The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-03-26

emit: - 'oA0 u 'Aose p-sS
MT. Charles H. Price said: II have thought
over the question and been Somewhat favorable
20 using convict labor on roads. The Agricul-
turai department Year Book of 1901 gives in
" es.ing statistics and information respecting
she questlon The Year Book states: The prin-
ciPae wnicn obtains in the punishment of the
forming or permanently confining him i'm and by
asterT!ng Others from following his bad exam
Pc. IN tne accomplishment of this purpose it
uaS Sone 70 De generally admitted that during
me inniction of punishment the physical health
o. VL tne prisoner should not be impaired, and
snae everything possible should be done look
ing to such Improvement of his character as
may NJ MIN for better citizenship.
Anotner principle is worthy of more gen.
SIai aceeptance-that is, the prisoner who has
injured community through the commission
OF CRIME and whose capture. conviction and
p unSSament have added to its financial burdens.
sloulu, II possible. in connection with his pun
lsnment, 90 something to benefit the commu-
MY ,Wnlch ne has injured
"'The method of employing convict labor in
aMaJoIiCy OF the Southern States may be fairly
saiu 70 nave passed the experimental stage and
10 nave become part of the accepted practice.
| StOne Is being crushed by convict labor in
CallIornla at less than half what it costs to do
inc w0rk with hired labor in other States The
q IaaLies are surrounded by strong stockade,
Wnicn also encloses the convict quarters, and
tne escape OF prisoners under such conditions
Is noI greater than that from State prisOns.''
Mr William d. Curry said: II have thought
tnat 70 require convicts to work on our roads
would be good way to use them, and there is
no just reason for not doing SO. as their keep
Ing expense is considerable. 1t is shameful
thing to allow the labor of convicts in our peni-
peclally the poorest paid workmen. Criminals
become experts in doing work, and their eff
! lowers the prices"
Mr.. Laban Sparks said: IT do not see that the
labor OF convicts on our roads would affect gen.
erai labor, as labor is scarce and the competition
wgulo NOT avail much. l do not favor cr1m1-
/ mails working on the roads, as it would not be
/ well to have them where everybody could see
them. 1t is not well to expose them for any
moral oeneht to Others whilst, it is said. that
other persons seeing their condition-with ball
| and chain and under guard-would have ten
! dency to prevent them from being convicts.
do not think SO, as the fear of punishment does
| the best educated. Igorance of the law is the
| cause OF much crime. The effect of public pun
ishment is unfayorable., Lynchings and public
executions are demoralizing. and this is realized
in the South. In case of vagrancy think it all
right, as many persons should be made to work
when they do not want to; the tendency would
Mr. George E. Shelley said From a fnan-
cal standpoint it would seem a good thing to
employ convict labor for roads, but morally it
would not as criminals should not be exposed
to public gaze AS to their labor on the roads,
shortage of it. favor using convicts for stone
breaking, etc.. in quarries where they are not
exposed to public view"
Mr. Upton H. Tarbert said: Ignorance and
incidence are the causes of much crime, and
punishment is supposed to prevent crime. l
account of the public l think it is a wrong
idea. One of the greatest difficulties is to get
criminals to take trade. do not know of any |
who followed what they were taughtin prison."
Mr. Granville Matthews said: II would not
want to see man with ball and chain working
on the road. l think favorably of stOckades |
where convicts would be required to labor and |
prepare material for road-making."
MIR. ID. s. Pearce said: II have thought that it
would be good plan to make convicts work
on our roads and to get good roads. AS to the. |
moral point, do not see that the effect on the
public would be SO bad-surely not greater than
the good would realize from them. They |
ought to be doing something to pay for their
MIR. E. E. Scott said II do not see why there
should be any objection to using convict labor |
tb tn Dr then Wby not make The convicts worSP
great many commit crime to get in Jail where |
they will not have to work. We could have
public. We had better put them at work in |
quarries rather than let them be doing nothing
oners as having lin some 'G rights. Some will hide
from the public owing to sense of shame.
