The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-01
THIS IS THE DAY
For the First Annual lnSpeC-
ton of ConviCts.
The Review viii Take Place in Nash Square
This Afternoon Between q and 8
O'c'ock.

The act passed by the Legislature O
| 1903 providing for an annual inspection
of the State conyicts will be carried into
| effect this afternoon for the first time
The act reads as follows:
| The General Assembly of North Caro-
lima do enact:
THAT on the first day of April every
year an inspection of the State convicts
shall be held in Nash Square, Raleigh
| n. c., in the afternoon, between the
hours of four and six.
Section 2 provides that every convict
sentenced tc the penitentiary from any
section of the State shall be present at
the States Prison on the morning OF
April LIST and in the afternoon they shall
be marched under guard to Nash Square
where the annual inspection will take
place. The Legislature of the State gave
the Governor the power to appoint the
inspection committee and at meeting
held in the executive office last night he
appointed the following named gentle
men, Gen. Julian S. Carr, of Durham
Col John S. Cunningham, of Person; Hon
Cyrus B. Watson, of Forsyth Hon. Theo.
r. Davidson, of Asheville, and Judge T.
B. Womack, of Raleigh. All these gen
tlemen arrived last evening except Judge
Womack, who lives here.
Now the citizens of Raleigh or possibly
in the State have never been given an
opportunity of viewing so large q squad
of convicts as will be assembled in Nash
Square this afternoon, and every one
who possibly can should avail them
selves of this their first opportunity. All
the convicts will be dressed in their new
spring suits of stripes and will present
quite an interesting spectacle The march
will commence at the penitentiary at
o'clock, coming down Hillsboro street tC
Dawson, where they turn. giving ample
time to reach the square in time for in
spection.
There are many notable criminals con-
fined in the walls of the penitentary
many who have been there for twenty
years and never allowed to go beyond its
confines.
In all there will be about $50 in line
of march and they will look like regiment
of soldiers in striped suits The white
convicts will lead the procession, fol-
lowed by the colored convicts. Then the
women, numbering about 162, will be in
line.
The inspection line will be formed just
opposite the Union depot, facing Park
Hotel The inspection committee will
Immediately face them No citizen will
be allowed to come within fifty feet OF
any of the convicts and special police
men will be on hand to prevent this.
The convicts will be allowed to be
given, through the committee, any little
thing or any refreshments the ladies may
choose to bring for that purpose. I'M
mediately after the inspection they Will
commence the return march back to the
penitentiary, arriving there about
o'clock 1t was thought advisable at first
not to make public the inspection to
avoid the crowd which might be present
but on further consideration the com
mittee decided that it would be best ant
set an example to others and might be-
of some good to the community.
Now, every one should remember, thai
today, April, the first, is the time anC
everyone should be on the watchout