Evening journal., 1920-05-24

! iNenuaNoiS IN rtlaLon 10 bue new
Castle County Workhouse
Your committee met at the Hotel
dupont Wilmington. Delaware. on
The morning Of April 26, 1920. for the
purpose Of organization. James =. Al
lee. lr., Thomas r. GOrmley. William
LyOs. Jr., and John h. McNabb being
Unanimously elected chairman, and
William Lyons. Jr-, was unanimously
elected secretary Of said committee
Az this needing IL was agreed that
this Investigation shOnd be conduct
cd along defined lines and that II
We were 10 gsl any accurate infOr-
malion from prisoners, 10 was deemed
advisable that The examinations be
he'd privately with only one Wit
ness present at a time. and only IN
lhe presence OF the committee and
their stenographer. 10 was also
agreed That shorthand nO,e8 OF all
testimony be taken by Charles C.
Guycr. a court stenoggpher OF VIII
mlnglon, said notes 10 be reduced by
him 10 typeWritng
ID ginning al 2 o'clock p. m. on the
afternoon OF April PC 1920. your COM
mtlee made a general inspection and
examinations Of conditions at the
NOrkhOuse, including cells, corridors,
recreation grounds, war rooms. din
ing rooms, kitchens. etc, etc; talked
p rsonally With many prisoners In or
der TO secure leads for The general
Investigation which Nas 10 follow
10 was The opinion OF your commit
tee that this atmosphere must be
created before any specific infOrma-
ton could be had Your committee
members mingled freely with The
prisoners, were admitted TO talk will
Them privately either while at WOrk
o. during recreation hours or while
they Mere confined In their cells. At
a final meeting OF your committee on
that dan II was decided That specific
Intern 'uOn on the following subject
should be secured N possible:
"I The responsibility for The cs-
escape OF lfmuel Price convicted
murderer, from The Institution on
December %, 1919
- The general management OF
the Institution under Warden Cross,
which was 10 include particularly
food OF prisoners. sanitary conditions
and ALLEGED cruolty 10 prisoners, etc
- The present and past labor
contract system at The Institution
Including not only clothing contract
with Oppcnheim 4 Co., but also the
use OF prisoners on roads, on insu-
tuition farms and by private indlvid-
uals.
-. The present conduct OF the in
stntlon under Warden Plummer.
"Aftr the final assembling OF the
members your committee recessed 20
meet at HE workhouse the following
day at 10 O'Clock a. m.
Your committee met pursuant 10
adjournment and during The day OK
amined twelve prisoners Who, from
your committees leads. should have
had general information In relation
10 the facts about which Information
was desired 90 be had, TWO hundred
and thirteen pages OF testimony were
tah'n on this day
"The following day, April %. your
committee again met at The work.
house and examined oh1'1t prisoners,
four guards and tho farmer In charge
% The Delcasllc Farm, a tract OF over
three hundred acr IS owned and oper-
aied by The institution. TWO hun
dred and twenty pages OF testimony
were taken on that dale All eXam-
inailons were either held in a pri-
vale room IN th, basement OF the
Institution with only bhe witness
himself. the Numbers of ihe COM
millee and stenographer present, oc
privately In room at the Hotel
dupont and no guard or warden
suggested what prisomrs should Do
"Your committee then recessed,
awaiting he transcwhing OF iestl,
mnnv until May 3 and on The morn
Ing OF that date examined three Wns-
toes OF the institution and IN une
afternoon examined an eA-conNicl
and a representative or the clolles
contracting firm which Is nahulac-
turing az the institution. une nun
dred and twcniy-oight pages or les
| timonv wire taken on Oils day.
Your committee lhen adjourned
until MAY AZ in order that testimony
might be transcribed so mat inc
committee members might nave copies
| OF same FOR The re-cX0nnnation or VIII
nesses on lhai date
pursuant 10 adjournment youi
committee again met at the New cas-
ile County MOrkh0use on the morn
ing Of May ~ and examined another
trustee and three prisoners or tn
Institution, re-eXamined a representa-
live OF the clothes contracting hrm q
the institution, eXamned a guard anS
DON Stuck. but he managed TO open d
lust as the train lurchcd badly III
| iost his balance and was hurled out o.
the window
Fortunately The train was MOVING
slowly al The time. and he road
NAV az The point was sand ballast
I'D These facts prevented more ser
ious injuries 10 The President. whl
was able 60 get up and make hi
wav 10 the nearest railroad station
where his facial wounds were dressed
lie admittedly telephoned his VII
In The Elysees Palace. who had no
learned OF ths accident. assuring he
81 that his injuries were not serious.