Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1865-11-30
The Shower. Eath Pun
iShment.

Tie Philadelphia inquirer thus
describes two incorrigible cOnvicts
at present confined in the peniten-
fiary at that city, and the system
OF punishment which prevails in
that institutions a.
mThe famous criminal bath was
fiicn exhibited. In o cell at the
eastern end OF the corridor, appro-
priated for females, stood some
thing like a wooden chimney YER
tically against the wall. Closer
inspection revealed a door in its
front, with staple and paddock.
This being thrown open, an apart
1nent just large enough 10 contain
n human body, was revealed,
with one of the round perforated
bath cisterns in the top, The
door and sides, are hollow, and
stuffed with wooden to prevent
screams from being heard.
"When any prisoner becomes
ungovernable he is escorted to this
cell. The physician, the nurse
and the superintendent stand by.
The indicator is forced into, the
apartment, the door closed upon
him and the staple secured with q
heavy paddock. Then, in the
darkness and sitting air, the I'M
happy criminal feels the rush of
the descending water. 1t comes in
8 torrent upon his uncovered
head, and seems to be beating up
OH his brain. In vain does lie
.eek to avoid the draught. He
cannot bend in the narrow aper-
ture. He cannot turn. His
breath grows short. Every nerve
is unstrung. His heart beats ag-
onizingly. He screams, but the
walls are deaf and there is no re-
ply. He is suffocating- dying.
And when sense is swimming and
life Pickering, the door is opened,
the unhappy man removed, and
the dying pulses taught to beat
ngain.
Sometimes the criminals when
removed are black in the face, the
blood flooding the head. A man
in Sing Sing prison lately expir-
cd under this punishment. 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 is
known as Jenny Lind, and is de-
signated by one of the wardens as
the most abandoned woman in
the world. She has been in pris-
ON more thun one hundred times!
chiefly for sagrancy, and is beyond
all reformation. She seems at
times to be possessed with a demon.
"On Wednesday she leaped up
on Mr.. Sargent, tie warden of the
female department, and tore his
mouth in a most savage manner.
The assault was entirely unpro-
voked. She was placed in the
shower bath for an exhibition of
heinous wickedness, and ut the
end Of ten minutes punishment
asked if size would behave. She
said with an oath she would not,
and demanded to be punished a.
gain.
"Thc bath was again applied
but she was still incorrigible.
When brought forth again she was
almost lifeless; ana but for the ap-
plication of prompt restoratives
would have been no longer a
trouble to the authorities We
were shown some specimens of
her handicraft, in a mass of bro
ken tools, crockery, &c. She is
doubtless a dangerous character.
Two other women of exceeding
bad repute were exhibited, One
(known as Mag Warner) is the
victim of intoXication.
During the great visitation of
the cholera she was like a minis
tering spiritto the miserable con-
victs who were diseased. She
watched fearlessly and continu-
ously by the touches of the dying,
aud when worn out with labor
would wrap a blanket about her
and sleep for long hours by
the corpses of the dead. She ex-
hibits traces of former beauty, and