The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-09-14
THAI fsdOSIERY MILL
WHAT THE GRAND JURY SAYS OF
THEIR WORKNiEN.
Finds 1t Is Not Injurious to Health
\ of Convicts or That its Maintain
lance q Nuisance.
7 ance o Nuisance.

In speaking of the Hosiery Mill at
the Penitentiary the Richland County
Grand Jury says: I
"In accordance with your honor's s
instructions, and the performance OF
what we conceived to be our general
duties and within the authority In
vested in us, we have made most
careful and exhaustive investigation
and examination of the alleged nui-
sance existing at the hosiery mill,
deyoting much of our time at this
session OF the court to this particular
matter.
We beg to report that we first
made a personal examination Of the
hosiery mill, Inspecting each of the
departments therein. and also the
hospitals and other buildings at the
penitentiary. Thereafter, we sum
moned before us and examined the
following witnesses: Col. D. j. Grit
fifth, superintendent State penitenti-
ary; DR.. Robert Wilson, Jr., chair
man State medical board; DR.. W. M.
Lester, member State medical board;
DR.. Jennings, present physician at the
penitentiary; Rev. Mr. Abney, chap
lain at the penitentiary; ). M. Gra-
ham, who operates the hosiery mill;
DR.. Boyd, the health officer of the
city Of Columbia; Drs. Pope, Harmon
and Butler, former physicians at the
penitentiary.
We find that many of the conyicts
worked in the hosiery mill are those
who can not be worked either upon
the public highways or upon the State
farms, end we also find that quite a
number Of convicts are sent to the
penitentiary from the county jails
and chaingangs who are sick and
frequently horribly diseased and are
unfit for work on the county chain
gangs or elsewhere.
We made especial inquiry as to the
number of deaths from consumption,
and were agreeably surprised to ind
that the mortality from this dreaded
disease had greatly decreased. We
found that the number of deaths
from consumption from 1900 to 1905,
inclusive, was 5S; from 1905 to 1910,
it was %; and during the year 1911
and up to the, present time only three
had died of consumption, and two
Of these had the disease when they
were brought to the penitentiary this
year.
We beg further to report that in
our opinion the sanitary conditions
of the hosiery mill are good and
Just as nearly perfect as possible;
the floors, machinery, fixtures and
other departments being neatly and
cleanly kept, and we do net find any
conditions existing which are inJur-
ious, either to the health Of the con-
victs or to the public at large, or
any facts warranting us in finding a
true bill charging the maintenance
Of nuisance at said hosiery mill.
The only improvements we tnlnk
could be made would be the installa-
ton, on the third floor, of exhaust
ton, on the third floor, or exhaust
fans and ceiling ventilation, and we
would recommend that the proper
authorities be requested to look after
these alterations and improvements.
In our examination Of tue peniten
tiary buildings we were shown every
courtesy by the superintendent, Col.
Griffith, and we find that he is rem
dering the State valuable services in
the discharge of his duties, and that
the prisoners are humanely treated
and are as we'll kept as could be ex-
pected under the circumstances