The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-11-20
MOST CONV|CTS
ARE ABSTAINERS
Few Received at Penitentiary
Last Year Were 1ntem-
pcratc Drinkers.
ANNUAL REPORT OF PRISON
Profits Reduced Because OF
Fewer Hires and Increased
Living Cost.

Living LOST.
Hard drinking does not seem to have
had vast deal to do with crimes com
mitted during the past gear by convicts
received at the Virginia Penitentiary
a very small percentage of the prison
ers received were incorporate drink
ers
According to the annual report OF
the board of directors and of the SUI
perintendent OF the pcnitentiary. re-
ceived yesterday by Governor Mann,
GA convicts were sent to the State
prison during the year ending October
i, 1910. OF these seventy-two were in
temperate drinkers, 2ea were moder-
ate drinkers, and s5u, or Sc per cent.
were total abstainers.
The board calls the attention OF the
Governor to the fact that while the
profits OF the penitcntiary were not so
large during the year as for the pre-
vious year, this Is explainable for two
reasons One OF these Is due TO the
smaller number of hires, because of the
smaller average population. and the
other is the increased cost of provis-
ions. In view OF these facts. the board
says that the report of the superin-
tendcnt Is most encouraging.
Crops Injured.
Health conditions are especially sat-
isfactory to the directors. and the dis
cipline and general well-being of the
conyices come Gin for praise. AS to
the State farm, the report is encourage
ing. although freshet In the late
spring and the prolonged drought OF
the summer greatly injured the crops.
The electric plant being installed at
the farm Is classed as long-felt want.
OF the 10a tubercular patients treat
ed at the State farm during the year,
twenty-six were discharged as cured.
The death rate was surprisingly low In
both institutions.
superintendent James B. Wood, in his
report to the board. goes into details
as to the finances. The net profits for
the past year amounted to $7,333.45,
against s16,699.19 for the preceding
year, a loss of s9,365.74. However, the
fact that the smaller number employed
on the shoe contract caused loss OF
income OF $s.72i.96 reduces the loss
to Sl,090.7s. which is more than wiped
out by the increased cost of provisions.
which was s5.04s.5e. as compared with
the prior year.
The number OF punishments. says
Major Wood. has been considerably re-
duced.
Cost Per Prisoner.
The cost per year per man for main
tenance. was as follows: ProvfAons,
ssI.s333: clothing, $3.50: medicines.
sasTi: miscellaneous expenses. s5S.o66;
total. s99.SOS. The daily average cost
per man is s.a73.
On October 1. 1909, the population
was divided as follows: In penitenttary
white men, 100: colored men, 1,o41;
white women. 4; colored women. 80.
on State farm-white men. 40; colored
men. 22l. On roads. All.
During the year the following were
received: White men. leo: white women,
Il. colored men, 1876; colored women, 77;
total, gu. There were also returned
three white women and eight colored
men who had violated their parole;
three white men and three colored men
who had violated their conditional par
dons, and two colored men from the
Central State Hospital.
Rensons for Release.
Losses were as follows: Terms ex-
pired--white men. As: colored men. $50;
colored women. %: total. 42l. Absolute
pardons--white men, Z; colored men, Il:
total. S. Conditional pardons-white
men, so; colored men, 50; white women
i; colored women, 8; total. 90. Paroled
white men, 81; white women. l: coll
ored men. 15a; colored women, q; total,
154,
There were thirty-nine deaths. OF
which eight colored mon and
three colored women died at the prison
hospital: six white men and fifteen
colored men died at the State Farm.
and seven died in the convict road
camps.
colored men escaped, and eight white
men and eleven colored men were re-
captured awsntY & are IL ,ars tho most
popular crime in Virginia, since of the
67i received during the year, 1862 were
sent up for that offense.. Grand lar
ceny is a bad second, with only sixty.
FIVE. One man was Imprisoned TOR
wounding u mule. one for hos, steal
ing, one for prizc-fghting and three
for throwing rocks at trains.
In for Life,
OF life prisoners. there are five white
men. forty-four colored men and Two
colored women.
Laborers are far in the lead In the
catalogue of occupations of now
comers during the year. They have
SS4, while farmers are away behind
with only si&ty-one The list includes
one journalist. one cowboy one office
boy and one veterinary surgeon.
As to education. 3sl could read and
write. and 1888 were illiterate. Four
teen executions were had during the
year.
The average term of inmates Is four
years, three months and four days.
Fifty-one prisoners arc in on their
second convictions, three on their third
and one on his fifth con-
viction.
DR.. Charles v. Darlington. surgeon at
the penitentiary: r. NJ, Johnson, as
sistant superintendent In charge Of the
convict road forces. and 7, J, Davis. 4
superintendent OF the State Farm,