West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1904-02-18
FAYEHECOUNTY PRISONERS
At THE STATE Pen
C0ETICTS AND GUARDS REsEhBLED
SMALL ARMY WIEN THEY STRUCK
houEDSvILLE.
NEEDLESS cosr TO STATE.
From The wheeling Register.

From The Wheeling Register.
Fayette county. which holds the nm
enyiable reputation OF having the isrsext
criminal record OF any County In the state
and In point OF representation In the state
penitentiary has been the banner connie
Tor several years. sustained her reputation
on Friday by sending 10 the penltentiary
twenty-four conyicts. They were IN charge
OF the sheriff and twenty.four deputies.
and when they got of the Ohh River train
al moundsvIlie al s:os y. m and marched
through the street 10 the prison they re-
sembied small army returning with
csptives after battle. Fully three.fourths
OF the prisoners were negroes. and without
exception they were tough looking lot.
Two OF the prisoners. Jesse Briggs aud
nd Hunter. both negroes. are under
sentence 10 hang on May 9th. Briggs.
realizing the hopelessness OF his case. IS
physical wreck. The brayado that char
scterized his actions as he roamed the
mountains OF Fayctte county before his
capture has disappeared Hunters condi.
ton Is little better than his unfortunate
companion. but. he IS stiIi hoping against
hope thas he will yet escape the gallows.
The prisoners are as follows:
Murder--Jesse Briggs, to hang May 6
Ed, Hunter. TO hang May 6: Shad Hunt
life sentence; Mont Poe. eight years; John
Henry. eight years: Wyatt Twi,ty. Eve
years John Davis one year.
Attempted Murder Ed. Neal. fourteen
months Frank Jones. eighteen months.
maiming--Mike Stumpka. two years;
Ashley Surbzugh, one year; Paai Blake.
four years; Fred Wilson. one year: George
Mathews. one year; Henry Trent. two
years; Walter Williams, seven years; Tom
Mosby. eight years; Henry Mills. two years:
Bose Wilmington. three years.
Grand LarcenY--Henry Wilson. two
years; John Nelson. two years; lin tones.
two years; Charles Rose. two years.
House Breaking--Sid Stewart. two
years Thomas Johnson. one year.
Robbery--Walter Banks. FIVE years
There arc at present forty -eight prisoners
in the Fayette county jail awaiting trial on
charges OF felony and additional recruits
are being received daily One woman.
Florence Cheek. vino was to have been
brought up with the gang yesterday TO
serve life sentence for murder. had the
jury's verdict set aside aud will get new
trial. II would not be amiss to give few
hgures TO prove the enormous amount OF
money spent uselessly by the State in send.
ing prisoners to the penitentiary. First we
eliminate the prisoners. as the cost of their
transportation cannot be avoided, and
count only the cost Of the guards and
sheriffs.
The distance travelled by the sheriff and
his fwenty,four deputies yesterday 10
Moundsyille was 3i3 miles. making the
round trip Gao miles. The State allows ten
cents per mile for the sheriff and five cents
per mile. both going and coming, for the
deputies. The sherif's mileage amounts
TO 5000. Twenty-four deputies at Eve
cents per mile amounts to q so7 30. Total
mileage for both sheriff and deputies 81.
sos. Their expenses average about two
dollars each per day. The trip requires
about four days. making total of eigh,
dollars for each deputy and for twenty
four OF them sfoz. One dollar per day each
as wages. for twenty flour men for four DAYS
equals $50. Totalexpense exclusive of the
convicts. sI.ss4
III the guards had been sent from the
penitentiary after the convicts. as provided
for In the report of the tax commission.
only four guards would have been used
The guards would have travelled at a COS,
OF three cents per mile to the State. making
their car fare for the round trip amount 10
s7s.ra. Four days expense at 400 per
day each for four guards. would be esz.
Wages at "a. so per day each. which is the
maximum wages paid. for four guards
equals $40, Total expense Sr4z.fa. The
difference between srss4 and sr4z.ra is
sL7oo SO. which might have been saved out
OF the taxpayers money.
The saving through Fayette county alone.
by sending guards after the prisoners
would amount to fromsSz.ooo 70 10000 per
year and for the State IL would probably
save each year about $50 600. which now
goes TO pay the political debts OF the
sheriHs The sheriffs. however. cannot be
blamed for doing what the law allows them.
II the twenty.four convicts brought to the
penitentiary yesterday had been federal
convicts. they would have been ac-
companied by only three guards. the
maximum number for which tlss govern
ment allows expenses.