Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-10-02
scATnlNG REPORT OF BERNA.
LILO COUNTY GRAND JURY
Awful Condition Of County Jail Reflects on Officers. .-PdssNsrs
BMtsuy and lnhumsay Treated. Failing 10 Indet Wolston Of
Sunday Law. Duty Is unloadsd on Executive Officers.

% strongly cOrrobOrate and confirm
he statements Of the prisoners, that
We are forced TO believe there Is
much OF truth In their complaints.
They assured us that they had not
mad q piece Of soap for as much as six
weeks. and We're consequently unable
to keep themselves or their quarters
clean, and that they are tormented
day and night by such vermin as lice
and bedbugs, 10 an extent which Is
frightful. They also say that for
about the same length OF time they
have had no meat or vegetables OF
any sort, but have been fed upon
slops, although they have frequently
seen wagons going away from the jail
loaded with meat and all kinds OF
vegetables. They say that they have
not been provided with proper or suf'
ncient bedding TO protect them from
/ the cold; that during last night, they
| we're compelled To keep moving all or
tho time to avoid extreme suffering.
We were able to see that they are IN
a illly condition and not provided
| with suTicien. clothing OF bedding.
| Ordinarily, prisoners % not dare 70
| make complaints. for fear OF incur
| ring the ill.Ni,l Of their %jailers, but
| lust at this time, there having been a
| change In the management and con-
troll Of the jail. their tongues appear
to have been ~loOsened.
The prisoners also complain OF a
lack OF medical attention. They told
us that some time ago n OF the pris-
oners was III, and although urgent re-
quests we're made that the doctor
| should be called, he did not make his
appearance until tht man had died.
after several days Of illness, and
when he did come. he complained
with great bitterness. because he had
not been notified and called earlier,
saying that he v received any
message to come to the Jail to attend
to the man who had died.
They also assert that they have
been prevented from communicating
with their friends and relatives, and
from receiving communications from
them, and that more than once ], has
happened that when friends have been
permitted to see prisoners. the latter
have learned that letters and other
things had been sent to them which
never had been received.
We are not willing to believe that
the ex-sherif. Mr.. Thomas s. Hubbell
or his deputy, Mr.. Newcomer, car
have had personal knowledge Of these
bad conditions, or they would have
been remedied, but we feel that they
are culpable In not having made them
selves acquainted with them and Civ
en- their personal attention to the wei
fare of these unfortunate prisoners.
The portion Of the premises which
Is used for the confinement Of insane
prisoners. consists of nothing but a
{ room with bare floor and walls, desti
tute of bedding, comforts or owen
fences of any kind, where no effort ap-
pears to be made to ameliorate the
suffering of the persons confined. We
will not enter into disgusting details,
but will only say that these prisoners
are compelled to spend all Of their
tin\e, sleeping or walking, in this
bare room, destitute OF a single ar
ticle Of furniture Of any kind.