The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1901-05-24
PRISONERS IN TENNESSEE PEN.
Large Per Cent. Are Young, without
Education or Occupation.

Some very interesting facts are
disclosed by study of the stats
teal table; in the last report of the
Board of Prison Commissioners OF
Tennessee, says the Memphis
Scimitar.
Those tables show the number
of convicts both for the State and
| United States, their age, color,
previous occupation, nativity,
educational qualifications, relig-
ious belief, as we'll as the crimes
for which they are convicted, and
counties from which they were
sentenced.
According to this report, at the
beginning of the present year
there were about LIZA prisoners
confined in the main prison, and
the Brushy Mountain and Inman
branch prisons.
OF this number 239 were United
States prisoners and I,505 State
convicts.
OF the State prisoners, the
largest per cent. range between
20 and 80 years of age for both
the white and colored prisoners,
with the second largest per cent.
from 20 years and under for the
negroes and from 80 to 40 years
for the white convicts.
OF the United States prisoners
the largest per cent. or about 1873
are whites, with about 80 negroes,
seven of whom are women.
Among the State prisoners there
are but three females, all white.
In the 1,548 remaining State
prisoners, there are 1923 negroes
and $40 whites.
AS to nativity, Tennessee easily
leads, with $40 convicts. Georgia
comes second with 81, Mississippi |
third with 80, Alabama "a, North |
Carolina N, Kentucky Sc, and |
other States ranging from 3S |
down. OF the 81 foreigners, s
are from England, 6 from Ger
many, A from Ireland, 2 from
Italy and l from Venezuela.
The table showing the previous
occupation Of 1851 State prison
ers furnishes some interesting
food for thought to the criminal
student.
Of this number, $40 claimed no
occupation, 4S2 are classified as
miscellaneous, 227 us farmers, 81
cooks, 20 miners, II brickmasons,
IA harnessmakers, 10 BARRIERS, 10
blacksmiths, II shoemakers and
railroad men, 10 carpenters, 8
7 engineers and painters,
s machinists, plumbers and physi-
clans, 5 printers, 4 watchmakers,
stonemasons and drummers, and
dentists.
These figures will be surprise
10 the average person from the
large number of farmers, as the
ratio of crime is never as large in
rural districts as in cities.
The figures show that 744 out Of
| ,551 State convicts have no edu-
,ation, $40 are able to read, 178 ]
can read and write, 80 have COM
non school educations, and but %
ire college graduates.
But small per cent, or 341 out
If 1851 prisoners, are members
# churches. Of this number
here are IA Baptists, 120 Meth
odists, 81 Complexities, IA Pres
oyterians, 10 Catholics, 8 Episco-
oalians, 6 Hebrews, 5 Dutch Re- '
formers, and 10 Lutherans.
The short term prisoners are
most numerous, as 504 out of 1851
ire serving terms of one year, 247
ire two-year men, 295 three year ,
sentences, 1877 four-year, IA five Z
years, "a six years, So ten to fif- /
een-year sentences, As fifteen to
,wenty years, IA over twenty
years, and 10 are life prisoners.
The commonest crimes for which !
sentence is being served is lar q
,eny. Out of 1851 convicts, 213
we're sentenced for larceny, 100 a
or larceny and burglary, SO for c
attempt to murder, 81 for assault |
% commit voluntary manslaughter,
IS for assault to commit murder,
md "a for housekeeping.
The more serious crime of MUIR
Ter shows 40 convlcts; man. =
daughter 10, horse stealing -,
orgery 81, embezzlement and
robbery Z.