Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-05-24


the institution, and il seems AS il Cross
was entirely too busy with outside
affairs To know what was going on inside
the prison According to testimony, he
very seldom visited the Delcastle Farm
except with the Tru stees at their monthly
| insnection.
FOOD INSUFFICIENT AND POOR.
We are satisfied by the evidence, that
the food was insufficient and of poor
quality, poorly prepared and under con-
ditons which to say the least were not
sanitary. Medical attention for the pris-
oners was very poor.
We are convinced that the women s
| section, both then and now is inadequate,
especially from sanitary standpoint,
the women inmates being required to eat
their meals in the corridor IN front OF
their cells in close proximity to their
toilets Some of the cells at the present
time, in. the women's section, are beng
occupied by two or three prisoners, which
is certainly not conducive to the good
conduct of the institution, to say nothing
of the health of the inmates. Their facill-
ties for exercising are inadequate and their
| work room is of insufficient size.
We find that there are great many
| syphilitics in the institution. We recon-
mend that Immediately upon entering
the Institution, all prisoners be examined
and if found to have venereal diseases that
they be separated, kept from work IN
the shops with other men and given full
and proper treatment, until such time
that physician deems the disease non
communicable We find in the work rooms
insufficient toilet facilities, and recon-
mend that separate facilities be installed
for prisoners afflicted with venereal dis
| .4 l.n gf
There is need for separate prison for
women. entirely removed from the present
one. While they are at present entirely
isolated from the men S prison, the quarters
assigned them are entirely inadequate.
| Further recommendations along this line
| will be made at the end of our report.
The institution owns about three hun
dred and twenty-five acres OF land known
ms the Delcastle Farm and leases about
40 acres adjoining same. They have
nearly 40 acres around the institution
and over a hundred acre farm they lease
across the way.
FARM CONDUCTED AT LOSS.
Your committee did not visit the Del
castle Farm but examined the farmer and
also the accounts of the farms which are
kept at the institution. We find that the
DelcastIe Farm is, to say the ieast, being
conducted at quite pecuniary loss TO the
institution. 1t IS our judgment If the proper
interest on investment, labor charge
from the Workhouse, depreciation on
live stock. etc, were charged against the
farm for 1919, the loss would have shown
possibly eighteen thousand dollars.
We are not convinced that the Del
castle Farm is good investment financial
lv or otherwise 1t is too far removed from
the prison proper, making it extremely
easy for the prisoners to escape, as record
of escapes will show, and rs the number
of escapes during the past year fully
proves II is our opinion that there Is
sufficient farm land now owned or leased
by the Trustees in the immediate vlcln-
itv Of the workhouse TO provide outdoor
work for short term prisoners and TO
supply the institu, ion with all the farm
produc that may be needed for its use.
II is our opinion that this farm, dairy
herd, etc. should be disposed Of and the
prisoners used in producing truck on the
acreage in proximity to the workhouse.
The money received from the sale of
same would probably build a women :
prison, more modern and satisfactory IN
appolntments which would leave the sec
tion now used by women as a segregation
ward for men inmates.
CRUELTY TO PRISONERS.
| We have much evidence Of prisoners
having been black lacked by guards, of
the Handwriting Of prisoners TO the bars
and the locking up Of prisoners in what IS
known as the ram cell, where IN some
cases. at least, they were not gwen proper
attention Our chief criticism OF the So
called ram cells is that there are in same
no facilities for washing, and that prison.
ers have been confined there for consld-
cradle periods Of time and no water fur
nished with which even TO battle the face.
We recommend that some facilities for
washing beipstalled and some fixed rule be
established for furnishing drinking water
to the men detained therein. We under
stand that under the present warden, the
"stringing up process has been dispensed
with and we strongly recommend that
il be prohibited IN the future. As 70 black
iacking' and other physical methods used
to subdue prisoners, where we realize 1t
NAV be necessary to resort to same at
times, we strongly recommend, that IN
every case where physical methods are
used. the guard employing same shall
report same in writing TO the warden
stating the circumstances surrounding
same And that the warden shall immedl-
ately investigate and examine other wit
nesses of the occurrence. and note the evi-
dence obtained. and Qeport each case III
detail to the trustees at their monthly
meetings.
Under Warden Cross instances OF
brutality to prisoners by some of the
guards were never repoftd To the warden,
and. Of course. not to the trustees. The
situation, therefore, being that the trustees
were in ignorance Of the real condition
OF affairs, as they had placed their entire
: confidence in Cross as to the management
Of the prison and were never made aware
of the true facts as to the lack OF dlsCiplin
cruelty, etc, until after the escape Of
Price.
Your committee carefully investigated
the charges made before q Legislative
Committee in relation to the shooting
of a negro prisoner at the institution about
ten years ago, in which Warden Wingate
was charged with wanton cruelty. We
are convinced that those charges so
made are not well founded. The facts
the way we found them, were as follows:
wINGATE ExoNERATED.
The Negro, Hunter was a powerful
man. partially insane and very hard TO
handle. The guards, at that time, by order
Of the Warden, all ca rricd revolyers as
well as 'black jacks. After Guard Hast
ings had let the men in the right tier out
of their cells lac went over the release
the men in the left tier and the right
tier men filed by in his rear. As the line
including the Negro, Hunter, passed back