Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-27
REPLIES TO MIR. BEyERIDGE.
Major Lynn Gives some Details
About Workings of Convict Law.
Superintendent 'iAlD
Virginia Penltentary,
nfatr,nrJ Va TuIv % Iff.

Superintendent On.cl,
Virginia Penltentary
Richmond. Va. July %, l"i.
To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
My attention having been called 20 an
article which appeared in your ISSUE Of
the 10Th instant over the signature o-
( William II. Beverdge. in which M.
Beveridgo undertakes 10 call IN question
some facts which had been given out by
me In an interview with your reporter, a'
published In your issue Of the 10Th DID,
reference 70 the law regulating tho t.
moyal Of convicts, sc.
Mr. Beveridge saysi Il think / can
show that Major Lynn H. mistaken ln ns
views "a 10 the saving TO the state N-
The writer further says: Il mean Dol
personal attack. but merely desire N
express my views, which. when fully exc
plained. will be endorsed by ~ pr cent
of the Democratic voters Of virginia
II Mr.. Beveridse's views are as eify
neous as his premises. fear he viii MAXI
a had case Of H. II he nad taken tn
trouble 10 examine the law be- WonN
have found that by an act OF the Genera
Assembly, "the superintendent DIS ie4uli IT,
TO keep strict account OF an expenses
extra guard hire Sc, IA may be he't.'
sarv for the safe delivery OF sall con
victs 10 the prison. and he snall make 'l
annual ite1nized report Of The same
This act has been strictly compiled WIZ
az this office, and the account sho"i
that for twelve months operation uha-i
the new law every expense attenaina
their delivery here. including guafu MIRO
amounted 10 s60S7.33. The guard hli'
mt
tho State but simply placed 10 tho cteo.l
of the penitentlary. amounted 10 s7S y,
which deducted from the total, leil
reollv only 1871. sS, against El23lS.S winch
was paid out under the old system, mus
reallv showing a saving Of N.0bA
Now as 10 the number Of guards el-
Moved I'm which Mr.. Bever,dse says thiL
| either had too many before OF H'-
onoueh now. The law provides "thtt
the Superintendent may employ qua p
not exceeding fifty persons. whose iay
sb,u no S45 per month" This numDei
baa never been exceeded. There arc nc"
On the force but forty-six. supefnuiho-
rarv men are employed ~ 81 per "l'
when from sickness o. other causes lh,io
are not enough men 10 MI All the pv',
thus the whole force Is kept cons'eh'i'
employed ana the Commonwealth lo'''
nothing. Ga,
,.,arles CIV county matter. by which
AR peyeridee undertakes 60 prove ti''@
a. law A. not the best. Dir. BeFciiuh
avs THAT during the Jure OF May l,iA'
~ the County Court one Ellis was con-
,icted and sentenced 10 six years lh u'l
,.eriteufiarv. The Sheriff immellal'y
informed Major Lynn ana stated 10 h.''
that the Charles city jail wa not 49,
r,be record had 10 be prepared ana l'''
,rison..r remanded 10 tail. The h,A.
rfebt Fufs escaped. and the Board '
c,,,or,,isors have offered reward OBJ -
49, bie anprehensiOn. IN which leNalt
The Governor joins In "A reward OF
additional. So 10 get ellis the atale f-,-
am extra SIS. while this criminal D.
ing az large depredatng on we .l'-
m caught he Will perhaps De put Oa'N
tn 10 await the coming OF tn'
"a NOV again escape Had the oil .+'
49,, - a., efgsct the sheriff would have in.
medlatelv taken Ellis 10 the peili'il..''s
"a fbls much would have been s,a'eA.
Nevor having heard or this case eA'
,s,t through the newspapers, WIZ
he clerk 0f the Court whose bufih.
n was 10 notify me @nd not the snefih :.
. NJ poyoridgc thinks. for the la.'s
4, ,be .rase. ard ] quote from his le'l-f
which Is before me; ..,.t-
sVul,am Ellis was tried and convict
"a for assault. with Intent 10 XII"
he i7th OF June 1881. and sentence -
ore wear ID the penltenu1ry Dh .-'
sstb ~ Tune. 1897, be was tried ODD "'-
other Indictment for burglary, ana con-
yicted ana sentenced 20 Eve years ~
the penitentiary ] n-ldo out mo N.'
ssrv papers 10 send you 'Which / '-
now, the next morning June -.th "'
while we were az dinner, aD'-l
o'clock. ne broke JAM lNoio tho o...
ence between the statement rs 49,.
by Sir. Beverage and the 'l.IA %
court as 70 this escape. NV"'
LAWYER. AIR Beverage should nav
smired the law. which, under tnn
system. required 1.-THE CLERK ol l'o III.
no forthwith transmit q copy OF
- IN The trial and conviction 20 me
superiutendent." and no convict was
,,i,,so ,githout that as authority nc
new Law directs that "the 1iefN a--'
,,.nsr,i, a COPY OF the judgment c.-'
mon receiving such copy. the alp'i.
,eud.nt shall dispatch "a guard 20
county or corporation. with q "'ii
otto" 40 that IN this case. under
GA law IL would have happcnei .'
ald under the new. And Mr. befeii'-
statement that / was nOtinti.
through the fault Of the law and l
! negiecs. the man escaped. - not
md the claim that no real stvhs
made under the new system is
as groundicss. which aayo
| proven. - at
The other laws enacted by me 80.
r.esislature. which Mr.. Beveriige 49,
as equally unjust and obnox'oi. ~,
which ne thinks ought 70 D. f,i.
have. learned al the Auditor -,
saved in criminal expense f' ,,.
annum. Ny business r. 70 eNst.',
laws. and not 20 defend them bl' +.
1 am mentioned I'm connection VIZ =.
rors thu, are 20 gross. ! hope / H',,
pardoned for placing some simple 80,
before the reading public, and me 49,
who pay the taxes. that they h''
| slider them. ,&-.,S
Respectfully. H. w