The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-06-25
REVELATIONS MAY BE OF
A STARTLING NATURE.
This Is Almost Certain Since
Overcharge for Board Is
Common-Other News from
Indianapolis.
Especial Correspondence.

Indianapolis, June 25.-It is not un-
likely that the sensational report
made by the Marion county charities
board regarding conditions at the
county Jail here, will result in a gen.
eral investigation over the state OF
such institutions, by the Indiana
Board of State Charities. One sugges-
ton made in the report has caused
much speculation. The board asserts
be substituted for the institution
known as the county Jail, it would IA
vor the abolishment of that means Of
detention, adding that there is too
much opportunity for political juggl-
of prisoners, under the existing sys-
tenn
Some few weeks ago there was re-
leased from the Marion county Jail
a young man who had been confined
there eight months. He was fellow
of some polish, an educated man and
expert bookkeeper. He came far from
being of the ordinary run of those un-
fortunates that are thrown into county
jails to await the pleasure of calendar
crowded courts and police officials
who are often inclined to convict be-
fore a trial. This young man watched
things closely and kept diary of his
experiences in the county Jail. Moth
ing was overlooked. When he was
released he gave to the newspapers his
story, made up from the diary. 1t
seemed too terrible for belief but the
proof was at hand, as the young man
had not failed to back up his accusa-
tions by the evidence of others. His
story told of starvation diet for which
the sheriff collected his 40 cents per
prisoner for each day of confinement.
The meals it was shown, could not
have cost the sheriff more than five
or six cents. Filth and vermin were
disclosed, and an actual count of body
lice picked from one poor fellow at one
sitting" put the total at more than
100. To all of these charges Sheriff
oiuS hou bothlhS " say IlC lCLuSCu
to offer any explanation, declined to
put up defense. and just 'let it go at
that The result was that the char
tiles board went into the matter and
delved deep, and its report indicates
that the actual conditions lad not
been overdrawn. The board found
that the boarding of prisoners under
Ill
ed the way for all manner of abuses,
as the quality and cost of the food be-
came, under such a system, simply a
matter of the sheriff's judgment. and
such Judgment would be gauged SOLE
ly by the humaneness of the sheriff or
those under him. The outcome of the
revelations will be an appeal to the
legislature for a law or change in the
<present law that will make the county
directly responsible for the care of
prisoners, the cost of feeding them to
be paid as other bills are paid, elimi-
mating the possibility of rake-off by
the sheriff. The feeding of Jail pris-
oners has been a species of graft on
which sheriffs have thrived for years,
n
at the expense Of the prisoners. If the
sheriff is greedy, the prisoners are
half starved, If he is in a measure hu-
name, they fare better-and the sheriff
makes less.
Was CieveIand's Friend.
1t was not generally known that
Vice President Fairbanks was a warm
friond Of
Grover Cleveland. Such was the
case. however, and the announcement
is made that Mr.. Fairbanks will at
tend the funeral at Princeton. They
had met on many occasions and ex-
changed views. political and other
wise, and the vice president had come
to look on the former president as the
In an interview, Mr.. Fairbanks said
that Grover Cleveland was one of the
few men who survive, in his own life
time the Misrepresentation and abuse
of political narrowness one of the
few whose full stature shows through
the clearing smoke of times once
troublous and disappointing.
To Unite With Local Club.
The board of directors of the Com
mercial club has taken favorable &C.
tion on the suggestion of the Rich
mond Commercial club, that a state
federation of Commercial clubs be
formed, and the secretary of the local
organization has been instructed to in
form the secretary, of the Commercial
club of Richmond to this effect. and
also to say that the Indianapolis Com
mercial club would name representa-
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