Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-30
SUSSEX MEMBERS
Continued from page ]

them. He thought prisoners and guards
disliked him. He mentioned one guard
who was discharged for stealing butter;
but was not prosecuted. Guards had toid
him some of their food was not fit to eat.
He criticised the practice OF putting
screens between prisoners ana callers;
For fighting III workshops, Martin said
convicts had been handcuffed to cell bars,
with arms stretched out, for IL hours ana
had been refused drinking waterfor that
length of time. He alleged guard tired
to frame him up for fight, but tailed.
Martin estimated that the contractor
manufactures 81 100000 worth OF cloth
ing annually at the workhouse at a pro-
fit of 100000, and pays New Castle
county SEQ. 600 He ridiculed the contract
and told the legislators they would not
adopt such bad business methods II run
ming peanut stand. He stated ~ cost
" cents per day to support each prisoner
and the contractor pays but ~ cents, oil
which eight cents go to the prisoner.
He accused Delaware OF discriminating
against AZ other States by permitting
convicts to manufacture clothing IN
New Castle county.
Martin praised the workhouse survey
made bv representative of the Russell
Sage Foundation.
II convicts were put on their honor,
Martin declared there would be fewer
escapes from the workhouse and prisoners
would come out determined to be better
citizens. He thought convicts should be
nut on road work or should make clothing
for other institutions. II the contractor $
nroft is S3OO. 600 per year, he remarked,
| The workhouse should adopt some indus
trv that would benefit the State to that
/ extent
/ Saving the contractor agent was born
| in Germany, Martin described near-riot
! at the workhouse during the recent war
/ when nc alleged the contractors agent
| tore an American flag from sewing
machine operated by a convict Because
resentment was so great, .Martin salu'
the contractors agent put two Amerl-
CON f,avs on the sewing machine the next
dav.
Mr.. Rothschild, the local manager OF
| the clothing shop at the workhousc,
denies the flag incident related by one
of the former prisoners before the leglsla-
tive committee. ~
Martin directed attention to Milton
Bush. Negro. who had an arm injured
in shaftinr at the workhouse. Bush
exhibited the arm. Martin asserted the
arm had been improperly set and stated
the contractor had given Bush no com
pensatlon
REPRESENTATIVE McNabb said previous
Legislature had enacted a Law. providing
for workhouse Investigations. but II had
never been enforced.
Martin Robinson. n former convict
anro,nced that two men had been muir
dered in the workhouse and one man had
been disabled for life He described :
fight between two convicts. during whlct
a guard attempted 10 separate them 10y
clubbing ono on the head He said ;
Negro shot Guard Campbell and tn
Negro died from injuries. He told OF
guard shutting cell door on Negro
head and stated the Negro shot I've
guards the next day for revenge.
According to Robinson, he was con
fined in a tunnel on an August night
with steam heat turned on and no drinking
water ohtainable At another time ne wa
kent in the rams cell for three and one
hall days without food and was compeIie'
: to drink water from the toilet hopper
Robinson complained ot not hcin
permitted to attend the funeral ol q
r mother although. he said, former Stat
I senator Thomas NJ. Monaghan offered {
furnish 5000 bail for the hours freedor
a and nav guard and a taNlcab drive
| for their services.
Roeinson alleged that convIcts ciotf
t ing does not receive proper care an
: stated prisoners have to wear mott
: eaten clothes when they are discharge
Q from the wOrkhouse.
i Revcrting to tragedies, Roh'nso
2 cited a guard boring six shots INTO a Pm
Il oncr FIVE after the fellow had fallen dra
d ging him downstairs and throwing M
n into the rams" cell, where he died. Robli
: son said this guard conducts religious Sc
/ vices and asks the convlcts to sing n
favoritc song Whittier Than Snow
4 Robinson stated prisoners appolntc
q committee to better conditions ot
IS Murderer Price escaped before the con
) mittec started work
If Robinson told of guard pi1 '"C
X convict until blood streamed do, Il
r prisoner face.
ye Because he had weak eyes, RohIns'
7 said he refused 10 do certa work al
r because he would not wear eyegiass
uns,Iited 10 him, he was strung up TO
le wall like Christ on the cross, from
~ O clock IN the morning until 80 clio
So | IN thc afternoon. when the workhou
b phvsirian advised that he be taken do'
Is. and his ewes be examined by an ocutist
re Robinson replying to Representa-
a. McNabb. stated things are different
a the workhouse when the Legislatt
y. visits the institution Then the dlnlngrot
s; is clean and better food is provided.
said meat served on other occaslc
d. stinks nine times out OF ten and ic
q: pounds of coffee supply 600 men. Someti
IS; the smell of scrapple almost knot
N, people down"
.r 'EWhv? why?'' he asked. "Rumorss
rs. f1ying around that il wont be reported
pr. till the House acts on the House 20
ISIS resolution" " he said, land if that be tr
the situation is unprecedented, Tor
fcially the Senate has no knowledge q
the House has such a resolution,
officially the House has no knowledge u
Nv the Senate has such q resolution.
could not believe that any member oi
- Senate was trying to avoid gong
~ record either for or against the oen
~ =. resolution He believed that IN the pi
- : ent instance the Republicans were sim
Fl wasting time and spending State mo-
- while making a political football of We
IN ans suffrage. and declared II would
- far better to report the resolution TO
- - Senate. act upon It-either pass u
- defeat it-transact whatever other b
:; ness the Legislature might have, adIo
~ J. and go home and quit trying to pass
I. buck" TO the House.
~ Senator Palmer said reporting
! resolution was delayed out OF courtes,
20 Senator Walker, proponent OF the r
30 luton and chairman Of the committee
p q Senator Walker resented Seni
Iai C,orroIe,,-e remarks After referring