Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-10
TREATMENT OF ooNv1cTs.
Mann Refutes Mr..
Newland's Statements.

Mr. + a Mann. superintendent of the
states prison at Raleigh, N. c., has writ
ten to Senator Simmons IN regard to the
interview with Mr.. Arthur Newlands of
Boston, recently published in The Star, de-
nying the statements made by him as to
the treatment of convicts and particularly
as to the facts in the telegram quoted he
then continues:
"a careful reading Of the article OF Mr..
Arthur Newlands, oriminologist OF Boston,
convinces me tnat he has not mace SIN
gle solitary truthful assertion with refer
Carolina or North Cardinals convict sys-
tenn I desire to state that there Is abso-
lutely no such thing as leasing or farming
out convicts in North Carolina in the man
ner described by him. Our prison authori-
ties are indeed authorized to work convicts
outside the prison walls. and we do work
for contractors. but never, under any cir
cumstances, do we surrender our absolute
control and authority over them. At all
times and under all circumstances we feed,
clothe, guard and in all respects entirely
control and provide for them. No one ex-
cept the superintendent Of the prison or a
supervisor who is the chief officer in charge
of a camp or squad, can visit punishment
for any offense whatever upon convict,
and whenever 1t becomes necessary TO do
this it must at all times be Immediately re-
ported to the superintendent Of the prison.
No contractor ever has the slightest thing
to do with the convicts upon his work.
Every order and every direction must go to
the Workmen through an officer of the
prison.
''The convict camps in the various sec
ttons of the state are subject to visitation
and are frequently visited by the superin-
tendent Of the prison. and are also visited
and inspected by what Is known as the
state institutional committee, body ap-
pointed by the governor for this purpose,
and also by the state board of public chart
Ties and by the board of public health.
These boards, as you know are composed
of as good citizens as there are in the
state, and am today in receipt of writ
ten report from every convict camp In
North Carolina, made to the governor OF
the state by the state board of health.
These reports, or copies Of them, will very
gladly furnish you. if you wish it.
Mr.. Newlands further states that North
Carolina expends about s4O4, 900 a year to
maintain its prison system, and receives
about S39S, 600, having about 700 convicts.
This Is all entirely incorrect. The state
has never spent $404, 600 year under the
most extraVagant management, and has
never received 1898 ,0UJ under the most care
full MANAGEMENT. 1t has never in the past
twenty-five years had as few as 100 con-
yicts but the number has varied from $50
to as low as $40. During the past two
years the receipts Of the prison have been
approximately $343 OvO and the expenditures
penditures of 100000. To these amounts
the state has contributed nothing in the
way Of appropriations
"A complete report by the present man
agement Of the prison Is now in press and
will in all probability be issued in the next
few days, and as soon as possible will
be very glad to forward you a copy"