Evening star., 1898-12-03
THE DISTRICT JAIL
Report of Warden Harris to the De-
partment Of Justice.
OPPOSED TO PROPOSED STONE WALL
Most Commitments Were for AS
sauIt and Battery.
HEALTH CONDITION GOOD

/ The annual report of Capt James II.
Harris. warden of the District Jail. has
been made to the Depar men, Of Jus ice.
| Capt. Harris says:
The work begun by my predecessor on
the women's new department is approach
| ing completion, and viii be done within the
| appropriation made for the same.
Opposed TO Proposed waII.
Nothing has been done in the way of
| building wall around the Jail for which
there has been made an appropriation Of
| $4,000. While 1 am subject III this matter
| to the wishes Of the Departmen of Justice
| and am willing to do whatever in its iudg-
ment is best, desire to say. However. that
| so far as my opinion goes the wall as
contemplated, will be of no utility what
| ever to this jail. ] have suffic iently inves-
tigated the matter, think. so that I know
! that the entire cost Of The wall. con-
templated, viii not be less than 100000.
The use of the prison labor on said wall, in
the cost of building the same, l. compara-
lively small TO that Of the Whole cost. be-
| leving that the material for anne will be
more than 10 per cent Of the tire cost OF
building the wall. l have many other rea-
sons for believing that the Wa should not
be built, which l Will be wi.lng To disclose
If called upon. But l do believe hat a sum
of money sufficient TO build a rsspe,table
and substantial iron picket fence around
the jail premises should be sppropriated
for that purpose. The wooden fence row
surrounding the Jail is in very Dad repair
and very unsightly.
Il have had very little reason to COM
plain of the contractors furnishing sup
plies to the jail. There will be material
increase in the cost OF supplies for the Jail
for the ensuing year, because f the prev
alent high prices at the time your depart
ment made the contracts for the same. I
will use my best endeaVor. however to
overcome such additional cost by all the
with good and proper management of the
Jail
Il take pleasure in saying that I have q
splendid corps of officers every one of
whom seems intent upon dtschargtng his
whole duty, and they deserve special praise
for their conduct while on duty"
The Jail Prisoners.
The total number OF prisoners sentenced
to jail during the year was 2.087. OF this
number 1,451 were colored males 335 white
males, II white females and 30 colored fe-
males, The sentences were for the follow
ing offenses:
Assault and battery, 969; assault Q; af-
fray, 5S; attempt TO steal from person /;
bawdy house. 4; carrying concealed weap-
ons. l26; cruelty to child, /; contempt OF
court, I; cruelty to animals, ] disorderly
house 81; depreciation on property. 5; de-
fault OF alimony, |; embezzlemsnt. l; forni-
cation, IL; grand larceny, 3; gaming table,
keeping. 9; highway robbery, 9; housebreah-
ing, L.; keeping dangerous dog |; larceny
from person, T.; manslaughter. =; malicious
trespass, l; permitting gambling, }; petit
larceny, 6j3: receiving stolen property, q;
unlicensed selling, 3; unlicensed bar z: vio-
lating commission merchant act. l: violat-
ing fish law, /; violating Revised United
States Statutes, 4; violating olcpmargarlne
law i; violating gaming Law, 20; violating
pui:cE law, -.
The total number of people committed to
Jail on various charges during the year
oil
males, 353: white males, $50: females, %.
teresting summary for the year ending
October 81
Number in jail November J. 1897. 42l:
received during the year. 3.493: discharged
during the year, 3,491; October 81, lSgs 323;
largest number in any one day. 443 small
est number in any one day. 300: average
daily number for 1898 300 l2-aG5; average
daily number for 1897, 342: Of the 323 in
mates at the close of 1898 there were
white males, 81; white females - colored
males, 243; colored females. -: number Of
visitors to see prisoners during year, Il, ,Sf}s;
number OF prisoners visited during the
year, 13, ,252; number of visitors to see Jail,
946; number of visitors to conduct religious
services, 2,654: sent to the reform school.
District Of Columbia, o; sent to the insane
died in jail, 3; sent to the penitentiary, l73;
During the year 173 prisoners were sent to
the penitentiary, divided as follows: Col
ored males, 1876; females. .; white males IS
DR.. Shute, physician to the jail, submits
a report showing that the sanitary condi-
tion of the Jail has been good.