Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-19
VISIT SEVERAL JA|LS
Commissioners Named by
President Make inspection.
SOME RECOMMENDATIONS
Nav Issue Statement to Public in the
Near Future.
NO DELAY IN A LOCAL CASE
Officials Of Department of Justice
Explain Regarding Consumptive
Prisoner in Custody Here.

Members of the District Jail commission
appointed by the President-Mr. John Joy
Edison. president of the Washington Loan
and Trust Company: Mr.. r. V. LaDow
of the Department of Justice and Justice
Wendell Philips Stafford Of the District
Supreme Court-have been on a tour in
specting prisons in the New England
states
The trip has occupied about a week and
some Of the most modern and bes' equip
ped penal institutions in Massachusetts
and adjoining states have been visited.
their sanitary arrangements studied and
their other equipment noted Unique feat
ures in the construction or equipment of
each of the prisons were observed. and 1t
is expected all points will be considered
by the commission in its recommendations
for a modern jail in the District.
Justice Stafford arrived in this city this
morning to preside in court. He declined
to make q statement as to what the jail
commission has done or what plans II has
in view In fact he declined to confirm
the statement that the commission had in
spected jails elsewhere.
within a few days. think. Mr.. LaDow
will give out a statement as to what the
commission has done so far" Justice Stat
ford said.
Leader Of the Trip.
Mr.. LaDow, 1t is declared, was the
leader Of the trip just made by the COM
mission AS superintendent of prisons OF
the Department Of Justice he has a GER
tain jurisdiction over many large jails and
could point out to the other members of
the commission the features of such.
1t Is understood that the commission
ha1A vyif
to consider recommendations in regard to
the Jail here. The dates for the confer
ences have not been fixed.
Omcials of the Department of Justice
said today that statements as to the sup
posed attitude OF Attorney Genera Bona
parte regarding the release or pardon OF
consumptive prisoner In the District Jai
are absurd. because the papers In the case
could not reach the Attorney General until
today. Local of1lcials of the department
declare that the prisoner will probably be
removed in a short time, but whether by
pardon or simply a transfer to hospital,
they say, has not been decided.
Pardon Attorney Finch said today that
he sent the papers in the case to the At
torney General yesterday. They include
by United States Attorney Baker and a
brief of the case. The pardon attorney
stated that he did not recommend favora-
BILE action on the pardon. but suggested
10 Tie tAttOEHcy HcucIdi lIdl Tic PiiSohOI
should not be pardoned unless he could
not be removed or cared for properly by
any other way.
Status Of the Case.
Whether he can be removed to the tu-
berculosis hospital without being par
doned is the question before the depart
ment Some officials say. however, that
prisoners have been removed from jails
and oenitent1aries on several occasions
for operations and other hospital treat
ment, and it is suggested that the prison
er in question could be placed in the tu-
berculosis hospital and still remain tech
nically in the custody OF the warden Of
the Jail.
1t is still possible that the sufferer can
not be taken into the tuberculosis hospital
for several months. The head OF that in
stitution has informed the Department of
Justice that the hospital is so full that not
another patient can be received at pres
ent. Besides that, the board of charities.
which has charge of the institution, has
a long waiting list. The Jail prisoner. at
best. cannot get into the hospital for sew
eral days, and If he is compelled to await
his turn such may mean a delay of sew
eral months.
The pardon attorney maintains there
has been no delay on the part of the De-
partment of Justice in acting in the case.
The request for a pardon. he says, did not
reach him until last Monday and the pa
pers were forwarded to the Attorney Cen
eral the next day.