The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1903-04-17
ennessee Legislature

board of trustees of the old soldiers
home. Passed.
In the House.
Among the bills introduced in the
house were the following:
BY Mr. Swafford-To prohibit per-
sons from maliciOusly or falsely writ
ing, printing or speaking words imput-
ing to a woman a want OF chastity.
A violation is made punishable by a
fine of not exceeding qvVV and impris-
Onment not to exceed six months.
By Mr.. Cleage-To prescribe the
conditions as to license and taxation
upon which foreign insurance cOmpa-
nies sail enter or remain in LII
SLlUe for the transaction of business.
By Mr.. Poe-To amend the insur-
ance law of 1895 so as to include life
insurance companies.
By Mr.. Hickman-To amend the in
surance law of 1875 so as to provide
that any life insurance company which
shall violate the act shall be subject
to fine Of from 500 to $500.
Inspection of Prisons.
The legislative committee which Wis
tied and inspected the State prisons
submitted its report to the general as
sembly. The report is one OF the long
SSI SNSI IuduS ny d lSSIoldllhS COAh-
mitteee. The committee deals at
length with the operations, accounts
and properties of the system, and
shows that in the main all are in prop
er shape. The committee, however,
recommends that a special employe
or revenue agent be required to check
up the penitentiary accounts. 1t also
recommends that there be more fire.
quent change in the diet; that food be
served while warm, and that the cloth
ing of white prisoners be washed on
different days from that of colOred
prisoners. The committee believes
that recent improvements at mine No.
1 at Brushy Mountain will prOlong the
life of this mine six or seven years.
The committee takes up the charges
Oh miSmanagement at Brushy Noun
tain, made by Warden Blevins against
Commissioner Murray. 1t was found
that considerable friction between
these officials existed, the property
having two official heads, each indie
pendent of the other. The committee
is convinced that the commissioners,
being responsible for the financial op-
Grafton of the mines and prisons,
should be vested with the power to re.
move the warden by and with the con-
sent of the governor.
Trespass of Davis.
The committe finds that ex-senator
John NJ. Davis has cut and converted
to his own use at least 100000 feet of
the very best timber on the States
land; that he began cutting 1T in 1901,
during Commissioner NiXon's incum-
bency; that when Murray came into
Office Davis stated to him that he had
satisfied Nixon that he had not cut
any timber off the States land, and
that he continued under that impress
soin until December, 1902, when he
(Murray) learned that Davis had cut
additional timber on the States prop
erty. 1t is charged that Davis cut
over 100000 feet of the best poplar in
the State after he had been warned
that he was trespassing upon the
States property.
From all the evidence submitted"
the committee says, they are "of the
opinion that if Mr.. Davis did not will
fully trespass upon the States lands
he was guilty of the gravest negli-
gence in not ascertaining the true
lines The committee recommends
that legal steps be at once taken to
make Davis pay the stumpage value
of this timber
The committee says the State has
sufficient coal lands to keep the con-
yicts employed quarter of a century;
that the mines during the past two
years fell short of their capacity ST.
900 cars because of car shortage, and
recommends that the commissioners
sue the railroads to recover the
amount in damages.
The committee also find that the
water supply at Brushy Mountain is
inadequate; that money has been
wasted in boring for water; that in
one we'll bored traces OF oil were
found and certain named prison Off
cIAls at once took oil leases on the
lands in the hope Of finding oil, thus
using the States money to bore wells
for oil in the hope Oh individual profit.
Whipping of convicts.
The committee investigated the
charges of cruelty to convicts, but in
only few cases did they find that the
whippings given them were beyond
the bounds of reason. 1t is recon-
mended, however, that a lighter strap
be used at the prison; that ten blows
be the maximum punishment Inflicted
that if the offense is the first one and
not of very grave order the clothing
be not removed, and that the convicts
have protection from the prejudice or
caprice of the guards and bosses.
The committee concludes with thir-
ty-five recommendations looking to
the betterment of prison conditions;
the improvement of the properties and
the enlargement of the mining sys-
TEN.
One of the most important recon-
mendations is that the management of
the prison be divorced from politics as
much as possible, and that every en-
ploye stand upon his merits alone. 1t
is also recommended that a parole
system for prisoners under 16 years of
age be established and that all con-
victs under 21 years of age be allowed
one month and additional good time
each year.