The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-10-07
state Prison Abuse Under Repub
Iicau Law.

The recent investigation into the abuses
- +ba state Prison has brought to light
several evils hich could have existed
only under the hypocritical rule OF the
Republican party. One OF the most scan
daious Of these Is the manner In winch
prIsoners. who had monied frineds. we're
enabled to obtain luxurIeA. Gas stoves.
on Which all the delieacies Of the season
could De cooked were in many ceus and
several OF tbs more favored convicts had
LUXURIOUS plush couohes upon which to
rest their weary limbs instead OF the
plank bed which Is popularity supposed
to be part Of their punishment. Lights
we're permitted in the cells until nine
o'clock, and, take It all In all. the con
victs' lot was not such ar unhappy one
as might be expected
Just Imagine a prisoner like Valentine.
the Perth Amboy n wrecker. His
crime was one OF the worst in the his
tory Of bank embezzleunen.s and he
amount he made away with one of the
largest on record In the annals OF such
crime In his State. 1t was so large as
TO cause the wreck Of the bank he vic
tfmized. He was sentenced to State
Prison at hard labor for a preposterously
short term. In the popular mind, this is
r,,-ad ~ ;. sou,a arduous manual
work from sunrise to bed time, the COM
monest kind Of fare and an ordinary
plank bed at night. Such is the way It
was interpreted when the prison was in
control Of the Democrats and was what
its founders meant 1t to be. "a correction
airy institution. But what iii It under Re-
publican management? The prisoner has
o congenial task of keeping books. end.
when the days work Is done. he goes to
his cell; with the aid OF his gas stove he
prepares a meal of deHcacies: and after
eating this he stretches himself out on
his luxurious plush couch and enjoys q
good cigar as he peruses the daily news
paper or reads some favorite work Of
light fiction. This ts not the case with
Valentine the bank wrecker alone; every
prisoner whose friends had the necessary
funds with which to procure these lux
uries, enjoyed them. It remained for
some great disaster Ike the sensational
escape Of two burglars to bring about
the exposure n adjustment Of these
amazing abuses. Had not these two en-
terprising housebreakers converted an
air shaft into a sort OF "shoot the
chutes" and slid into freedom. these gro
tesque distortions of the penal idea would
In all probability be f%lourishing now IN
der the righteous and sanctiAed patron
age Of Governor Voorhees, and his crew
Of bosses and heelers of the Party Of
Moral Ideas.
One of the most remarkable features
about this extraordinary state Of affairs
Is the rapidity with which it sprang into
existence. 1t is but little over two years
since Samuel s. Moore of Elizabeth, the
present Republican keeper, was appoint
ed BY Governor voorhees, to succeed John
II. Paterson of Monmouth county, the
last Democratic keeper. who administered
the affairs of the prison in a most salts
factory manner for ten years. At the
time Of Mr.. Moore's accession, no such
abuses as have been now discovered ex-
lsted in the prison. Blu the present COM
bination had only been In control a few
weeks when they were In full swing.