New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-08
JAIL REEkS WITH FILTH.
RAYMOND STREET EVILS.
Charges May BE Brought against
Kings County Sheriff.
fBr TELEGRAPH 10 THE rEIBuxE.I


Albany, Dec. 1.-Unless Henry Hesterberg.
Sheriff of Kings County. remedies what the
State Prison Commission declares "glaring
abuses" in the Raymond-st. Jail, the commission
says IL will make complaint against him the
Governor. John p. Jacket president of the
Prison Commission, in presenting his report to-
day. said that a year ago he called attention
TO conditions which he believed a menace
TO the health of the inmates Of the jail. He
adds that no consideration has been given the
recommendations then made. nor, indeed,
those urged year after year by our commission"
The commission directed Secretary McLough-
lin TO send copy Of the report to the Sheriff. II
he fails to remedy the conditions for which he
is held responsible the commission will file
charges against him with the Governor
In his report on the Raymond-st. jail. Presi-
dent JaeckeI says
desire TO direct the attention of the authori-
ties to the absence Of lights in the cells. No
light is furnished. except four arc lights
light. My visit occurred at noon, and the men,
under the rules being obliged TO eat their meals
ness
1 object TO the of I've softsoap for toilet
purposes From sixteen inquiries of prisoners
CLEANED the information that no soap is fur
nished by the management other than softsoap,
which in many cases was found to have burned
the skin OF the inmate using it
A practice | desire to condemn is that of
granting relatives and friends admission into
the Jail corridors unattended by officer On
the day of my inspection l personally observed
a and woman admitted to the interior of
the Jail, who wandered about at will in the
ridors. coming in contact with the prisoners
The danger attending such practice is obvious,
and it should be abolished. reception room
should be provided for such VistatiOns.
The condition OF the cells of this institution
Is a disgrace to the municipality, menace to
the health of the prisoners, and discredit TO
the officials whom the people have intrusted
with its management. 1 took pains to inspect
the interior of many cells: call special atten-
was appalling. The floor matted with
cumulated filth. and gave indication of hav-
ing been scrubbed for months In this condition
of filth human beings forced to sleep and
eat. The action of this commission should be
TO fix the responsibility for such appalling con-
ditions Public sentiment should be aroused
and the grand jury. itself power for the
rection of such abuses, should take immediate
action.
Commissioner Jaeckel also reported that the
workhouse on Blackwel's Island. New-York
City. was entirely unfit and III adapted for it's
purpose and recommended that its use be dis
continued and a new building constructed
accommodate this class of offenders. He
verely criticised the condition of the cells In
Sing Sing prison.
Several jails commended The Tombs
prison in New-York City praised for the
cell is cleaned daily. the entire interior being
covered, most commendabe practice"
Regarding the condition and management Of
the Raymond-st. jail Sheriff Hesterberg said
yesterday that far the plumbing was con-
cerned work under way and would soon
be completed. While that was in progress there
was more or less dirt necessarily. but it would
all be cleared away as soon as ii was finished
Sheriff Hesterberg went on to say:
This office is supposed keep the Jail clean,
but to get it done I'd have to do it myself. The
jail is a house of detention. Most of the people
sent there stay only few days, and are await
ing trial. We could not make them clean up II
wanted to. At the penitentiary, TO which
comparison is made in the report, it's entirely
different. They have Workhouse there and
prisoners are in for long terms.
Even If we had prisoners whom we could com
pei to work we would not have men TO watch
them. We have just eight keepers for from two
hundred and fifty TO three hundred inmates.
The eight hour law prevents from making
them work longer than that time. 1t would sur
prise some folks TO know that from o'clock in
the morning TO o'clock in the afternoon just
two keepers over the prisoners. From
O'Clock till midnight three others on duty,
and from midnight TO o'clock the remaining
three. One keeper must be stationed at the
door all the time. you can see how much help
we have for cleaning. No wonder man climbed
on the roof and escaped the other day. We
caught him again. though.