The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-03-01
SATURDAY.........MARCH l. 1902
vIRGININs TERRIBLE DIsGRAcE.


islatuFe, which contains some state
fments concerning the State Peniten-
tiary, which, if correct, are enough to
make every Virginian hang his head
i'll shame. The letter states that
while the Penitentiary was built for
the reception of three hundred men
only, for years past it has held an
average of fourteen hundred; that
one ordinary cell during the past
year has been the abiding place OF
twenty-nine men, and several Others
have contained over twenty men
each; that each cell is lighted and
ventilated only by small, heavily
barred window and a very small
transom over the door which leads
into a small courtyard, having itself
poor chance for fresh air.
What a shame What an outrage
upon the fair name of Virginia 1t is
a miracle that no scourge of disease
has broken out among the prisoners
and spread through the city around
them. Furthermore, lOathsOme YER
min are in the walls, and all efforts
made by the prison officials to eradi-
cate them have failed. and the pris-
Oners in summertime cannot escape
being devOured by these horrible III
sects at night, in addition to their
terrible suffering from the heat, foul.
disgusting air and densely crowded
state. We are informed that there
have been recently two hundred and
fifty-eight cases of that terrible skin
disease known rs itch, and only the
most stringent medical precautions
haveprevented its spread throughout
the entire prison.
The cooking department is under
ground and very dark and entirely
too damp and too small to furnish
cooked food to such a num-
Der oSt-pGisoners. The hospitals right
in the mids~a& the closely confined
court into which every door and
transom opens, for it -, | / T." only
chance to secure fresh air
But enough; the sight is so appall-
ing and disgraceful that we shrink
from describing it further. We doubt
if Siberia was ever SO bad a place for
the reception of criminals as is our
own Penitentiary. The very thought
of fourteen hundred people in civil
lied State being compelled to exist as
heretofore described is enough to
make Virginians rise up in open revo-
linton and demand of our Legislature
immediate relief for thesepeople, who
are suffering because of the neglect OF
somebody in official power.
THE FREE LANCE has many times
suggested and urged that thecOnvicts
Of this State be scattered throughout
the Commonwealth and their
labor he used for the pur-
pose of improving our public
HIGHWAYS. Itcan be readily seen that
this would easily relieve the condi-
tions existing in the Penitentiary,
and at the same time make our pub
lie roads places OF safety for travel,
rather than mud-holes fit Onlyfor the
reception of wallowing hogs. Some
thing must be done at once, or those
in authority will be guilty OF criminal
neolect and in the Great Beyond com
pelled to answer for the death or
broken-down physical condition OF
many a man.
Heretofore, when one has seen bit
to criticise the conditions existing at
the Penitentiary, he has been pro-
nounced guilty of treason and has
been stamped as "chronic kicker.
An outraged people are greatly IN
censed. and the legislator who dares
70 impede the swift passage OF bill
having for it's object the immediate
relief of our Penitentiary, will be
marked as an unfit person to repre-
sent anv community. Every citizen
sbould at once place himself in direct
communication with his representa-
tive in the Legislature and demand
of him all the support that an honest
relief bill shall require. Let every
voter in this Commonwealth say to
his representative " Relieve Virginia
Of this terrible disgrace or we VIII
hold YOU accountable for your share
OF this great outrage upon the
people"
When such a conservative paperas
The Richmond Times boils with indig-
nation i'm q discussion of this subject
and states. "With full knowledge OF
the import OF the words we employ,
we believe that the Almighty God will
manifest His displeasure and visit this
ain mon the State OF Virginia if the
LEGISLATURE does not soon go to the
relief of those accursed wretches in
the Penitentiary," it is high time
,o+b;no be done. When we curse
Gods creatures how can weexpectto
oscane His curses? When a man VIC
Iates the law he ought to Depunlshed'
.;..;,;1ad punishment does not