The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-05-01
PRISON CONTRACT
EXPIRES AT LAST
State to Receive Double Money
for Convicts Kept in
Penitentiary.
MANY ROAD FORCES SENT OUT
More Than 500 Men Will Be
Added to Highway Gangs
at Once.

Virginia's long drawn out lease of
prisoners in the State Penitcntiary to
the Thacker Shoe Company came TO
close at o'clock last night. Yes
terday more than 1000 male prisoners
worked in the shops OF that company
within the prison walls. and the State
received AZ cents per day each for
their labor To-day but 500 OF the
more hardened criminals will be max
ing SHOES. and for their labor the
State is TO receive So cents per day
each
The income from the shoe contract
VIII be about as large to the State
as heretofore, though more than sou
men will be added to the State con-
wet road force In various sections.
The extension to the Thacker com
pany Is for but six months. even at tho
higher rate and gives that concern
time TO close out It's business On
November l the new contract with the
Star Clothing Company for not more
than 5oc men and all the women in the
prison. goes into effect.
Many Rond Gangs Go Out.
yesterday was q busy day at the
big prison, as tho change means an
almost complete revolution in the
method CT conducting the institution.
y convict road force OF nifty men was
sent last night no Botetourt County;
thirty men 10 AppomattoX County; to-
day thirty-hve men will 20 to Lunen-,
nurg and thirty-fve to Brunswick
County to build roads: sixty men Will
leave tonight for TazeweIl County.
and tomorrow thirty-fve men will go
TO Stafford County. Within a few
days the new method will be in full
working. and road gangs will be busiIy
at work in many sections of the state,
making total Of l,5O0 convicts, in
Guiding 3ailbirds, on the highways.
The old shoe contract dates back
more than twenty years. having been
made years ago with the Davis Boot
and Shoe Company, now the Thacker
SHOE Company, with headquarters and
sales rooms I'm Boston. It was n stip-
uiation OF the contract that none of the
shoes made in the state prison was
TO be sold IN this State in competition
with Tree labor. Under the old CON
tract, the Thacker Company has paid
the state ~ cents per day for men and
so cents per day for women. Until
recent years IT had all OF the State
prisoners, save such as were working
at the State Farm in Goochland Coun-
ty or We're engaged in keeping the
prison.
The Road System.
several years ago the convict road
system was launched. limited only to
z.
The last session OF the General Assem-
ply provided that In the renewal or
the contract. not more than 500 men
We're TO be leased. 1t being the intent
Oh the act to keep within the prison
walls long term men, hardened Grim
lnals. and men with a bad prison rec
ord With the chances of ESCAPE from
the road gangs, It was held to be
against public policy to put such men
on the roads. The great bulk of those
In the Virginia prison. it is stated.
are ignorant negroes, sent up for~some
thieving or cutting aTyay, and by no
means classed as hardened criminals.
within the next few days more than
ooO OF these Will be sent to the roads.
me Thacher Company was recently
given an extension OF six months con-
ditoned on Its employing not more
than 500 men and all the women. and
on Its paying for their services the
scale fixed in the bid OF the Star Cloth
ing Company, the new prison labor
contractors-s5 cents for men and so
cents for women. The factory build
ings within the prison walls are to
be remodelled this summer to meet
the requirements of the new business
ana with\a lesser number of prisoners
ppth In the work rooms and in tho
cells 1t is claimed that conditions with
In the prison will be vastly improved.
Keep Dangerous Men I'm Prison.
superintendent j. B. Wood has been
pusy Tor some weeks preparing for the
change which took effect at the close
or business last night II is his dutv