Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-12
GRAlID JURY CRITICISES
MAlJACEMENTOFWORKHOU
IN REPORT TO THE COURT
2euoted to the State Judges Today Giving The Result of
Its Investigation of the County Prison and the Manner
in Which 1t is Conducted

I'm or out of the institution
Had such = system been IN operation NJ
he time Of the escape OF Price, II would
have been extremely difficult II not i'm
possible for the escape 10 have taken place
GRAND Jury s RFroRT
The report follows
I'm pursuance of a request and sugges-
/ tiou made 10 il bv the attorney general.
and with the approval of the judges Of
the Court of General sessions and tho
/ board of trustees of the New I astlC
county vori<housc. tho grand jury of this
county has made an Investigation oi the
I circumstances surrounding the escape II
/ lomucI Price. colorcd who while under
sentence of death for murder escaped
+ from the New Castlo county workholao
on December 20, 4. y 1919
/ The grand jurv first went to the work
hous, on the morning OF January
nraCRIl~rloN or CELL
4 4 thorough inspection was made ot
/ Crll number one right hand tier III IN"
west wing az tho institution where l'rrc
had hccn confined This cell and 4 mum
lvr u} others opcn into steel corridor
about one hundred feet long and five feet
/ vidc. which corridor i~ used for exercise
~ stated intervals hv tho prisoners
II tho rnd nearest Ia tho center part of
the prl~on. and access to Che corridor and
cells can only hc had through this door
T hr corridor Is So constructed Ot haT~
and grating that prisoners within Il rau
readily ~ seen IT All times tv thc guards
Tho lcvCr~ Which tro tjs"d to open and
coec Tho crll doors and the lcver u~cl 10
oIpcu and close thr corridor door, arc
contained m IN iron box outside 0t and
about hrs f-,t distant from the corn
dior hrs hos II called the locker box
Thcrc 81 no access 10 the box from the
cells or the corridor Thc box was rro-
dei with lock and key and also with
combination safe lock II Was always
kept locked from lght NJ until sovcn
3 m. but the box Was loft unlocked al
day Many Of tho prisoners know how ~
throw tho various levers and have access
81 them, 3ud do operate them This =
N direct Violation 1T rule of the prison
providing that no prisoner shall ever ~
any time have access to the locker box
'Esii4 f;aarant breach Of she rule has con
ilnuCd i0T several years last past. and N
ail probability was one If the conttihut-
lng causes III The escape of Price
The grand Jury made exhaustive tests
of the levers and the other machinery
llsrd IA oron and close tho ccll doors and
the corridor door Attached 10 the lever
used to opcn and clo~e tho corridor door
Is > spring which Is PROVIDED for tho pur-
pose o pushing She bolts automatically
hack lnto place when he door IS pclnC
closed with the lover This ~prIuC was
found Il hc very weak and o. no 'isc for
the purvaSc for which ~ was lntendrd
Tho result of this was that the guard. ln
closing tho corridor door. had not only
IL throw the lever with his left hand. but
also ~ tlt same time had u push the
door shut WITH his riGh hand N order q
make the bolts lock The door We were
told hy the guards chat this bad condition
ot hc spring bad con; luucd and had been
known ~! possibly nm" months last past
ard that ne report oi rs bad condition
had ever been made ~ the warden or
trustees We were also told that many
III thc prisoners knew 81 thus weak spring
sr,ci indeed he very slightest examination
~ casual lnspcrtlcn Of the corridor door
lever must inevitably have disclosed this
detect
Tho guard who Isst attempted 70 close
the corridor door on the day OF the es-
cape ruav wcl have failed 10 s4.tuallN
close and iock II on account Of tins weak
spring
Iie CRANE jury next tested the lever
which Ws> used 50 open the cell door oi
Pucc ce} This door slides open and shut
and wht.u T. MAS open small paper pam
phietyyas placed between The door lainb 8nd
II, door and th, icvcr tnon pulled T. Close
'ro door In most oi tho~, attempts the
eiour could no' hc closed and locked while
.ho uaInnhlct w4~ there enc, aS q ron~c-
s,Ug nt the lever rcm.,ucd somewhat ONT
ui 'hs pu-,uon winch assumed when
I'll. door did close and loch Bui Is 81
I.a~t enc rial ont II gHsSibiy $ dozen tht
lcysf assumed lhe position which Il ought
ta f;lkf VneT the door Is closed ana locked
hut the 4oof onIy closed and dld not lock
and p;> easily pulled open by hand from
0ltilu th, cell Il succ had used some
such ~u.el obstruction aS fer instance
I4fi oI The paper tfau any book which he
NIGH, have Lad Id hls ccil l1 IS quite
po~slb.e b. could have prevented the lock
uc 3: Ii, ccIl uoog though it might have
nnra ria-ed and the levcr down in The
tl-ul closed position 'Ihcn il would have
i'ssl equ.lS slupie iGT Inn to hate pushed
tiu cell door apcn 8nd hs would have betn
su he steel corIdor We beheve this con-
dtuau II fht eeil door lever and locking
q yra m;-- unknown e. thc guards. the
warden and the trustees. but il is quite
piobab. that Price knew of 1T. :As he is
eaia '9 base Possessed some knowledge
oi 1narin"ry aud some mechanical skill
lht grand jury n"At Inspected the store
room the central part of the prison and
tie iToHt corridor hc door. from the center
~ tho corridor and thc front doors
ll.a examination of witnesses then be-
gan a tac worlhousc alI tfstimonv beDg
taken II shorthand hv onc of Tho court
stcnnErphtr-
l5t1i1 Nt..