New-York daily tribune., 1858-12-10

rcosnizAI' BY society. the prison population. We
may hope. vii, be very much diminished; ard mani
prison problems VII be solved or will require 10
solution. For the pres at, let Us conene ourselves
10 discipline as tisexerci>d IN our Pea.tentiares
or st least in one Of them.
Two or three days ago refract.V inmate OF The
Auburn Prison wss for the crime or thfeatenin,
70 10 violence 10 bis keeper-at the mbtt slly
threat which be could hardly, under any cirGun-
stances. have fulflled--p'aced in the showe-b,th.
He was pu. into i, in condition oi good physical
health, and be- vas taken ou, of dying. After he
was dead there Was Of course, an inquest, st
which witnesses testified 70 his previous robust
health. He sundC ubtedly iledby ,he showerlng.
The idea Of the punishu ent Isl reach the prisoner
through his nervous system But it sppears that to
.top With this is not always found sufficient. Cloth
;s placed about the neck.boird Of the instrument
of torture, which is said 50 to raise the water about
:. the mouth and nose, thereby inducing the horf'd
- sensation of sufTocation by drowning" La this
case the prisoner was unquestonably killed oy the
punishment. That is to say If he had not been
thus punished. be would now be living. From the
testimony, il appears that his death was terribly
cruel one. His hand was found wrenched from its
strong fastening. He had slipped from his seat
He was actually hung by tie neck in the stocks
All the water which the operators had at hand
about three barrels--was exhausted when II was
proposed to take him out and put the yoke
upon him. But death, more merciful than man,
had already interfered in behalf Of the wTetched
creature.
Now we are not medical men, although We pro.
fess 10 know something, as every ole should OF
.. the house We live in" But we respectfully ask
those who know much more Of physiology th'n
We can hope 10. if showering, when prolonged to
the extent of punishment can ever be safe :
That is to say if the point at which suffering be-
comes the most intense, is not precisely the point
at which life is most immineuty threatened II
the agony Of this punishment is not an agony 10
which no human being should be doomed, although
capitsll, convicted If the mode of life in prison
does not tend TO plethora, ard if pe'horc subject
can be safely "showered'l Ii aGy physician OF
respectable attainments, however .ctiy might be
his opinion of the efficacy of the showcr-eath
would think il safe to administer torrent OF three
barrels of water to his patient II the showerIns,
however safe il nigh. be in many instances is not
a punishment which it would be obviously unsafe
TO administer TO persons of given habit aad con-
stitut;onl If the gentlemen who preside over the
yater.barreIs in Auburn State Prison are qualified
to decide WHO may be safely showerei and who
may mott In this case, the Deputy Keeper, ac-
cordng TO his testimony " inferred that the pris-
4" oner could not stand water very weu.' We
therefore put final question: Who i, TO decide
whether prisoner can or cannot " stand water
every well"l
When prisoner in the dock, instead Of receiy-
ing sentence of death, ia doomed to imprisonment
lie is substantially informed that his life is yet his
own. and hos not been forfeited to society. Of
that life. when he enters the prison, be loses that
custody which, if he were at large, be would still
exercise; and yet it still remains his priceless, aud
possibly his sole, possession. He is at the mercy
Of others. He may be starved to death; he may
be fcgged to death; he may be beaten to death.
When he is in such jeopardy there is TO listen
to bis cries with pity; there is no one to heed his
complaints; he is cut Of from the mercy, the SYM
pathy, the magnanmty of his race. Surely, while
We are picking up books for the diversion of bis
solitary hours, We should feel some little interest
in the preservation of bis earthly existence. He
may, during his weary incarceration, cherish hopes
which are not unreasonable of return to human
intercourse, to honest life, to domestic pleasure.
That is a-and, as society regards discharged con-
yicts, that is little enough But if for every word
wrenched out of him by the severity Of discipline,
he s to be put in jeopardy of his life, what light
can cheer the gloom Of his dungeon, aud what
hope can animate bis future