They do not want to be put to work where they |
miliar with vice. The Northern States do not |
want the public to gaze upon the execution or |
punishment of criminals, hence do it behind
closed doors. The convicts should have work
to do, and it could be arranged to put them in
places other than on the roads. do not believe
in the public exhibition of criminals or their
punishment. l think we might make the va
grants work, We should elevate labor. The
moral effect on the public must be taken into
consideration. do not favor beholding the bad
in men, and many of our people would prefer
not seeing the convicts employed publicly. The
lose sight. There is right way and place to
handle criminals. Nothing should be done by
US that has degrading tendency"
Mr. Bacon was asked if the Jim Grow" bill in
the Legislature has any degrading feature, and
said yes and was opposed to the bill and also to
this is a matter of prejudice, and he does not
believe in it. The black man cannot help his
color. He should be encouraged to better him
Mr. BUCK lid Il fa 9das Iba IFE think. with
Others, that it would have demoralizlng eIect.
Criminals have souls and as human Dei9gs t Iney
should be encouraged to do better, IN tneir 1
prisons and not place them be met bv
notice. The tramp nu Is u WORK and CHASING
them as such.
Mr. T. V. Richardson said 1.-The employment
of criminals on the highways would not deprive
others of labor, as there would not be the COM
petition, owing to the scarcity of labor. 1t is
sight of It the bubble There would be comments
by the public if they worked on the roads. From
a business standpoint it would be wise to work
would be done. The cost of watching and care
would be considerable"
Mr.. Bacon said: II appreciate the interest
the late Mrs. Balington Booth, of the Salvation
Army took in the poorest and the worst cases
of mankind going into the prisons and asylums
Mr. Laban Sparks said: 1.-THE surroundings
have much to do with the condition of many
classes of people. The criminals come princi-
pally from the cities and their slums, and the
many temptations placed by various means
tide Of evil Society life has much to answer for"
Young Men Arrested on a Serious
Charge.-On Friday, 18th instant, the grand
Jury presented two young men named Charles
Deckert and Charles Klass on the charge of
committing murderous assault on Mrs. Will
helmina Neubauer, who lives on the old Har-
ford road, near Carney, while she was driving
to her home from the Beair Market one night
last fall Mrs. Neubauer was accosted by two
men, who opened fire on her. She escaped by
whipping up the horse, and the two wounds
she received were not serious. The same
night, however, William Coulter, who was
also driving home from market, on the Har-
ford road, was fired upon and dangerously
wounded. These two assaults were followed
by the assassination of John Beckman of j.,
while walking to his home at Raspeburg, in
the same neighborhood. The three crimes
caused much excitement and large rewards
were offered for the arrest of the guilty parties
Deputy Sheriff Anderson arrested Deckert
and Klass at their homes in the 18th district
They protested their innocence, but were
brought to Towson. By direction of Judge
Burke they were released in $500 bail each.
Charles Lassahn became surety for Deckert,
and Klass' father, julius Klass, became surety
for him, The two men, who are each about %
wears of age, claim that they can give clear
account of their movements on the night the
assault was committed.
The arrest is the result of q letter which was
received at the Office of the Clerk Of the Cir
cult Court, and which was placed by States
Attorney Bussey in the hands of Detective
Hogan, of Baltimore, who has been working
on the case, as we'll as on the Beckman MUIR
der. The letter. which, it is stated, was written
by relative of Mrs. Neubauer, asserted that
she could identify her assailants if she saw
them Matters were SO arranged that she did
see the men and it is stated that their present
ment by the grand jury was the result of Mrs.
Neubaler's testimony Deckart and Klass were
ment on Tuesday. Their trial has been set |
for Monday April 4th.
Postoflce Robbers Again at Work
On Friday night of last week burglars effected
an entrance into the postoffice at Mt. Wash
ington, blew open the safe in the most expert
manner and got away with between, two and
three hundred dollars in cash and a lot of pos
tage stamps. The postofice is in small frame
building near the Northern Central Railway |
Station, and there are several dwellings in |
close proximity and the engine house of the |
village is near ut hand. No one heard the ex-
plosion, the sound having bten deadened by |
placing heavy horse blanket about the safe.
1t is also thought the craftsmen selected the