Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-16
SAY PRISON RULES
WERE VIOLATED
Suggest Attorney General Prose
cute Lawyer Who Gave Con
vict 500.
TO CURTAIL LIBERTY
OF THE PRISONERS
Attention Called to Payment OF
sl52. 900 on Debt and Sl2'ooo
Last Year to Convicts.

Warden Richard f. Cross OF the work
house IS blamed bv the trustees OF the
,risoD for the escape Of Lemucl Price, the
1Iaver of Policeman Thomas J.. Zehlev,
according 10 their reply 20 the Grand
Hlry's arraignmcnt, which has been tiled
with the court They make the contention
that the warden was held accountable tor
enforcement Of the prison rules and that y
the rules had been rigidly cnioTe.d lrl'o
could not have escaped
The trustees also inform the court that
tbev have asked the warden TO resign
ks 10 the suggestion that the board
bring charges against the lawyer Who' u i
charged left 500 with . prisoner nc
visited. the board says u IS Wlthout
authority 10 prosecute and suggests 'n.s
te done by the attorney-generai' VINO, y
states. has been informed OF the iactS. ne
offending attorney has hccn denied me
customary workhousc privileges accoIueo
LAWYERS having rients there
Attention Is called 10 the fact that the
hoard. in its effort to save money Tor the
taxnavers, has paid oti sl5l,VuO y INC
debt has bought $40 acres ct taTm land 70
beIn silpnort the institution and provide
enoplovrnent. and last year paId SlI.Ouu
10 prisoners. which they had earned, and
rrh,ch rees chiefly toward the support ot
,heir fgrn,licx The liberty of long term
-,r,sonerr Is L, IL eaartailcd and they are 10
g kept within the prison walls
woRxHoUsE TRUSTEES REPLY.
The board ; reply to the Grand Jury,
addressed to the court, follows
Wilmington, Delaware, Jan II, l9-U.
To tho Honorable. the Judges q the
Court Of General Sessions ot the State 81
Delaware, in and for New Castle county !:
The Grand Jury az New CaStic County
having returned ~ Your Honors i'S pre-
sentiment in relation 10 the escape Of
Iern1Icl Price and the management ot the
New Castle county workhousc, We deem It
proocr and right that we should submit TO
Won our answer TO the same
Tho Act 10 establish the New Castle
county workhousc, was passed t'y the
Legislature and approved hv the governor
on the sixteenth day Of March, \. -,
1909. and IN the month Of April thereafter
five rorsons were appointed 10 constitute
tb, board of trustees Of the New Castle
county workhouse. TO carry INTO execution
the provisions of the said act Lands were
purchased. buildings erected and fully
equipped. and warden. guards and other
officials were duly appointed 10 proVlde
for the proper carrying INTO effect OF the
same. The present board OF trustees has
had charge OF the management OF the
institution for the last FIVE wears.
In 1915 the then warden. Leonard CraW-
ford, resigned an account OF lli-health
Il then became the duty oi the board Of
trustees to select competent and Ell
slclcnt man TO act as warden oi the mSil-
tution The board OF trustees before max
ine anv appointment. diligently made m
C1uIries from the most competent authorI-
ties IN active prison management that
fhev knew oi, in order 10 secure such 8
person. and acting upon the reCummcnda-
tion and advice received from man who
had been for many years, superintendent
OF one oi the most successful penal lnstl-
tutions IN the country, Captain Richard
+. Cross was asked 10 appear beiore the
board. After further inquiries had been
made in addition 10 the above, and several
personal interviews with Captain Cross,
ie was engaged 10 act o. warden oi the
institution.
II had been the policy Of the board from
he beginning. and followed hy thc present
,3ard oi trustees having exercised due
r.sre and diligence IN the selection ot s
warden. 10 place upon hlm the fuil charge
{or the conduct, discipline and enforce
-,ent 81 the rules provided by the trustees
fiou. and hold INN individually Tesponsl-
blt for the same. as vas and Is the Gus
tom IN al we'll regulated penal lnstitu-
tIons.
II was immediately made known to
Warden Cross upon his taking office what
the rules governing the institution as had
been provided hy the hoard OF trustees
were, and he was iully informed that be
would be anawerabie for the police and
discipline OF the institution and would
have 10 repoit monthly or oftcner to the
board upon tilt conduct OF the officers
under ilIs direction, ana he should deSig-
nate the employment Of the prisoners, 4
reference beng had 10 their age, sex and
health and the profits OF labor; all Of
whIcii was accepted by hIn upon assum-
M 3dice copy of these rules are hereto
at' 'ached and asked to bc taken as part Of /
LIS. our answer.
The full responsibility Of recommending /
70 the hoard o. trustees the appointment
Of guards, officers and servants Of the /
institution was gwen the warden, and no I
appointment of any guard. officer or
servant of the institution was al any time
inadt by tie trustees, OF any individual
meuDeT thereof, except upon the recon-
of the warden This was done
ly the hoard OF trustees m order that there
might o. no conflict o. authority and in
order 10 center tie full executive re-
,ponsihIlIty n ono person.
The board o' trustees met regularly at
east once 8 month and frequent visits be-
ercu meetings were made by the various
4embers oi the board.
IL was made the duty Of the warden
Continued oupase lz