The Wilmington daily Republican., 1902-01-16
VISIT TO THE
W0RKH0USE
Prisoners do Not Com.
plain Of Food Fur"
niShed.

Monday. j. Frank Ball says that
the report in an evening paper was
greatly exaggerated aud magnihed.
Iu speaking II a reporter Of the
REPUBLICAN yesterday, he said:
"There was some dlssension at the
workhouse. but il was no open or
concentrated meeting. | would
very much like you 10 visit the
workshop and see the discipline
and the prisoners at work and then
form your own opinion. if a riot
could have taken place without
some one getting hurt.
The invitation was accepted aud
the visit made yesterday afternoon.
Warden Meserve was very accom-.
mod allng and furnished all the ln-
formation asked of him in pleas
ant manner.
"This mush in question he said
"was not mustv, as ! ate some Of it
ior nv own breakfast. was In
the kitchen early in the morning
and the mush smelIed SO good that
requested some to be sent into my
dining room for breakfast
Several OF the prisoners have
complained about the food, one say
ing that he did not like this article
and another that he did not like
the soup and so on. In place like
this there is bound to be some dis
content and it is impossible 10
please every body.
The colored man did refuse to
work and was taken from the room.
Three other negroes andtwo whites
quit work and followed to the door.
" here they were commanded TO go
back to their work. They SAID
they wanted 10 talk about the tood
ard were told that | would not talk
to them In body. but il they had
any complaint, it mus. be made III
a proper way.
Guards Wigglesworth and Gray
were in the room al the time and
they compelled the men to 60 back
to their work. There has not been
word. OF dlsapproval since aud
10 show you how the men are work.
ing, | will take you to the work.
room.
As the door OF the workroom was
opened, not head was raised. A
large room was disclosed, filled
with machinery, with ever hun
drcd busy men operating it. Some
were sewing, others pressing, cut
ting, finishing and packing the
clothes for delivery, The reporter
was given the freedom OF the room
and allowed to question the prison
ers at will. A prominent man
recently sent to the worknouse aud
whom verybody knows, said there
was no serious outbreak on Mon
day or somebody would have been
killed, aud virtually verified all
that Warden Meserve had said.
.How is the food was asked Of
the prisoner.
.'lt is not quite as good as |
have been used to, but is a great
deal better than what The most oi
these fellows here get outside
"Did you ca! any Of the mush on
Monday morning.
Yes
WAS it sour or musty!'
There was nothing wrong with
it to my knowledge.
"What do you think OF MIR. Mes
erye as a warden and how are the
men generally treated by the
suard!'
'Mr. Meserve is a fine man and
treats all the men with as much re-
spect as if they were not prisoners
under his control. The guards are
all gentlemen and treat fellow as
il he was human
No roughness is allowed and every
man has to behave himself. The
prisoners have become greatly at
,rched to guards Gray and Wig
giles worth and show their respect
for them openly.
Several others were questioned
and told very near the same thing.
None Of these spoke IN the presence
OF Warden Mcserve, nor say what
tEev did ior lear OF Icing punished
tor speaking otherwise.
A visit was then made to the
kitchen, where the ingredients for
making up the meals were inspect
ed. everything was done in a
clean way and two men were kept
constantly employed in polishing
and scrubbing the utensils, until
YOU could see your face III them.
"Ihisis the bread you have heard
so much complaint Of said the
warden, picking up piece left
IRON dinner. The reporter broke
off a piece and ate it. TWAS pleas.
ant TO the taste and as sweet as
any bread ever baked.
The bakery was then inspected
and loaf OF bread, just baked,
gwen to the reporter as "A souvenll.
/ 1t is now TO be seen at this office
and any person interested can call
and see ii or sample it, and satisfy
himself that no one could complain
of the bread baked at the work
house.
Iu the kitchen the soup lor this
mornings breakfast was being
prepared. II is cooked from S to 10
hours by steam, and it would be i'm
possible Tor ii to be bad when made
OF good material.
The meals furnished during the
week are as follows;
Sunday Breakfast, scrapple,
bread and coffee.
Mutton stew, made OF
mutton, potatoes, cabbage, bread
, and rice pudding
Monday Breakfast. ccrn meal
: mush mol asses, bread aud coffee.