The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-01-26

the prime of early manhood; when we know
that consumptives and the delicate ones
are sent to the State Farm, and that
constant pardons are given in cases Oh
hopeless disease, SO that the prisoner
may go to die in hts own family, we cau-
not perceive that the death rate OF the
institution is sufficiently small to indt-
cate that enlargement is unnecessary Tor
heaIth's sake. Another objection to i'm
proving the place is the expense, but
when any one with sense of justice
hears that for many years the prisoner
has supported himself and given the State
from $4,000 TO $4,000 annually. it seems
hard, indeed, to withhold from him for
other purposes the comparatively small
sum needed to improve his ioatheSome,
horrible abode.
Major Lynn, the former Superintendent,
spent much time and study upon prison
enlargement. He showed me designs he
had made of his proposed improvements,
which appeared exactly to the purpose.
His plan was to erect an addition to the
present building, which should fill the
space between the present front OF the
prison and the gate at the front of the
grounds; the new building to be built
on to the old one. which contains good
rooms and offices that could we'll be uttl-
lied. This new structure could not, OF
course, hold all the prisoners, as its
cells would be built for but two or three
men apiece at most, but all the prisoners
could be temporarily placed in It until
the old building could be renovated, its
worst features removed, and then a part
of the men could be replaced in it very
we'll This could be done for about Sl50,-
000 | have heard said by those who had
studied it intelligently.
The Woman's Department and Shoe
Shops are already Iaige modern bric.,
buildings, fitted in every way for theiI
respective purposes. But | have heard
one of our most prominent politicians in
SiSt upon 4 complete removal IT the
prison TO the State Farm, or the pur
chase OF still another farm. on which II
place q new prison. This step would en-
tail the erection, from the ground up, OF
an immense solid structure for the
prisoners, if they are to be descent!y
sheltered from the weather. New Wo
mems Department, new factories il such
are needed, good houses for the SJpertn
tend, assistant superintendent, other o.
ficerS and guards, enclosures, stabliug
for horses. conveyauces, ETC., farm i'm
p!ements-in short, an infinite number OF
improvements, at an immense cost. Ii
has been urged that the present site
of the institution could be sold for a
great sum, but as the well-known "PeGi
Tertiary Bottom one of 1T worst
slunlS of the city bounds, apart Of the
grounds, and none of the environment is
desirable, it is hard to believe that the
sale of the present property would as
sist mattr.a ly toWarl the enormous eN
pense OF complete removal.
Another suggestion that [ have heard
as to providing for the prisoners is
hire them ont as laborers to railroads,
or to counties to work their roads, or
to coal mines. \ great majority Of our
citizens, however kind and considerate in
other respects, seem TO consider thu
cause of helpless prisoners as one I'M
worthy of attention. and that suffering
inflicted upon him is a Just reward for
former crime. / appeal, however, to any
one who ever gives their condition a
thought, to recall the records given
every year by the papers of different
sections fthe Union Of dreadful cases
of cruelty and oppression in aylums and
different institutions, notably the case
in the Bellevue Hospital, n. Y, where
an insane patient has lately been
beaten TO death by nurses. And
these things done in the heart
of cities and full communities, simply
because the one side is helpless, the
other has will and opportunity to i'm
pose upon that helplessness.
Now, If such things can happen with in
nocent patientH and under favorable cir
cumstances for them. apparently, what
must be the Sufferings OF prisoners OF the
law, far,ned out as beasts Of burden, far
out of reach of friendly eyes and hands;
half fed half clothed and half sheltered.
to a. moral certainty: and used by ire
sponsible parties as helpers working ma
terial, to do the greatest amount OH work
ut the lowest cost of maintenance. The
worst accounts of sufferings that 1 have
ever read lave been those % Southern
prison camps. The former superintendent
OF our prison told me OF going to lum-
Der camp in Virginia to a'scertain the con-
dition eli a number of prisoners hired
there. It Was in bitter weather, the men
utterly uncared for and half clothed He
found twelve dead, and, l think, seven
teen dying horribly, all from being frozen.
He brought away the survivors. This
can go on whether helpless creatures are
put into the hands of individuals or cor
poratiors whose sole object is TO work
them for all they are worth. and off in
camps and stockadss they can suffer fear
fully without the least notice from the
pub,ic outside. Sometimes a very overt
act brings itself to light. such. rs the
beating 10 death of two convicts in the
Georgia prison camp this last summer.
one of the poor creatures actually being
found dead. bound to the tree where the
dreadful cruelty had been inflicted.
MRS. LANDON r. MASON.
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