The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-08-01
OLD JAIL HORRORS
When Imprisonment For Debt
Was the Law of the Land.
TORTURE FOR IRIS VICTIMS.
Poor Wretchss Unable to Pay the Tri-
file They Owed We're Flung Into Pris-
on to Stare ID Death Unless Res
cued by Chsrity or Their Creditors.


In the early part OF the last century
there was started an earnest effort to
entirely abolish or at least to regulate
the Old colony law of Imprisonment
for debt. The movers in this abolish
ment felt that 10 class of the commu-
nifty deserved consideration more.
1t had been the inhuman rule that
for the smallest debt possible to con-
tract, though it were but Il cent in
value, the body of the debtor, whether
man or woman, would be seized by
the creditor ana cast into Jail.
Each year poor wretches had been
dragged to prison by thousands on
what Were truly called spite actions"
Once behind the prison walls they were
consigned to fate harder than that
which awaited worse criminals.
Murderers and thieves, forgers and
cOunterfeiters, real criminals Of Gil
kinds, We're fed, clothed and cared for
at the expense OF the state, but for
the unhappy man whose only ,offense
was Lis inability to pay trihing sum
of few cents no such provision was
made. The food he ate. the shredE that
covered him, the medicine he took
nay, the very rags he wrapped about
his sores--were provided if provided
at all, by his friends, by the public or
by some humane society.
The room III which he was confined
with scores of other Offenders was ut
terly without furniture of any sort.
In it were neither beds, nor tables, nor
chairs, nor so much as a bench or
floor and at night lay to sleep on 1t
like a dog, and this misery he endured
until he died or his debt was paid or
his creditor released him.
Against this at length humanity re-
vOlted, and in 1904 change for the
better was ordered. 1t was stipulated
that the inspector should provide fuel
and blankets for such debtors as, by
reason of their dire property, could
not get them and should make an al
lOWance of Z cents a day for food ana
charge this against the creditors. If
any creditor refused to pay after ten
days notice his debtor was to be dis
charged.
For twenty-twoYy years the communi-
ty seemed to have thought that this
mild concession was all that humanity
required, for no further change was
made until 1914. :; Then was passed
the bread act" under which each pris-
oner whose debt did not exceed $15
was entitled to a discharge after un
Imprisonment OF thirty days.
From documents presented to the
senate of New York in 1917 it appears
that the keeper Of the debtors Jail in
New York city certified that during
1916 1854 debtors were confined and
that upward OF 600 were always in the
prison. The sheriff of the county GER
titled that 1120 were imprisoned for
debt under 500, that Of these 129 owed
less than $50 and that every one of
them would have starved to death but
for the assistance Of the Humane 50.
ciety.
One man remained, it was noted III
the New York Jail for three years. who
was only indebted to the extent Of $50
before death ended his misery and
during the entire time was fed by the
Humane society. Another unfortunate
had been imprisoned six years aud
was supported by charity. In the face
of such striking evidence the leSisla-
ture OF New York state rclented and
in 1917 forbade the Imprisonment of
debtors for sums less than $50. This
led che way, and state after stute fol-
lowed <
When the new states in the west
framed their constitutions they order
ed that no one should be imprisoned
for debt. The old statute was finally
stricken from the laws of the eastern
states until today none OF our states
has Il law requiring that a debt Is
punishable by Imprisonment, unless it
has been contracted under some fraud
ulent Misrepresentation Philadelphia
Press.