Lancaster County Prison Collection, 1869-1929

Call number:  MG-174

1 box     4 folders     .2 cubic ft.

Repository:  LancasterHistory.org (Lancaster, Pa.)

Shelving Location:  Archives South, Side 4

Description:  The collection contains commitment orders, discharge orders, annual reports, expense statements, letters, bills, and receipts. The annual reports record statistics of the prisoners, including crimes, gender, color, occupation, place of origin, etc. The reports also include detailed expense payments by individual and amount paid, and details of the numerous prison industries, such as product type, raw materials, and amount of product sold.

 Creator:  Lancaster County Prison (Pa.)

Conditions for Access:  No restrictions.

Conditions Governing Reproductions:  Collection may not be photocopied. Please contact Research Staff or Archives Staff with questions.

Language:  English

Source of Acquisition:  Unknown.

 

Folder 1

Insert 1

1.Letter from T. J. Dunn & Co., Philadelphia, Pa. to Ed Frailey, Esq. offering to purchase cigars from the prison industry. 23 August 1881. Additional name: Wm. H. Henderson.

2.Envelopes, letterhead of T. J. Dunn & Co., United States Cigar Manufactory, Philadelphia, Pa. Addressed to Edw. Frailey, Esq., Lancaster Prison.

Insert 2

1.Letter from John B. Wissler, General Merchandise Dealer, Brunnerville, Pa. to D. D. Burkholder offering carpet rags for sale. 27 December 1889.

2.Envelope addressed to Mr. D. D. Burkholder, Lancaster County Prison. Return address is John B. Wissler, Brunnerville, Pa.

Insert 3

1.Bill for gas from the Lancaster Gas Light and Fuel Co. to the Lancaster Co. Prison, E. King St. 17 October 1898.

2.Bill for “1 complete lamp” from the Lancaster Gas Light and Fuel Co. to the Lancaster County Prison. 1 October 1898.

  

Folder 2

Insert 1

1.Commitment order instructing Constable John Myers to deliver Daniel Wolf, vagrant, to jail keeper Henry C. Locher for a 30 day sentence. Additional name: Christian Kieffer, Lancaster City Mayor. 9 August 1854.

2.Commitment order instructing Constable James L. Messenkop to deliver Henry Oberly to the jail keeper for default of $300.00 bail on “assault and battery” complaint of Frederick Funk. 25 October 1873. Additional name: Walter G. Evans, Recorder.

3.Indictment. J. C. Aldridge is convicted of “assault and battery” and sentenced to three months in the Lancaster County Prison. 16 April 1888.

4.Commitment order instructing Constable John Rothrich to deliver G. W. Roe to the jail keeper in default of $400.00 bail on “worthless check” charge of John King. 1 December 1898. Additional name: John B. Kreckel, Alderman.

5.Commitment order instructing Constable John Crawford to deliver Frederick Haecker to the jail keeper in default of $300.00 bail on “assault and battery” charge of William Hildebrand. 16 December 1898. Additional name: Jacob Halbach, Alderman.

6.Commitment order instructing Constable George Geisley to deliver H. C. Weber to the jail keeper in default of $200.00 bail on “assault and battery” charge of Harry G. Weber. 28 December 1898. Additional name: George B. Bressler, Alderman.

7.Commitment order instructing Constable Wittick of the Borough of Columbia to deliver Harry D. Welsh to the jail keeper on a charge of “false pretenses and forgery” by E. Metzger. 28 December 1898. Additional name: Samuel Evans, Esq., Justice of the Peace.

8.Commitment order instructing Constable Samuel Campbell of the Borough of Columbia to deliver Charles Wieland and George Winkleman to the jail keeper in default of bail on charges of forcible entry and malicious mischief” by Ambrose A. Crowley. 28 December 1898. Additional name: C. H. Stover, Justice of the Peace.

