Sunday Washington globe., 1901-12-22

The GLOBE would respectfully bring to
the attention of the Congressional COM
mittee on the District Of Columbia the jail
Of this District The matters specifically
needing reformation are;
(I.) The abolition Of long sentences or for
periods of over thirty days Of the culprits
brought before our local Judges.
ta.) Providing for some sort Of employ
ment for the sentenced prisoners, either in
their cells OF in some general workshop
which could be provided and equipped
within the jail Enclosure.
(s.) The daily drill or exercise of from
two to four hours of the prisoners in the
event that workshop is impracticable,
which ii ought not to be, at least light cell
work ought TO be easily provided
I'd Providing the prisoners with cheap
stone ware plates and bowls on which food
is to be served and furnishing them knives
and forks to eat the same
(5) The regulation Of the hours of duty re-
quired Of guards and employees on a basis
of common sense and of humane conditions.
AstO the necessity for these reformations
the GLOBE offers the following observations
based upon a visit to the Jail and on infor
nation otherwise supplied and fully au-
thenticated.
First taking up the matter Of the extra
ordinary hours required of the engineers Of
the Jail. II appears that the head engineer
(who tas no certificate as such on fle) is
exempted from his term on the watch or
trick of duty while his assistants are forced
to put in twenty-four hours on a stretch
without sleep or other rest than the time
consumed in eating their meals Now
twenty-four hours at a stretch on duty, and
especially the duty Of an engineer is a re-
quirement as senseless as It is injudicious
and dangerous. Instead Of alternate twenty
four duty and twenty rest the time
schedule should be arranged with the ser
vices of the head engineer thrown in to
make the trick of duty not to exceed twelve
hours OF less. Meantime the head engineer
might be required TO frame his license in
imitation of his assistants-provided he has
one
The guards trick of duty is not so OBJ
iectionable and their rests are reasonably,
recuperatiug to warrant their active vigi-
lance while on duty
Now as to the prisoners confined in the
little tomb-like cells, and who are treated
exactly as the more ferocious animals of
our Zoo, we ask in the interest Of humanity
that radical reformation be at once inaugu-
rated How can any Congressman sit down
to the table in his hotel or boarding house
and enjoy his meal when he knows and is
responsible for the fact that human beings
like himself, almost within the shadow Of
the capitol are compelled to lap their food
like dogsl The food, such as it is, is thrust
into the prisoners cells in corroded greasy
tin vessels and the prisoner is forced to eat
OF lap the mixture of soup meat, potatoes
vegetables, ETC., as neither knife nor fork is
furnished him The excuse for this brutal
iziug treatment of the erring or unfortunate
inmate of the Jail is that he istoo vicious to
be intrusted with a knife and fork.
This puerile and senseless excuse warrants
the instant dismissal of any official or guard
offering the same The editor of the GLOBE
has had the honor Of the acquaintance of at
least one guard in the county Jail This
gentleman. Emmanuel Ream. has turned
the KEY on our individual self more times
than lie has hairs on his manly chestl Guard
Ream has seen, as we have, over two thou
sand convicts seated at the tables in the
Ohio Penitentiary eating out of stone ware
and with knives and forksl These convicts
were men who had been actually tried and
found guilty Of every crime in the criminal
calendar from murder to stealing chickens.
many Of them we're redicevists of two,
three, four FIVE and six convictions for
penal offenses Yet the prison authorities
furnished them knives and forks and stone
ware, heavy enough to brain each other
and Guard Ream any more than the editor
cannot cite many cases where one prisoner
used either his knife, fork, plate or bowl
on the head or person of a fellow prisoner
II such an occurrence took place punish
ment sure and certain followed so swiftly
that imitators were promptly intimidated
from doing likewise.
Now in our jail no sucn excuse as fear Of
injury to guards OF prisoners shonld be per-
n,itted or accepted as the all-suficieut
reason why the authorities of the District
degrade human beings to the level of the
beasts OF the field Let the Jail inmates be
supplied with clean earthenware dishes
and knives and forks, also plenty of soap
and water These things society owes the
imprisoned, and society when It denies
them, is more criminal than the vilest thug,
horse thief or burglar behind the wallis For
society commits this oifense against human
ity out OF the sheer wantoness of its power
and it's known irresponsibility or fear OF
punishment. And, Notwithstanding that II
is punished later on by the brutes it has
made out Of human beings, its indifference
is begotten of that instinct which, in the
thief and burglar, is called criminal, and
correctly SO.
Better that one Jail inmate cuts another
with his table knife every day in the week
then that such system of degradation soi
human beings be enforced by the authori-
ties OF compelling men to lap their food
like dogsl
But there need be no danger of any such
an outcome. The prisoners eat their meals
separately ia their cells When through
their meals the guards and attendants can
collect from each prisoner his knife, fork
spoon, plate and bowl. Why Is not this
donel Simply because it Is more degrad.
ing, ferocious and brutal in the authorities
to compel prisoners to lap their food and
rot IN their outward and inward filth In
contrast to the well paid servants who are
paid By tie tax payers to safeguard and at
t..I A., ti.na ,,rfrtf,,aI xtaria Of the afafp