Chapter III: Part 3

It turns out that the man is a native of Ireland, and that his name was assumed. He was sentenced to the Penitentiary, but who can tell how soon he may be liberated by an improvident pardon, and find himself in full practice, under some other name, and in some unsuspicious community?

Why was not his character properly exposed, when, by successive criminal acts, its settled traits were discovered, at least so far as to put the unwary on their guard?

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CONSUMPTION OF INTOXICATING DRINKS.—Some persons have flattered
themselves and the public that there has been a sensible decrease of
the consumption of ardent spirits in the British Empire, but it is
confidently affirmed that the population statistics and excise returns
show a very different state of things. In 1821, the population of
England and Wales was 11,978,875, and they consumed 7,261,581 gallons
of spirits. In 1856, the population was estimated at 20,000,000, and
they consumed 13,964,284 gallons, besides over 600,000,000 of ale and
beer. In 1821, the population of Scotland was 2,093,456, and they
consumed 2,558,285 gallons of spirits. In 1856, a population of
3,000,000 consumed 7,402,643 gallons. The population of Ireland in
1821, was 6,780,826, and they consumed 3,340,472 gallons of spirits.
The population in 1856, about the same as in 1821 (famine and
pestilence having taken off 1,500,000 of consumers), they consumed
6,936,938 gallons of spirits. We apprehend the state of the case is
but little, if any, better in these United States.

* * * * *

PRISONS AND PRISONERS IN SOUTH CAROLINA.—In his late message to the Legislature, the Governor of South Carolina suggests the propriety of making a breach of trust a higher offence than larceny, and making the punishment equal, if not more severe. He thinks their system of discipline needs reform, (of which, we apprehend, no intelligent citizen can doubt,) and he justly complains that, while witnesses are subject to close confinement, prisoners held on criminal charges, have the free range of the prison!

* * * * *

ANNUAL CENSUS OF THE PHILADELPHIA COUNTY PRISON.—Total number received during the past year, 19,846, being an increase of 4,933 over the number the year previous. Of this number 19,822 were discharged—446 to the convict side of the house; 4,604 having served out their time; 25 have died, 3 been pardoned, and one committed suicide. The rest have been released by magistrates, or acquitted by courts.

The number of prisoners received during the months of the year were:

January, 1,444 Discharged, 1,379
February, 1,359 „ 1,439
March, 1,708 „ 1,623
April, 1,531 „ 1,566
May, 1,611 „ 1,581
June, 1,712 „ 1,782
July, 1,922 „ 1,891
August, 1,931 „ 1,959
September, 1,679 „ 1,601
October, 1,685 „ 1,705
November, 1,764 „ 1,739
December, 1,500 „ 1,557
—————— ——————
19,846 19,822

December 31, there remained in confinement 777 prisoners of various grades.

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A QUARTER’S POLICE WORK IN NEW YORK.—The police force of New York numbers 1,699, and the district embraces the counties of New York, Kings, Richmond, and West Chester. The expense of the police for the year is stated to be $1,167,336, or an average of $700 for each officer. The operations of the last quarter are as follows: Total number of arrests, 23,971, and of these 16,701 were males, and 7,220 females. For the same quarter last year there were 21,022 arrests, showing an increase of 2,949. Four-fifths of the persons arrested were of foreign birth. Of the offences committed 17,077 were against the person, and only 3894 against property. Two thirds of the offences were committed under the influence of intoxicating liquors; 15,917 of the offenders could read and write; 6,783 had no education whatever; 1,273 cases were not determined; 12,039 were married; 10,659 unmarried; 1,073 cases not reported.

* * * * *

ALABAMA STATE PRISON.—The Governor’s Message states, that there are 216 convicts in the Penitentiary, of whom six are females. He recommends the _separate_ system, to be applied to them. The male convicts are let out to a contractor, who agrees to board them, and pay the State $1,550 per annum for their labor. A poor bargain in any event.

* * * * *

NEW YORK PRISON ASSOCIATION.—At the December monthly meeting of the executive committee of the New York Prison Association, the report of the agent of the committee of Detention and Discharged Convicts, showed that during the year then about to close, 5,740 persons committed to the city prisons were “visited and familiarly spoken with” by him. In 1,394 cases, circumstances of extenuation were offered, and hopeful signs exhibited—532 cases were investigated and discontinued on proper representation—551 were discharged from custody as improperly held—679 were relieved by small sums of money till they obtained employment, and 320 were supplied with clothing or employment, or both. The contributions to the funds of the Association during the year were but two thousand dollars!

