Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-06-24
Charity at the County Jail.

that an allusion to the carrying In or
food to prisoners at the county jan
was taken by some of our readers as
referring to- dear old lady or Au-
gusta-beloved by all who knew her-
who for many years made a practice
of remembering the prisoners at our
iail ON Thanksgiving and Christmas
days-occasions when it is peculiarly
proper that the spirit of good will ana
charity should be given the widest
possible expression. We will say en-
phatically that this good woman was
not in mind in the writing OF the
article in question for the Journal
many times commended her for the
broad work of charity and humanity
which it was, for many years, her
Measure to do in this community.
The Thanksgiving and Christmas
day remembrances which this noble
woman sent to prisoners at the county
Jail was the observance of custom
established by her mother, who asked
her while living to continue it when
she was gone. 1t was a promise
cheerfully given and scrupulousiy
kept. 1t is to be said, however, that
conditions at the Kennebec Jail when
this custom originated were vastly
different than they are today. AT
that time very many of the people
confined there were not criminals; but
merely persons who were unable to
pay their debts, and who, under the
harsh laws then in force, were held IN
prison at the pleasure OF their credi-
tors Such prisoners had peculiar
claims upon the sympathies of the
public, and the succor which was
afforded them in their misfortune was
distinctly work of humanity.
Conditions at the county Jail are
vastly different now than they were
in the old days. Under the liberal
laws in force today any honest man
who is unable to pay his debts has
an opportunity to be relieved of them
an opportunity which it may be re-
marked in passing is not infrequently
made use of by dishonest men. The
men who are in Jail today, with the
exception of tramps and habitual
drunkards, are for the most part
criminals. Practically all of them are
there for punishment, and there does
not appear to be any good reason
why they should not receive it. AT
the beginning of his term of office
Sheriff Getchell announced that there
at the county Jail; that every man
there would be used precisely the
same; that there would be no favorit-
ism or special privileges. The prison
fare he said would be ample in
quantity, and of good quality. 1t
would be cooked and served in a
clearly manner. 1t was the only fare
that prisoners would be permitted 20
receive The Journal warmly COM
mended Sheriff Getchell for this stand
We are emphatically of the opinion
that it is the right way. and the or'y
right way of conducting county Jail.
In it's editorial reference above re-
ferred to--and which seems to have
been the occasion of misrepresentation
among some of our readers-the
Journal had in mind work Of Jail
charity and reform" of a compare
lively recent date. Out of this came
the marriage of discharged convict
with one Of the reformers, some of the
after results of which were written
up at some length in the Journal and
need not be repeated here. AS the
situation exists at the Jail today We
do not believe that there is any cal
for "mince pie work at that institu-
ton, and it is a source of much salts
faction to us that the mana cement
will not permit it.