Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-12

and not allowed to 20 outside unless heav-
ily guarded.
THE GENERAL SYSTEM or MANAGEMENT.
There was not sufficient time To make
thorough study of the system of prison
management employed at the workhone,
but so far as we were able to ASCERTAIN,
the rules and regulation. secmed adequate
for the purposes for which cy were
adopted What was found, was de-
plorablc lack Of rigid and impartial en-
forcement Of these rules both by The
warden and by the trustees.
In this connection, it may not he out
of place to say that well managed
prison is not aalace, nor a parlor, nor ~
IL primarily place for the amusement of
convicts, nor for making money out OF
their labor
The object of first importance is the
secure confinement of persons convicted
of crime until the sentences imposed by
the Courts are fully carried into effect
In the due administration Of criminal
law, deprivation of liberty forms a ma
teral part OF those sentences. Not only
are strict rules and regulations required
for the proper management OF a prison,
but it Is fully as important, that there
shall be a strict, rigid and impartial en-
vinced that this has not been the case at
the workhouse for some irne past. and in
support of this statement we submit
herewith brief summary Of the cyidenco
heard by us, as TO some of the many
matters about which we inquired during
the four days occupied In this lnYcati-
cation:
NEAL ESTATE TRhrsAcT1oG IN THE Prison.
An incident which happened within
the last wear and which woul receive
notice was as follows
long term prisoner desired to sell
a house which be had owned before he
was convicted a short term prisoner
who claimed To be real estate agent CON
surnrnated the bargain in the workhouse
A member of the New Castle county bar,
and az such an officer of your honorable
court. went 10 the wOrkhousc and was
allowed 10 see the two prisoners IN the
office. This attorney took 10 the work
house with him 800 In new one dollar
bills. They were not folded but We're
wrapped M in n piece Of newspaper in
such n way that only the outside Of the
paekage could be seen.
he guard left the Office for few
minutes and the attorney han the con
tract signed and gave the package con-
thinning the money 70 tho long term
prisoner who slipped il under his shirt
and went hack 10 his cell The attorney
then left the workho,isc without telling
the guard or warden Of what he had done
The long term prisoner used this money
from time to time to induce prisoners
| about to be discharged from tho work
| house 10 purchase steel SAWS With which
! rrigon bars could he cut 4 number of
! those saws were brought 10 the power
/ house and from there taken hv TRUSTEES
/ To the long term prisoner ~ tho work
/ house The saws were distributed among
n number Of long term prisoners and dcs-
i perate criminals who formed a plot tn
/ cut their way out of the wOrkhousc and
/ Ind actually commenced to saw through
some II he bars when they were discover
! ed and the plot folled II was some time
! before ali the saws were recovered rom
the prisoners This action of the at-
tornev was 4 gross breach Of The prison
| rules and 0f the trust and confidence re-
ros ed IN him rs m officer ~ fbis honor
/ able court The board Of trtistees of the
workhouae never took any steps 10 bring
j this action of the attorney TO the official
notice of thus honorable court.
We strongly recommend that the board
/ OF trustees at this time file charges in this
honorable court against sad attorney and
prosecute sad charges vigorously IN order
i that this honorable court may % se proper
! action IN the premises.
We feel that the board Of trustees was
/ negligent and is to be cersnred for It's
failure to promptly take s,lcn action against
tire attorney whose wrongful conduct mad
50 seriously lnteriercd with the manage
ment and discipline Of the prison.
John pRIc1.
John Price, brother of Lemuei Price,
was Jointly indicted with him upon j
charge Of assault with intent to commit
| murder OF a police officer John pleaded
| guilty and was sentenced 10 twenty
20 wears Imprisonment. Lemuel Price
was found guilty OF murder and the charge
of assault with intent 70 commit rnurder
was therefore abandoned against HIM
After convection Iemuel Price waE con.
fined in cell number one of the right hand
! tier Of the west wing Of the prison and
his brother John was place> n an adloiu
ing cell. This was very bad judgment on
the part Of the warden.
II there was 10 be any opportunity
for escape for Lcmuel il Is certain that hi-
brother John would give all the assistance
in his power.
On the evening Of December %. 1919
after the prisoners mad had their supper
and had returned to their cells N the
west wing iohn Price asked the guard
where Lelnucl Price was, 10 which the
guard rcpiled in his cell. John rep.ieo
NO. he am t. and the guard there
upon made an invest CATION and then dis
covered that Lemucl had escaped.
Ii John had not asked the guard whert
/ Lemuel WAS. there Is no evidence that tn.
guard would have learned OF the escape
until the next morning
THE ArToRN EY-TRUsrEE OF wookHoUs.
| The grand jury find that J. Frank Bal
| is one of the trustees of the workhouse
and acts as the secretary of the board
lie Is also counsel for many OF the prisoner
who are confined in the workhouSe. anl
| this dual position Of trustee and attorney
/ has initiated against the best interests ans
management Of the institution Our IN
vestigation has disclosed certain con
ditions, some of which are As follows.
II In November, 1917. man vas
convicted OF murder IN the second degrc,
and sentenced 10 life Imprisonment. Iii
was represented by Frank Ball. TIN
murderer was regarded BY Warden Cros
as dangerous. but Mr. Bali insisted tha
the murderer be placed cut on the farm
for the benefit of his health The prison
physician found the health of the murdcre
to be fair and the warden refused 70 piact
him on the farm and had a serious clasi
with Mr. Bali in regard to the matter