9.Commitment order instructing Constable Samuel Campbell of the Borough of Columbia to deliver Charles Wieland to the jail keeper in default of bail on a charge of “larceny” by Ambrose A. Crowley. 28 December 1898. Additional name: C. H. Stover, Justice of the Peace.

10.Commitment order instructing Constable Samuel Campbell of the Borough of Columbia to deliver Charles Wieland to the jail keeper in default of bail on a charge of “larceny” by Levi E. Crowley. 28 December 1898. Additional name: C. H. Stover, Justice of the Peace.

11.Commitment order instructing Constable Samuel Campbell of the Borough of Columbia to deliver Charles Wieland to the jail keeper in default of bail on a charge of “larceny” by Levi E. Crowley. 28 December 1898. Additional name: C. H. Stover, Justice of the Peace.

Insert 2

1.Discharge petition of Alonza Barnes (a.k.a. Leonza Barnes) releasing this convict from Lancaster County Prison on completion of his sentence of nine months for “larceny.” 23 May 1878. Additional names: John P. Weise, Keeper of the Prison, and S. Hershey, Secretary of the Board of Inspectors. Form printed by John A. Hiestand.

2.Discharge of Tillie Green upon acquittal of the charge of “larceny” in Court of Quarter Sessions. 22 November 1894.

3.Letter from Alderman H. A. Nehr to Prison Keeper Jacob Smith ordering the release of Joseph Rehm due to payment of bail. 29 June 1895.

4.Discharge order instructing keeper of the prison to release Peter Baker, white, of Baltimore, Md., after serving 10 days on “condition to leave County and get work.” Ordered by George F. Lutz, Justice of the Peace. 23 December 1913. Form printed by John G. Homsher, Strasburg, Pa.

5.Discharge order from George F. Lutz, Justice of the Peace, instructing keeper of the prison to release Edward Laferrier, white, of Holy Oak, Mass., after serving 15 days “on condition to go home.” 23 December 1913.

6.Discharge order by Pena. Governor Henry M. Hoyt releasing Henry Welsh from Lancaster Co. Prison on completion of his term. 5 September 1882. Additional name: M. Quay, Secretary of the Commonwealth. (Housed in Oversized Box 6, Folder 5, Item 6)

  

Folder 3

Insert 1 19th Annual Report of the Board of Inspectors of the Lancaster Co. Prison for 1869. 40 pages. Printed by the Inquirer Printing House, 38 North Queen St., Lancaster, Pa., 1870. Contains many statistics on the inmates, lists of expenses by payee, and a list of the type and amount of person-made goods sold. 5.5″ x 8.75″

Insert 2 36th Annual Report of the Lancaster County Prison for the Year 1886. 26 pages. Printed in 1887 by the Intelligencer Printing House, Lancaster, Pa. Contains many statistics on the inmates, lists of expenses, and details on the person-made goods sold. 5.5″ x 8.75″

Insert 3 42nd Annual Report of the Lancaster County Prison for the Year 1892. 25 pages. Printed by the Commercial Printing House, Lancaster, Pa., W. A. Halbach. Contains many statistics on the inmates, lists of expenses, and details on the person-made goods sold. 5.5″ x 8.75″

Insert 4

1.Report of the Carpet Dept. from January to February 1927. Gives dollar amount of goods sold by cash and credit, and lists names and amounts of credit sales. Report signed by W. N. Foust, carpet weaver.

2.Prison statement. Lists prison expense items and dollar amounts including a comparison between 1928 and 1929. 3 September 1929.

3.Prison statement. Lists prison expense items and dollar amounts including a comparison between 1928 and 1929. 4 November 1929.

4.Report of “money received by keeper of Lancaster Co. Prison” from August to September 1929. Lists persons paying and the amounts paid. Signed by W. N. Foust, Keeper.

 

Folder 4 Special and General Laws for the Government of the Lancaster County Prison. Published by order of the Prison Inspectors. Compiled by G. C. Kennedy, solicitor. Daily Intelligencer Print, Lancaster, 1886.