* * * * *

DELIBERATE MURDER BY A BOY UNDER NINE YEARS OF AGE.—On the 25th of October, a boy between eight and nine years of age, went to a neighbor’s house while the elder members of the family were absent, and with a gun deliberately shot down a girl about twelve years of age, killing her instantly. The boy, upon being questioned, first said the gun had fallen accidentally and shot her. He subsequently stated that he was mad at her, and had killed her! They had attended school together, and had quarreled. The boy had threatened to shoot the girl, and took this occasion to carry out his threat. The occurrence took place in Montgomery county, Pa., a short distance across the Chester county line, from Valley Forge.

* * * * *

DISTRIBUTION OF LABOR IN PARIS.—A recent inquiry into the occupations of the laboring people of Paris, with a view to ascertain how far public improvements now in progress bear favorably on their interests, shows a very different distribution of labor from that supposed. Of the 360,000 men and women engaged in various trades and handicrafts, it was apprehended that by far the greater part were employed in building operations, as masons, carpenters, joiners, painters, &c., but the late investigation shows that the trade which engrosses the largest amount of hands is that of tailors and workers in ready made articles of clothing. In this branch of industry alone, the recent statistics prove 100,000 out of 360,000 working men and women to be engaged.

* * * * *

NEW JERSEY STATE PRISON.—We learn that there are now confined in the State Penitentiary at Trenton 350 convicts. In many of the cells three prisoners are put together, and some far-seeing newspaper observes, that unless the prison premises are enlarged, there is danger that the _separate system_, which the law requires to be carried out in the prison, will have to be abandoned! If a man was as near being dead as the separate system is to being violated there, most doctors would give him up.

CONSTITUTION
OF THE
=Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons.=

When we consider that the obligations of benevolence which are founded on the precepts and examples of the Author of Christianity, are not cancelled by the follies or crimes of our fellow-creatures; and when we reflect upon the miseries which penury, hunger, cold, unnecessary severity, unwholesome apartments, and guilt, (the usual attendants of prisons,) involve with them, it becomes us to extend our compassion to that part of mankind, who are the subjects of those miseries. By the aid of humanity, their undue and illegal sufferings may be prevented; the links which should bind the whole family of mankind together, under all circumstances, be preserved unbroken; and such degrees and modes of punishment may be discovered and suggested, as may, instead of continuing habits of vice, become the means of restoring our fellow-creatures to virtue and happiness. From a conviction of the truth and obligation of these principles, the subscribers have associated themselves under the title of “THE PHILADELPHIA SOCIETY FOR ALLEVIATING THE MISERIES OF PUBLIC PRISONS.”

For effecting these purposes, they have adopted the following CONSTITUTION.

ARTICLE I.

The Officers of the Society shall consist of a President, two Vice-Presidents, two Secretaries, a Treasurer, two Counsellors, and an acting Committee; all of whom shall be chosen at the stated meeting to be held in the first month (January) of each year, and shall continue in office until their successors are elected; but in case an election from any cause shall not be then held, it shall be the duty of the President to call a special meeting of the Society within thirty days, for the purpose of holding such election, of which at least three days’ notice shall be given.

ARTICLE II.

The President shall preside in all meetings, and subscribe all public acts of the Society. He may call special meetings whenever he may deem it expedient; and shall do so when requested in writing by five members. In his absence, one of the Vice-Presidents may act in his place.

ARTICLE III.

The Secretaries shall keep fair records of the proceedings of the Society, and shall conduct its correspondence.

ARTICLE IV.

The Treasurer shall keep the moneys and securities, and pay all orders of the Society or of the Acting Committee, signed by the presiding officer and Secretary; and shall present a statement of the condition of the finances of the Society at each stated meeting thereof.

ARTICLE V.

The Acting Committee shall consist of the officers of the Society, _ex-officio_, and thirty-eight other members. They shall visit the prison at least twice a month, inquire into the circumstances of the prisoners, and report such abuses as they shall discover, to the proper officers appointed to remedy them. They shall examine the influence of confinement on the morals of the prisoners. They shall keep regular minutes of their proceedings, which shall he submitted at every stated meeting of the Society; and shall be authorized to fill vacancies occurring in their own body. They shall also have the sole power of electing new members.

