The Indianapolis Journal

CONDITION OF WORKHOUSE.
Board of Charities and Correction Makes Its Report.
The report of the Marion County Board of Charities and Correction on the workhouse was filed with the County Commissioners yesterday, as follows:
"We found the premises, with a few exceptions, in most excellent order and the inmates in good health. The recommendations we made in our last report, we regret to say, had not met with your attention to that degree that any of them had been put into effect.
"The bath tubs were in bad order when we made our last report, and at this visit we find them much worse. We desire to emphasize our recommendation that all bath tubs be abolished and a system of shower baths be substituted. We are confident that shower baths will be much better in a sanitary way and equally as effectual for cleanliness of the inmates and also economical in the use of water. There should be proper attention given in the placing of the shower baths so the inmates may have some privacy and not be exposed to the gaze of each other.
We call your attention again to the fact that the sleeping apartment of the guards should receive your prompt attention. We think the commissioners should use every means in their power to protect the officers from any possible injury. The sleeping apartments of the guards have but one exit, which is through the doorway. The windows are barred. One of these windows should be made to open from the inside to allow the guards egress in case of fire or in case the door should be made impassable because of an uprising among the inmates.
"The services on Wednesday are very satisfactory and thought to be beneficial to the inmates, but the Sunday services, it is thought, can be much improved. We suggest that this matter be called to the attention of the Young Men's and Young Women's Christian Associations.
We are much pleased with the ideas of Mr. Essman, the superintendent, and believe him to be the right man for the place. Mr. Essman would take great pleasure in laboring to the end that the Marion county workhouse should be the model for the whole State. Under his management the institution has made a wonderful stride for the better, but he realizes there is much more that can be done and that he would like to do. We bespeak for him the encouragement and co-operation of the commissioners to the end that his ideas and suggestions may be carried out and the Marion county workhouse be not only a model institution but self-supporting."