The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-03-22
SOME CONVICT LEASE EVILS.
Confusion and Cruelty Characterize the
Entire System.
Committee May Recommend New Penitentary
Elsewhere Than at Hunt sviIIe--The
Books Are Well Kept.

Tor little ice In their water. hut really
thot the railroad might gel the benefit Of
tue long UaNs Tins 10 would get from
q oau to one hours work extra per day
uut 81 forty men for luo pounds Of ice
witch the guards would share in. And
thcsc trains were under he jurisdiction OF
INC pcniteuuaiy inspectors appointed as
vNlmiord above, aud whose business Ii was
under the law 10 sec that the mon were
h'llAtr inhumanly treated nor oyerWorkcd.
~
with regard 10 tho contract farms tho
committee learned thar due regard Is not
had ON them for the health of such ronyicts
as are sent thcrc. The contractors accept
nothing hut FIRST class Labor: that is, mon
free from disease and In the best 81 physi-
cal condition, Vet 80 per cent of the pa
tCnts in Huntsville prison hospital come
from these farms suffering from malaria,
dropSy aud ovcrwork Punishmcnts are
frequent and the food is improperly cooked
and indlUcrcWly issued. Aud right heyc
another weak spot ia the pcitoutiary sys.
tenn was made apparent Tho food Is sup
piled by The financial agent who makes q
polnt oi furnishing q reasonable variety
aud quantity thereof But ne has no way
or aSccrtaWng how It is prepared or
whether ID is wholesome FuIthcrmrfC il
cases wha, becomes ~ II, For Instance.
he Will honor ~crgCaut's rcQuiSUion and
ne order is filled by some mcrch0n. from
Nnom thC hnh1vlal agent burs. The in-
voice is checked up 10y some convict clcrk
WI UuNtN aud ON his say 50 the tvT.
geant reports 20 the financial agent that il
checked cut all right Bui invoices do not
always check out al right norwlthsbind.
ing The SerrcantS report to that effect.
sometimes the convict who does the chcck-
ing gets away with a part Of the tnyui .
again the merchant from whom the sun
plies were ordered either makes a mistake
or gets careless. Yet there is no way for
inc financial agent 10 hnd this out He
has no one 10 send 60 watch these things
The inspector who ought In know pbont
II ~ roaming around OF his own no ion
somewhere among the farms without
rorant ot the details ~ the system ly
Mhich the farms are kept In supplies aud
accident alone gives the financial Bg.ut an
insight INTO now things are going.
~
With regard to the scrrcants on the con.
tract farms some Of them draw pay from
the contractors rs wen as tho state. and
1t keeps HON busy serving both mas Us.
II indeed they undertake to serve bnt the
ono under whose eye they are most of tho
time. As to the guards on these farms the
penitentlsry officials insist that SOME of
them are good men. hut reluctantly admit
that such of them as are good men dc not
/ NlNl IN the service when they can uc,
| anything better 10 do According 10 mon
I cohNlctS as had been ON these furms am
/ who testified before the committee thos,
| guards are drivers from away bnck and
nave nothing hut rough and abusive Ian
/ gusge for the men In their charge
. IN Two instances and with regard 10 TIVE
CtUttenl contract farms. IT WAS testified
before the committee 10y couvictS that IN,
! prisoners thereon were taken ont at nigit
/ by the guards and made TO dance for thel
amusement and that OF their friends an,
( that much run was had with them on
1 one contract farm 1t was asserted 4 "hOnk,
! tonk was nj one time maintained hy tht
contractor in a store which he ran Lew,
/ women congrcgnted there NJ night and Sucl
4 convicts rs had money were brought ON
and permitted 20 dance and spend II Wit
these women for drinks and such othc
Inspector SpOoncr reached this farm IN
heralded one night the witness said an
found the 'honRy tonk' IN full blast an,
/ broke n M. with regard to Inspector
I Spooncr II was testified @ by cOnyicts that
he spent more time on the farms than Ms
. predecessors bad done and that punish
ments had become less frequent since hi,
appointment For Instance. they declared
he issues no standing orders FOR who
pings and he makes M honest effort to as
certain the facts with regard to prevail
I ing conditions.
The above glimpses Of life on tho con
/ tract farms were obtained from men WAC
served on them ina the past. the testimony
. being more favorable as the time clnpslnE
I since their transfer TO the walls grew short
/ or For testimony rs 10 actual conditions
! therein NJ the present time the committee
I will visit them all and draw It's conclusions
! nj close range two OF it's members hnviaG
already made n start IN that direction.