The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-05-25
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an 60 - 'rf ~ - - IA ~ Il n
s''stralght Populists' with rim th,t
means fusion with the Republicans, He
IS a.: pritchard Populist" of the ,'strict-
est sectsA'&sIt VIII be a weekly paper. y
a mah named Masterson. of jndinna
now here. has been trying TO effect a re-
organization Of the ChInnccls Coal Min
ing company. Much money has been
sunk IN this really valuable property.
one or It's owners, named Dnrbyshire
became !aI SO disgusted that he let 1t re-
main idle seventeen years. Then Hens
zeN took charge of it.
THE Pl3NITENrIARY.
There is no problem iii North caro-
Ina greater than the penitentiary; that
IS. It's maintenance without cost to the
state. The incubus IS the Central prison
with the life-term prisoners, the dregs
or the States criminal class. the aged
prisoners, the sick and the incurables
'Ans Sopiem grows greater annually
and lesf than 125 convicts are the prime
cause. There ere eighty life criminals
anu OF these only sixty can do heavy
work $3.50. II
The penitentiary maintains i've farms
three on the Roanoke. one in Arson
ana one at Castle Hayne. Only four
can In the broad sense be termed farms.
and all are on leased land There are
o-day 1913 convictS In the pel1itentiurv It.
self-36 at Castle Hayne. 153 at the An
son farm, 655 on the farms on the Roa,
noke river The total is 997. or these
GO are women.
ESTABLISHED IN 1865
The penitentinry was established by
the Legislature or 1868. Before that the
modes OF punishment were death, the
lhli, the WhlppinE-post and the branding
IRON. 1t was at first proposed that the
loca tion or the prison should be in
chatham county, on Deep river But
Raleigh was finally selected after land
sharks and carpet baggers had made
some money out OF the State in the
matter Of land for the site IN Chatham.
Ihe pententiary, as first built was
primitive. Two long houses were built
or LOGS ms quarters. These were low and
were IKE a pit Of houses facing each
other. with a roof covering ALL and the
corridor between. In each one Of the
rooms there We're ten or twelve convlcts.
Inc Stockade was OF pine poles or small
LOGS. Fart Of the original pentent!ary
yet remains and Is used for stables
January g. 1870. the Epenitentiary was
opened ana forty convicts We're placed
III 1t. The first one was Charles Lewis,
sentenced from Johnston county. for
four years for robbery The oldest pris-
oner now within the walls is Andy Wine
COLI, who was received June IS, 1877. for
!
convicts received is II 800
1sHE BUILDING.
The penitentiary building is OF brick
and granite all made or quarried on the
premises. III fact, the granite for the
foundation came from under the build
ing. That for the Immense wall came
from q quarry within the stockade
tirst and last, the cost Of construction
approXimates $275,000. The main build
Ing Inns q front of 750 feet. It is n great
shell. enclosing In the east wing Cell
blocks, which are simply masses OF
brick and cement, In which are the cells,
rising four tiers high, like burrows In
O mountain. The west wing has no
cell blocks. but is a vast open space.
available for manufacturing or other
purposes.
At each end is building. higher, and
divided by a solid wall. One of these
is the hospital and contains cells for the
criminal insane Qemales) while in the
west wing will be the criminal insane
(males). In front Is the administration
building and In rear the bakery Kitchen,
laundry etc. and In rear Of these q
separate building for the female pris-
oners. There are In all sixty female
convicts. but most are on the farms.
One OF the long term female prisoners is
Maria Hall, colored, OF Wilmington, who
got twenty years for manslaughter.
She has by uniform good conduct gained
three years and will leave next til
with 500 she has earned. The females
from the farms will probably all be
brought to the Central prison. The
women make all the clothing In one
year they make 5000 pairs Of trousers,
as many suits of Undertaking and :, 900
coats. The goods are all purchased In
Georgia.
In the criminal insane ward there is
as yet only one inmate, Abe Hinson, a
murderer. who is kept chained and has
been SO kept for ten years. His desire
Is to strangle. His striped clothing Is
removed now, and neither he nor any of
the criminal insane will wear the prison
garb.
REDUCED EXPENSES.
In former years the Legislature used
TO appropriate $4,000 annually for the
penitentiary. During the past four
years it cost the State only 1000 for
the entire period. This was the excess
over earnings. Last year there was no
expense. This year there Is a contin-
gent appropriation Of $4,000, Of which
the new superintendent says not a dol
lar will be needed if there Is no damag-
Ing freshet in the Roanoke. Last year
freshet swept away 1000 acres Of
corn there. He says the best farm in the
State Is the Caledonia" there which Is
offered at 50 per acre for its 1000 acres.
The State has an option at that figure
This year the new superintendent has
sold $4,000 Of last years cotton crop.
He expects to make zoos. 900 brick within
the penitentiary.
There are many calls for conVlcts. In
June they will build a ten mile extern
sion Of the Carthage railway The
Legislature gave fifty. without expense,
to the Marion and Ashev!lle turnpike,
but these will not he furnished unless