the criminal court of Jefferson
county and sentenced to be hung.
This disposition to fight seems stronger
a the mines than elsewhere, as does the
disposition to escape. There has been no
escape at all at the prisons controlled
by the state during the quarter. This is
no doubt owing in part to the excellent
pack of dogs that there is at each of our
prisons. The fact that they will be pur-
sued by good dogs. and almost certainly
captured, deters many who would at
tempt to escape.
Examination of Office.
hope that it will be convenient for you
to have this Office examined during the
present quarter
Old Buildings.
The old blacksmith shop and bath room
at the Walls should be examined by
competent mechanic, and, If they are
worth it, repaired, and If not torn down
Conclusions.
The inspectors are glad that you have
visited the prisons at Pratt mines and
Coalburg and that you were pleased.
We hope that you will soon have time