ARTICLE VI.

Candidates for membership may be proposed at any meeting of the Society or of the Acting Committee; but no election shall take place within ten days after such nomination. Each member shall pay an annual contribution of two dollars; but the payment of twenty dollars at any one time shall constitute a life membership.

ARTICLE VII.

Honorary members may be elected at such times as the Society may deem expedient.

ARTICLE VIII.

The Society shall hold stated meetings on the second third-day in the months called January, April, July and October, of whom seven shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE IX.

No alterations of the Constitution shall be made, unless the same shall have been proposed at a stated meeting of the Society held no less than a month previous to the adoption of such alterations. All questions shall be decided where there is a division, by a majority of votes; in those where the Society is equally divided, the presiding officer shall have the casting vote.

PENNSYLVANIA JOURNAL OF PRISON DISCIPLINE.

This is a sterling Quarterly, edited with much good sense, kindliness
and tact. It vindicates the policy of solitary confinement, and is
generally on the right side. It brings forth “things new and old,”
belabors empiricism, looks upon man in his true condition of sin and
misery, and seeks righteous measures for his reformation. We have
always admired the self-relying sedateness and ingenious ability with
which the Editor opens his battery, offensive and defensive; and he
commands a long range and uses unerring projectiles. A wide field is
opened for usefulness in the department of Prison Discipline for men
of sense and religion; and we are glad that there is a valuable
Quarterly set for the defence of the truth.—_Pres. Mag._

OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY.

PRESIDENT,—JAMES J. BARCLAY.

VICE-PRESIDENTS, {TOWNSEND SHARPLESS,
{DR. WILLIAM SHIPPEN.

TREASURER,—EDWARD H. BONSALL.

SECRETARIES, {WM. PARKER FOULKE,
{JOHN J. LYTLE.

COUNSELLORS, {HENRY J. WILLIAMS,
{HENRY J. PHILLIPS.

_Members of the Acting Committee._

Charles Ellis,
Wm. S. Perot,
Thomas Latimer,
John M. Wetherill,
Samuel Caley,
Abram C. Brown,
Benjamin H. Pitfield,
John Horton,
Isaac Barton,
Richard Williams,
William L. Edwards,
James E. Kaighn,
Alfred H. Love,
Jeremiah Willetts,
William H. Burr,
D. Sheppard Holman,
Jacob T. Bunting,
Thomas J. Miles,
Dr. Geo. H. Burgin,
John C. Farr,
George Taber,
William Kederlen,
Mahlon H. Dickinson,
John L. Capen,
William Ingram,
James Peters,
Joseph Keen,
Robert E. Evans,
Albert H. Franciscus,
William R. McAdam,
William Chapman,
Rev. George Bringhurst,
Charles Palmer,
Charles P. Perot,
Charles C. Cresson,
Wm. H. Dennis,
Chas. C. Lathrop,
Frederick A. Packard.

_Visiting Committee on the Eastern State Penitentiary._

Townsend Sharpless,
Edward H. Bonsall,
Edward Townsend,
John J. Lytle,
Samuel Caley,
Abram C. Brown,
Isaac Barton,
Richard Williams,
Wm. L. Edwards,
James E. Kaighn,
Alfred H. Love,
Jeremiah Willetts,
William H. Burr,
D. Shepherd Holman,
George Taber,
William Kederlen,
Mahlon H. Dickinson,
James Peters,
Joseph Keen,
Robert E. Evans,
Albert H. Franciscus,
William R. McAdam,
William Chapman,
Rev. George Bringhurst,
Charles Palmer.

_Visiting Committee on the Philadelphia County Prison._

Wm. S. Perot,
Dr. Wm. Shippen,
Charles Ellis,
Thomas Latimer,
John M. Wetherill,
Benjamin H. Pitfield,
John Horton,
Jacob T. Bunting,
Thomas J. Miles,
Dr. Geo. H. Burgin,
John C. Farr,
John L. Capen,
William Ingram,
Charles P. Perot.

☞ Mr. W. J. MULLEN is agent of the County Prison, appointed by the
Inspectors, and acting under their direction.

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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

1. Moved the beginning of the Constitution to just before its continuation. 2. Silently corrected obvious typographical errors and variations in spelling. 3. Retained archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed. 4. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_. 5. Enclosed blackletter font in =equals=.