Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-08
REPORT OF JAIL WARDEN
Statement Presented for the Year Ending
October 81, 1899.
The Physicinn's Exhibit-Reference to
Prevalence of Disease Attributable
to Maiariai Influences.

The warden of the District Jail. in his re-
pert to the Attorney General Of the United
States for the year ending october 81 last,
presents the following. among other sta
tistics of interest:
Since his last report, he says, the wo-
mans new department has been completed
and occupied. Its comparative modern con-
struction he regards as a decided improve
ment over the older part of the jail The
superior ventilation and other appointments
are decidedly favorable.
The warden submits the report of the
physician to the Jail; also tables giving a
detailed account of the business of the Jail
during the year.
II desire TO call attention." he says, Ito
the fact that ii is frequently the case that
prisoners are tried for ofenses where the
penalty is less than one year in jail, but
the prisoner may have two or more counts
against him. 'hus aggregating more than
one year, aid in some instances two three
and four years / am of the OPINION that
the law should be changed so as to allow
the court to aggregate the several sentences
and send the prisoner to the penitentiary
instead of keeping him in Jail SO long with
out WORK.. Prisoners committed to Jail dur
ing the past year for periods agsregating
more than 1854 days are as follows: 3I9
days, l; 42o days. l; $40 days, 2; IA days,
2: $50 days, /, 20 days, 2; IA days, l; 800
days, /; 9eS days, =; 1850 days !.
But prisoners have been sentenced to
jail for periods of from 400 to l,GuO days,
one prisoner becoming insane, PROBABLY be-
cause of his having remained in SUCH close
confinement for so long a time.
During the year there have been 49,
persons committed to jail under the age OF
| eighteen, ranging from eight TO seventeen
| years of age. 1t seems to me that some
| Inherent action should be taken with refer
| ence to sending persons OF such extreme
youth to the District Jail. believing that 1t
is not the best for the moral status of these
| youths
| Physician's Report.
| DR.. d. X. Shute, physician to the jail, in
1 his report, says in part:
| THE prisoners and officers of the Jail
have suffered to an unusual extent from
| malarial fever both in the spring and au-
tumn of this year, due TO the proximity Of
| the Jail to the Eastern branch of the Poto-
| mae river. AT least one-haf of the pris-
| oners and officers have had, both in the
| spring and autumn, severe attacks of ma
| iarial fever. The malarial fever has been
| so very severe this year that many OF the
| officers have been incapacitated for work
| even more than in previous years The
officers have had such severe and pro-
| tracted attacks of malarial fevers that al
times the management of the jail has beer
! seriously embarrassed for want OF the
| proper number of guards. If the Jail is to
be permanently located at its present loca
ton, feel that it is my duty to again sug
| gest that the flats of the Eastern brancf
| should be redeemed If possible. The miasu
emanating from these flats not only seri
! ously embarrasses the health and wellbe
ing of the prisoners and officers of th'
| United States Jail, but it is a breeding poin
| for the spread of nalarial miasm through
the whole city. Many prisoners who CONE
to the United States Jail are already pos
| sessed with brOken-down constitution, du
| to various diseases and personal abuses
and through exposure to the miasm ema
| mating from the flats of the Eastern brancl
makes serious inrOads upon their healti
and strength.
THE sanitary condition of the jail. apar
| from its location near the Eastern brancl
flats, has been unusually good. The pris
oners of the Jail, due to the careful precau
( | lions of the warden, have been exemp
! | from any attacks of smallpox, which wa
; | largely present in this city at large