The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1909-09-21

kept, clean and sanitary. The old and
useless building standing next to the
administration building should be torn
down and removed. It's cracked brick
walls and caved cellar walls make it
1t occupies is valuable for other pur-
poses.
The barns are in good condition ex-
cept the stalls for horses are badly
in need Of new floors.
The county has very valuable prop
erty in this farm. The land is of fine
quality and the buildings are good
and it should be kept in first class
order in keeping with the wealth and
citizenship of our county. We are
sorry to report that the farm has the
appearance of neglect and untidiness.
Tile drains are stopped and weeds ev-
erywhere. 1t Is hoped that the super
intendent after getting fully familiar
with conditions, will put everything In
order, but too much cannot reasonably
be expected in the short time he has
been there, as the task before him is
a heavy one.
THE COUNTY JAIL.
We found the all kept as cljean as
possible under the circumstances. The
Jail is not at all iii keeping with mod.
ern Jail construction, but with some
slight changes can be kept in service
able condition for some years to come.
The closet facilities are intolerable.
The ventilation is bad, especially in
the cells: as the beds are all in the
cells. this is especially unsanitary.
The only light and air that comes into
the cells which are 6 by s in size,
comes in between the bars of the iron
door. This Is serious defect in case
of sickness. The heating facilities are
also inadequate, the boiler being too
small. The prisoners are getting suf-
ficient wholesome food and are kept
clean of person. Where the prisoners
are cracking stone In the rear of the
jail, the low board fence is insufficient
for the safe guarding of them and
should be improved.
HOME OF THE FRIENDLEss.
The Home of the Friendless is a
model of cleanliness, and the Jail ad-
dition seems Well adapted for prison
ers. The inmates are fed with suf-
ficiency of wholesome food and are
comfortably dressed. The single COM
plant here is lack of heat in cold
weather We are told that the inmates
actually suffer on account of this in
the winter time. 1t is our impression
that the radiation is not properly dis
tributed. The ceilings of the Jail are
from Is to 18 feet high and a large
majority of the radiation is placed at
or near the ceiling This being the
condition, it takes considerable heat
before it will reach the cold cement
floors of the cells. The boiler is also
far removed from the Jail, being un-
der the front part of the old house,
and the steam is carried to the cell
house in pipes through the ground,
| there being no cellar under the cell
house, the cement floors being laid
directly on the ground. This should
be examined by some one competent,
and remedied before cold weather sets
In.
CARE OF INSANE.
In obedience to the instructions of
the Court, the grand jury made such
investigation as it could of the care
OF the excess insane of Wayne county
that are now in the county Jail and
the Home of the Friendless. The con-
ditions surrounding these unfortunates
Is most deplorable and a burning dis
grace to this county which has enjoy
ed reputation second to none on all
humanitarian questions. In making
this statement there is no reflection
on those who have these unfortunates
in their charge, as they are doing all
that can be done with the facilities
at hand. To commit a man or q
woman to jail among criminals of ev-
cry kind just because he or she hap
pens to be sick, is SO utterly abhor-
rent to every decent citizen that no
condition can obtain in which such in
generation can be regarded as tolor-
able. To fully feel the Importance Of
this question the jury made its inves-
litigation and based its conclusions on
the supposition that this might be-
come the lot of themselves, our father
or mother or other dear one In the
family, and not some remote unknown
person. This is the only fair basis to
these unfortunates and their friends.
CONDITION At HOME OF THE
FRiENDIESS.
At the Home OF the Friendless are
five insane, including a very bad epi-
leptic. The ages of these are as fol-
lows: 70. 73. So. sc and % years re-
spectively. The four women are kept
In the Jail and each has been there
for number Of years and have no
attendant except as criminal women,
usually of the lowest type. incarcer.
ated there. will proffer. While the
food Is sufficient and the clothing and
rooms clean. vet the conditions are
distressing in the extreme. These
poor unfortunates have not seen q ray
|of sunshine. spear Of green or
breathed the pure outdoor air from
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