Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-04-12

|
Larry beard or superintendent change
| the management of the convict farm
| and demand that the riding or walk
| ing boss at the main stockade. who
| has been doing most Of the whipping
| he at once dismissed from HE penitcn-
tiary service.
We have mol relied entirely upon
| The coniNcts' statements in arriving
II eur conclusions. as We realize chat
| tEtir statements We're exaggerated
ana in many Instances probably no
true But from the reasonallenesS
III their statements, of the number OF
cunv.cts at different times and places
| GorrObr,tting the statements: from
! 1UrrobHrativr evidence OF free white
| men: from all the circumstances sur
}cundine the case. our own means
ard opportunities Of knowing. togeth-
tl with e,lr own observations. We feel
| morally certain that the punishment
has been extremely cruel aud inhu-
name The stockades are Snail. inad-
er1late and unhealthy and W" recon-
mend an appropriation so thal CHI
nodious stockades can be erected in
Nllch the whites will h" provided
with separate apartments and in
! which the sanitary conditions can be
| rtmedied.
We recommend an appropriation
| bathing houses In summing MP the
Whtle matter of this vesliga1ion We
weuld respectfully beg 10 submit Ilai
! VIII le the food. clothing. bathing fa
cil;1ies and medical attention was in
many instances such as il should be.
we believe that much of il is due 10
! the present infamous convict SYSTEM
under VIII ch these convicts are work
| ed For instance. how could the pcni
| tent ;ary physician attend Ia hi duties
| al the hospital here in the walls
| while a convict was down With pneu-
| monia in the northern part of the
state. several more down sick in III"
camp near Gurdon or Prescott. and an
| epidemic of some kind WAS staying its
victims at the farm?
Concentration is Urged
We most Respectfully submit that
we firmly believe that most of these
diseases could be remedied by putting
all these convicts on the farm and
working them there for the use and
btntfl of the state and by the erec-
t ON of a suitable hospital for the care
end protection OF the conHictS. 10
| that end We most earnestly recon-
II end that the hospital be erected So
;Eat the black and white males and
females can he kept sfraf t.: th2f
the conlaeiolS and heA 'diIalN dis
! q. spd can be kept III separate wards
Il, that d suitable operating room be
provided for the penitentiary physi
clan.
We also recclnmend thai the man
ag,ment of the penitentia.y be pro
libi1n,i from allowing c0lered men.
whether trustees CT free. frrm @n@r1-
ing white men.
We believe that the convict farm
Of Apl ~
Sas. and that all convicts Shcud be
confined there Under proper NAN
asement We believe thai the prnj'an-
,iary would then not ONLY be self-sl1S-
tanning. but q source OF r@venu", In
I short time the old walls will b."
TGrn down. and we recommend IN
al, the main offices Of the pemt"n-
siary officials be moved to the farm;
nj, leases and contracts with the eV,
ception OF the Dickinson CONTRACT, VIZ
expire in June of this year, and We
recommend that this house forbid the
future leasing or hiring cut Of con
ycts
Business Transactions Criticised.
eve found that the business trans
actions Of the penitentiary have been
carried on in a loose manner: too
much authority being placed in Cfii-
Gals without proper methods CT
checking and accounting but this, W.
think. has been remedied by the
BACK bill which is now law. But
W. wish TO report that We have found
no irregular or suspicious business
s@.,n,actions Of the late officials. haE,
"a. eft that in the main to the regn
a. committee
The resolution authorizing the :"
continent of this special commit
provided that it should be our duty ~