The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-12-28 00:00:00

AMERICA.

PUNISHMENT OP TIM SHoWEIt-BATH IN AMERICA.
—Great exitement existed in the Auburn State Prison
on Thursday, the 2nd net , resulting almost in perfect
outbreak among the convicts in that ihatitution. The
facts are az follows :—A negro convict, named More,
on Wednesday was overheard muttering threats against
a foreman in his shop (the Mune shop), and was seen
sharpening a knife. The foreman, deeming his life in
danger, immediately entered a complaint against
More, when the latter was taken to his cell and con-
fined until about 10 o'clock Thursday forenoon, when he
was removed by his keeper, Baker, and the deputy
warden, B. F. Gulick, to be taken to the shower•bath
for p!iniahment. As More was being taken from his
cell in one of the wings of the prison he broke away
from his keeper, ran down into the centre yard, and
fled to his shop. A convict from the machine-shop pur-
sued and calight him as he was in the act or entering the
*hop. The keeper and deputy-warden seised More, con-
veyed him to the shower-bath, pinioned and thrust him
into the rack, and, amid the shootings and pleadings of
the poor helpless negro, let three barrels of water on to
his head ; the punishment, as Baker afterwards testi-
fied, occupying half-an-hour. After all the water was
Used up on the negro he was taken from the bath,
fainting and dying, and immediately carried to the
hospital, where he !lied in five minutes after his ad•
mittanoe. The fact of Ilia death became known at ones
In the prison, and at 5 o'clock. p.m., as the convicts
were marching to their cells from the shot., the com-
p mica from the limn° and machine shops caught sight of
the convict who assisted in catching More as he .11.11
dyihg to his shop, and iniineclistely broke their ranks
Cod in a body, rushed after him, crying " Kill him !"
" Kill him !" The convict managed to evade them ;
MIA Etter the moot intense excitement, the riot WU
solutuad, and tho rioters securely locked in their mils.
Coroner Siltser held an inquest on the body of the
deceased More. Baker, the keeper, swore that More
wee naturally good teinpered, always laughing, but that
when monad in hie purposes his temper was terrible;
that he was perfectly healthy, robust, and active ; that
he went into the bath with great reluctance, and woo
put in, his limbs adjusted, and his head secured in the
hopper only by the united exertions of three strong
men. Baker also teatifloil that More received three
barrels of water, and that lie cursed and threatened,
begged and entreated during the punishment ; that
when taken from the bath he appeared " kind a weak
like," and could hardly stand when they wiped him,
and threw some blankets over him ; that in a few
momenta he fell over, gasping, and wee conveyed to the
hospital. Dr. Charles G. Van Anden, the physician of
the prison, swore that More gasped hut once after
entering the hospital, and died in five minutes from the
time of MS aihnission. The jury, an intelligent body of
eight men, only six of whom were connected, directly
or indirectly, with the prison, rendered a verdict on the
cue quite peculiar under the circuinetaneea. After
reciting the appearance of the body of the deceased, as
examined by Drs. Van Auden and Wilkie, which wee
extremely healthy in all its parts, the verdict is, that the
sheath of the deacemed was " undoubtedly hastened by
the application the shower bath, as administered at
the hands of his keeper and the deputy warden."