The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-03-27
the improvements suggested, would enec
the desired result.

the improvements suggested, "ouio tiAee'
the desired result.
bettcr equipped kitchen for the pre-
,,r.t,cn of food is absolutely necessa: -
'rhe material itself, though coarse, Is 49,
~ good, but It's preparation 10 rasac,
bic and this does not IN any WIS. 90 =, -
a;sr-edit upon the authorizes, "ho a.
oiset III -, mon NAV with the opportu'
,,;,ias az hand TO aitain-what IS pract,
ALI in,nossible-the furnishing OF well
orenareG. food Nor is this ail-lnsre AZ
another crying evil coupled Win us oi''
trbution. :,.+o5-and in the
..rIv morning overheated ceiis-t"ci,e
hundred men must march sl'ris .rhs1e
;ai;. In single file. this scan,s 90. ;nc1a.
,,,ert t,c weather-out in the open al'
tl..,- r,cc,ed and for fully hai1 an NO. ~
they shivering 80 to receive the lo.u' na 20.
enough already NOW partially 1roze'l-i 10
ono horr al least must clapSe between tne
placing of the food on the board and the
lime at which the last man receives IL
would not mind the freezing OF the 1000
so much il it were not for the further act
that the unfortunate men are nall frozen
too
PREVENTED FUNERAL MARCHES.
The moment I REALIZED this state of at
fairs / recommended the giving of yarn
shirts to the men-so that the 1000
marches would not turn out TO pc Iunerd
for the promptness with which they ac ,tsa
on the Recommendation to give an me
men these very necessary aI.l.ieo ~
wear There are from thre to three ana q
. half hours per day of the CONVEX 5
-.ek-Gay life spent in these slngle-h!e
marches Marches to meals, marcnes 70
the shops and disgusting marches 10 . .he
cess-pool with buckets-1or TINS - ~
only form of sewage in use in the penn
tertiary to-day outside of the hospi. s,l.
The ,errors of this system OF bucket SEW W
age make our penitentiary throw G 1nto ;ne
shad. the stored horrors OF Iht
mines ar the Black Hole OF Calcutta
7 viii not dwell at 100 much ielslh IN
mic ~, on the other heaith-des'iosin - 3
agencies at work in the pehlle..'",t -, &c
may be said that summer u1lle pi!S7
some rclief. 1t does by way OF fenuid-
..n, nv ihere are other discomforts
which o,,trival the former, tenolnS 70
ward the voc of: the unfortunates. Cnoei
the entire penitentiary runs iapHrintL
of dungeons, corridors. etc, from "hlch
noN;o1s and presidential Tapors emanate
and wherein rats and Eermln breed IN
millions innumerable- Rest is almost I'm
possible. with beds alive with ouSs which
up to the present have resisted what ef-
forts have been made to destroy them.
A short relief is sometimes obtained by
embarrassing the cells and other modes
of disinfcctinS to which the authorities
resort in order to make life even approx
ir,a1el!- tolerabe Some of the former
in the power of the prisoners themselves
to lessen. The latter are entirely outside
their control. as well as outside that OF
the authorities. who employ every means
in their power TO no effect.
WHY MORTALITY, is LOW
But with all these evils, at first sight,
il NAV appear from a glance at the an
nual report that the death rate at the
peniten;iary is extremely low. The
tables. however, are misleading IT must
l,,,f fay -hnHi OIL
prisoners are permitted to remain in the
penitentiary proper Those who would
swell the death rate-if permitted to re-
main-are sent to the State Farm so that
the average death rate in both places
comes nearer TO the true actual death rate
of the penitentiary. Take last year for
example. TIL, death rate in the peniten-
tiarE was I.25 per 1000. The death rate
at the farm was 1888 re, 1000, making the
actual death r:ite Of she pcnitentiarv
about 5l.6S cor iO0o-a rate certainly high
in view Of tho far- that many men are
yearly pardon"2 the recommends ton
of the surgeon by the Governor if it is
believed that their immediate death, II
allowed to remain, is certain. Forty per
1908 l consider to have been the actual
death rate in the institution last year
1hlS is much too high when we consider
all the circumstances in the case.
There are no infants in the institution
there are no extremely aged persons. The
great majority are Toung-all are enforc-
eddy temperate. The average age of all
the prisoners is not much in excess of
twenty-five years. Besides this. criminals
a class are unusually vigorous. accuS-
toned more or less to privations. and
their average terms of Imprisonment is
not much over five az six Gears.
THE STATE IS LOSER.
claim; and ! believe consistently, that
from a financial standpoint the State
would be largely the gamer by removing
the terrible evils which now, by law, she
permits 1t would entail but slight eX-
pense- From ten to twenty dollars per
DAY would be saved in the earnings OF
the men who must now be excused BY
reason of sickness. and when these same
men are discharged from prison they
would be vigorous enough to earn theil
daily bread instead of being as many
are now, a burthen on society when their
liberty is reSained-
a penny-wise and pound foolish policy
obtains, and legislators ought to see to it
that such a policy should not longer be
carried out. l have no doubt but proper
legislation would follow a proper knowl-
edge of the facts. and If by any means
in my power due knowledge of the
facts In the case can be brought within
the knowledge of all the people that
means will be employed at every cost.
To reform the criminal Is to make him
just. to make him realize that it is the
part of every man TO give every other
man that which Is his. The State must
set the example OF absolute justice in
dealing with the relationships of men il
she would reform her maynard children.
Criminals as a class. are keenly alive to
ever act of injustice perpetrated in the
name of law And there are rights. born
OF humanity. which are too frequently
trified With In dealing with them The
days OF the rack and the cross and the
thumb screw are over. The light of the
twentieth century has shown them as All
solutely powerless in deterring from
cri1ne-ano mat nope inspired by honest
ment Of offenders will be more bower
full lever in winning men from the evils
Of their ways than all the pillories and
pulleys and whipping posts OF the dark
OF honest men.
cHAs. v. DARLINGTON.
It is desired that full attendance be
had at the residence of the Bishop this
rehearsal nj the TOW ot,r.