The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-04-22
PENITENTIARY REPORT.
The Senate Committee Made Its Re-
port Yesterday Morning.


The following is the report of the SEN
ATE committee sent to investigate the
state penitentiaries, as reported to the
senate yesterday morning:
Hon. George L. Jester, President of the
Senate:
Sir-YOur committee appointed to visit
the penitentiaries and the convict farms
beg leave to submit the following:
That we visited and carefully inspected
the following farms upon which conyicts
are worked: Steele Bros, Waller county:
Allen farm and w. j. Terrell and Co.. in
Brazos county; w. w. Watts, X. !,
White and J. f. Collier in Robertson
county and w. II. Watt and Tom PEOPLES
in Milan county.
=, we found the farms in good shape and
the convicts well fed, clothed and well
provided for. In making inquiry of in
dlvldual convics in numerous instances
we found only one complaint of the food
furnished, and upon making investiga
ton of the complaint found that the same
was entirely unfounded. We made per
s0nal inspection of the bedding, barracks
ana food furnished. and our investigation
disclosed no cause for complaint and we.
therefore, unhesitatingly say that the con-
vets on said farms are better provided
Tor than the general average of farm la
oofers throughout the state in respect to
food, clothing and medical attention.
we further made inquiry, not only of
tne Serseants and guards, but particularly
OF the cOnvicts themselves. and in no
instance did we find or hear of any com
plant ON the part of the convicts of be-
ing overworked, of unduly exposed to ex-
cesSlve heat or cold or rain.
We take special pride in mentioning the
eihclency of Sergeants James Murphy. +.
NJ. Hicks, }. n. South. r. G.. McNutt.
Z. u. Wood, ]. II. ROzell, A. s. Addison
ana ). n. Bell of the aforementioned
camps. We found them to be unass,lm-
ing gentlemen and well equipped for the
management and control of convicts. and
have no doubt of their ability to manage
the farms placed under their charge with
profit to the state and credit to them
selves.
-, we were soon accompanied by Mai.
i. II. durham, state inspector, who
showed lis many cOurtesies, for which we
reel very grateful, and we feel it but
Just to add that the states interest is
peins strictly guarded by him and that
we believe him to be the right man in the
right place.
After visiting the farms above we nro.
ceeded to inspect the state penitentiaries
and after making thorough inspection of
the prison located at Rusk, we inspected
me ne convict farms located near that point.
The Rusk penitentiary is under the i'm.
mediate supervision of Assistant Suner-
intendent James p. Gibson, who is thor
oughly up-to-date and alive to the inter.
estS of the important charge committed
to his keeping. We inspected every do.
partment of the penitentiary and con.
versed freely with the convicts WORKING
IN each and every department., and hoe
leave to state that in the fewest numher
OF instances was any complaint made of
their treatment. food furnished or sleenl
ing apartments, and these were nn;r.
portant and trivial in character The
camps adjacent to Rusk we found in good
shape and conducted in business In, y
way, and the convicts there have M com
plant TO make of overwork or IN troat-
ment. We found a number of sick and
upon investigation found that tbav wora
having daily medical attention.
While at Rusk we were ordered nv tbo
senate to Immediately return and n,aIo
a quorum, and hence we made no ;nsnac,
ton of the Huntsville pepite a.;arx or
other farms upon which conyicts arc
worked. are
Mai. Whatley. superintendent of nen;-
tentiarles, met us at Rusk and eytendod