Committed. Offence. Sentence. Discharge. June 6, 1863.... Drunkenness.... April 7, 1865..... Being а common prostitute.. 7, 1865 21, 1867 90 days and costs... July 3, 1867.... Disorderly conduct.. 90 days and costs Dec. Jan. 5, 1868.... Communicating with prisoners.... Jan. 19, 1868.... Communicating with prisoners... May June 2, 1868.... Drunkenness.. 5, 1868.... Drunkenness.... June 23, 1868.... Being a common prostitute.. Oct. 13, 1868.... Communicating with prisoners.... March 17, 1869.... Drunkenness.. ... 30 days and costs... January 16, 1868 90 days and costs April 21, 1868 12, 1868 15, 1868 Fine $5 and costs... June 10 days and costs... August 9, 1869 Delivered to Court.. Nov. 7, 1875 Released on bail. March 16, 1877.... Selling liquor....... 10 days, fine $20 and She is now serving out her sixth sentence to the Workhouse. She has a kindly nature, and, with a better start, might have been a useful and respectable member of society. M— M was born in Ireland, and came to the United States, with older brothers and sisters, but without parents, at the age of nine. The first two years she lived with a family in the country, and took care of children. At the age of eleven, she was taken by a family in the city for like service, where she remained until she was cruelly wronged, it is said, by one of its members. This was the starting point of her course in evil. Her first appearance in the Provi Feb. 18, 1864.... Vagrancy............... 30 days and costs... April 18, 1864 May 27, 1862.... Defacing building... Fine $1 and costs... July 10, 1862 She is at present, for the seventh time, at the Workhouse in Cranston. She has spent one winter in the State Almshouse. She has grown old and grey-headed in crime, and yet, she has not a wholly bad nature; nor has she, through all her hard experiences, lost her sensibility to acts and words of kindness. To the enquiry of one who took an interest in her, as to how she first got into the wrong path, she replied, the tears coursing down her furrowed cheeks, "It was the same old story." D——— M. F, was born in Providence. He has no remembrance of his father. With only the care of a mother, he early fell into bad associations. When scarcely of the required age, he enlisted in the Third Rhode Island Cavalry, and served during the last two years of the war. After his discharge, he returned to his old associations. His first appearance at the County Jail was in 1860. He was sent there, as he states, for a blow dealt to a man who had insulted his sister. His record, taken from the books of that institution, is as follows: March 27, 1863.... Malicious mischief.. 3 months..... 23, 1861 October 3, 1863 For some years past he has alternated between the County Jail and the Workhouse in Cranston. His sentences to the latter institution cover periods amounting to seven years, nearly one of which he has yet to serve out. He is at present employed in the barn. For the past seven months he has been a "trusted man," going to and from his work, early and late, with every opportunity of escaping. The officer overseeing him, when asked a short time since what sort of a man he was, said, "He is a dreadful good fellow; I should be very sorry to lose him. He is kind, obedient, and faithful; and the best man to work that I ever saw." Is society in no way responsible for this wrecking of humanity? Can any thoughtful man turn to one of those lost brothers or lost sisters and say? "My skirts are clear. See thou to that." How many neglected and exposed children, the offspring of poor, shiftless and vicious parents, are growing up to repeat with variations the above sad histories; unless snatched by the State from their threatened destiny and placed in a suitable home, where they may be trained to habits of industry and virtue, and made respectable members of society? Such a home, wherever located, is the crying want of this community. The Board are aware that the proper treatment of the unfortunate, erring and vicious classes, is a subject environed by great difficulties; taxing to the utmost the combined resources of the statesman and the philanthropist. They are also aware that it is far easier to point out defects in existing methods, than to show how those defects may be remedied. But nothing is gained without effort. Should it be the pleasure of your honorable body to refer this part of their report to a committee, they will be glad to appear before that committee, and present their views more at length on some of the topics herein considered. FINANCES. On the first of January, 1877, the balance to the credit of the ap- $18,740 78 64,000 00 2,700 00 2,000 00 17,673 72 10,107 90 1,753 99 $116,976 39 The amounts charged to the various expense accounts, to construction, &c., including indebtedness, (that is, these amounts include all purchases made and debts incurred) are as follows: 46 material and hired labor for Prison Commission...... "removal of paupers, salary and expenses of office of 1,236 01 For current expenses, as follows: For expenses of the farm, purchase of stock, farm im $74,492 40 Balance to the credit of appropriation for State Farm on Less balance of book accounts (net indebtedness of Board of State Charities and Corrections).. Available balance for State Farm... Balance of appropriation for purchase of land. $44,176 20 4,075 84 40,100 36 1,200 00 |