Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-07-11
DAILY SENTIN Ell


Passing through mi. room TO another -s ssw
the
FAMOUS sHowER nirH
. relic OF bafbsfism. connecting LAX between
the outrage. Of the Inqulsiton and the inhu-
manitles u the slave pen. an institution whose
existence isa bio, upon the fair sscaschson OF
our State. which should be svep, away by the
be.om Of an indignant public. The prisoner,
who may be deemed Sufficiently refractory ~
need punishment. IL stripped entirely naked and
placed upon seat which has hole ia IL. hls
fee, are fastened in stocks below. and bis wrists
secured above. board. with a half circle cut
out. cts al either aide OF the pen nelosing bis
neck. anda basin or scoop. hkewse hited 10 the
nsck. rests immovable. level with his mouth.
some I've or sx feet above tho seated man Is q
tank Oiled With water from tho bottom Of which
depends a large cylinder with perforated bottom.
the capacity OF whose discharge 10 volumnious
and terrible
The man and the machine being ready, the
Doctor stands By aud the keeper or fellow
convict pulls the string Down come. the water
10 terrific volume: there IL no stop. no Jet up.
eyes and noso and ears are fall. breathing u i'm
possible the scoop Oils and the water floods 10
the gasping mouth: still no let up: discipline
must De maintained; every nerve quivers, every
fbrs Of aesh tingles. suiioealion becomes immi-
nent. and after another seconds delay. the sig
nal Is given. and the string let GO still thu water
come. down. AZ frat with the same dense volume,
then less and les. TIL IL gradually terminates IN
"a drizzle. leaving the man nearly senseless. his
hair wss. water in his eyes. his breathing mere
gasp. his physique PROSTATE. Ills hands arc
secured so that he cannot wipe the water from
bis face &c must az and suffer while his keeper
looks on. Let us believe the convict needed It;
that he very. very bad. ard bis keeper a
Christian gentleman who Welded reluctantly 10
the pressure Of duty even in this view II Ia ter
ribie What would 10 be II the keeper was low
bred. spteful. and did IL out OF malice. mischief,
OF for revenge And how are We To know any
thing about IL Z Punishments are not public at
fairs They dom IL private. by men Who are
used To 70, aud who cannot be expected TO be sen
sitve about il The system Is wrong. IL possibill-
ties are enough TO damn il in the minds Of all think
ing men: and so long as il il permitted. so long
"a conVcts are left literally and absolutely in the
power OF their keepers. who are appointed
mainly for political eervices, and cannot be
expected 10 know or care much about tho duties
OF their sphere, IS Indicated from a high aud
Christian point of view, must expect 10 have
barbarism flourish and terrorism thrive at this
and kindred places Of public confinement We
pulled the string, and saw the wstor pour ia tor
rents down the board and determined. by prac
teal trial. 10 estimate the torture This morn
ing. therefore. We tiled the effect of stream
from an ordinary shower bath, whose volume
was, perhaps. one tenth Of that OF the prison
bath. We couldn't stand il ten seconds; suhoca
ton seemed inevitable. and after trial Of the
brieies, possible duration We were glad TO wipe
with cur free hands the sitting water from the
face Who. then. can imagine the sensations
produced by great volume of water long con
tinued; by scoop full of water ready to run ia
atyour mouth; by the enforced quiet of heads,
hsnds aud feet; by the exposure OF oue's naked
pereOn sOused IN torrents while the hated Judge
and execuliOner stands within foot OF the suf
ferng. gasping. tortured fOrml Such things
should not be done. and it is no defense of the
system to say. what would you substitute in It's
placer"
There are