The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-18
Miserable Treatment Of.
 County COnvicts.
CONDITION IS DErLoRED
Physician inspector in Report
 CriticiseS Jails.
Aomciais Must Have Their Fees If It Takes the Last Drop of Blood
 From Suffering Hu.
 manity."

 Bragg of the Alabama Board of Con yict Inspectors. draws a severe indict- ment against the County convict sys- tenn, the greed of officials for fees and deplores the helplessness of the Board in his annual report to President J. M. Carmichael, which was made public yesterday.
 Other subjects bearing on the treat ment of prisoners detained for trial and convicts in camp are discussed by pr. Bragg, who, on account of his ill., ness. delayed submitting the report
 There are too many convicts of old age and in a decrepit condition in the penitentiary who were arrested and convicted on frivolous or trivial charges, according to the physician in- spector. This he attributes to an in ordinate greed for fees which go to the officials in proportion to the filling up of the jails.
 Greed of omciaIs.
 "The officials must have their multi plying fees" says Dr. Bragg, even if 1t takes the last drop of blood from suffering humanity
 All in all, the physician inspector concludes that the pitiable status Of the County convict remains as for years, adding that the Convict Board is powerless. The hope is expressed that some day the County convict will be placed on the same plane with the State convict"
 pr. Bragg makes a special expose of the deteriorating condition of the jails of the State. The absence of any sys- tenn to separate the hardened criminal from the juveniles incarcerated on mis- demeanor charges Is lamented as al- most making of the jails "seminaries of crime"
 Full Text of Report.
 The full report of Dr. Bragg is as follows: Hon. J M. Carmichael. President:
 Dear Sir-I much regret the delay of this report, but owing to a severe ill., ness, I have been physically unable to prepare 1t.
 T beg leave to report that there continues to be a very marked im- provement, in the condition of the States convicts. The death rate from disease is perhaps as low as we can expect from the class of labor in which many are engaged.
 The medical department Is thor oughly orgaiized. a physician being stationed at each camp. and the ser vice is entirely satisfactory. Many convicts are still received in bad con dltion, ana go at once to the noSpltAi. where they either die, or serve their sentences.
 Some of the courts of the State. send old and decrepit men to the peni- tentiary for frivolous charges, that should be inmates of the poor house. but neighborhoods must be rid of beg gars, and officials have their fees. if 1t takes the last drop of blood from suf- fering humanity. The State convicts are in better physical condition than ever before in the history of the de- partment. As to the financial part the record speaks for itself. The poor unfortunate County con vict, remains as for years. His sui ferings know no change. The Convict Board is powerless to help him. h many instances he is the victim of cir cumstances, and living monument ot system fostered by the State, whose people, as a rule, know nothing of his sufferings, and if they did, let us hope that it would be speedily ended. A Bl0t on the State. This fee system, so far as the con vict is concerned. Is a blot upon tho fair name of the State. Men, womer