The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1860-09-07
4 Barbarian in Prison Discipline.

In cell at the Eastern end of the corri-
dor, appropriated for females, stood some
thing like wooden chimney vertically "a
Sainst the wall. Closer inspection revealed
door in its front, with staple and paddock
This being thrown open, an apartment, Just
large enough to contain human body, was
revealed, with one of thu round perforated
bath cisterns in the top. The door and sides
are hollow, and stuffed with wooden to pre-.
vent screams from being heard. When any
prisoner becomes ungovernable. he is escort
ed to this cell. The physician, the nurse anG
the superintendent stand by. The malefac-
tor is forced into the apartment, the door
closed upon him and the staple secured with
heavy paddock. Then, in the darkness and
sitting air, the unhappy criminal feels the
rush OF the descending water. 1t comes in
torrent upon his uncovered head, and
seems to be beating upon his brain. In vain
does he seek to avoid the draught. He can
not bend In the narrow aperture. He cam
not turn. His breath grows short. Every
nerve is unstrung. His heart beats agoni-
zlnSly. tie screams, but the walls are deaf
and there is no reply. He is sufocating--
dying. And when sense is swimming and
life is filckering, the door is opened, the un-
happy man removed and the dying pulses
taught to beat again. Sometimes the crimi-
nails when removed are black in the face, the
blood flooding the head. A man in Sing
Sing prison lately expired under this punish
ment. The shower bath at Moyamensing
has been used three times in seven years.
Its effects are to shock the nervous system
and weaken the entire body. One woman
was lately put to the bath test. She was
known as Jenny Lind, and is designated by
one of the wardens as the most abandoned
woman in the world. She ha, been in the
prison more than one hundred times chiefly
for vagrancy, and is beyond reformation, and
seems, at times, to be possessed of demon.
On Wednesday she leaped upon Mr.. Sargent,
the warden OF the female department. and
tore his mouth in most savage manner
The assault was entirely unprovoked. She
was placed in the shower bath for an exhibi-
ton of heinous wickedness, and at the end
of ten minutes punishment, asked if she
would behave. She said with an oath she
would not, and demanded to be punished a.
gain. The bath was again applied-but she
was still incorrisible. When brought forth
again she was almost lifeless, and but for the
application of prompt restoratives would
have been no longer trouble to the author
ities-A 1isH to Moyamensing.
A LEARNED WITNEss.-Witnesses are Of
ten exceedingly stupid, but We don't know
whether this witness ought to be called stu
pid or not. He was before Baron Martini
1t was desired TO get from him an exact ac-
count of certain conversation, with the
"says T. and "says he;" but the counsel
could not make him comprehend the form in
which he was wanted to make his statement.
SO the court took him in hand. "Now, nv
man, tell US exactly what passed. ."-"Yes, nv
lord, certainly. l said that would not have
the pig. what was his answer ?"-
'He said that he had been keeping the pig
for me, and that he-'-"No, no; he did not
say Mat-he could not have said it. He spoke
in the first person."!"No, l was the first per-
son that spoke, my lord."-"I mean this
don't brig in the third person-repeat his
exact words. ."-"There was no third person,
my lord, only him and me.'-"Look here, nv
good fellow he did not say he had been
keeping tie pig he said, 4 have been keep
ing it. IL assure you,my lord,there was no
mention of your lordship's name at all. We
are on two different stories, my lord. There
was no third person and if anything had
been said about your lordship, l must have
heard it." So the court had to give it up
though the witness was only too ready to tell
all he knew.