The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-08-09
INHUMAN TREATMENT O
PRISONERS.
Gratict Street Prison, Of st. Leu
is--A Well Known Physi-
clans Experience in it.
From the St. Louis Times. ]

ST. LOUIS, July %, 1867. ;
In the fall of 1868 was arrested ana
placed in Gratiot street prison without any
reason being assigned TO me for -. "hen
suffered to leave that place.. stIn no reason
WAS given for nv arrest ard imprisonment.
Ths Statament that On about to make is
Sor the hene;t Of those who may be curious
anoncb To want to know something about
was arrested at two o'clock of q cold
night in the fall. No bedding of any kind
was furnished me. The room was cold and
disagreeable; many Of the glass were out OF
the windows, which made it very cold. =
The floor was my bed, the ceiling my Gov
ering the consequence was that was not
prepossessed in favor of the quarters that
were given to me. suffered all night with
cold, which came near costing me my life
When morning came looked around upon
pale and anxious faces. I found upon sur
veying the premises that had been treat
ed with some consideration, and put in the
best room in the house, and was told that it
was the room whore citizens were confined.
Having heard much about McDowells Col
lege, concluded would saunter around
and see what discoveries could be made, but
had not gone far before my curiosity was
SdtkSuCus &ACA PtACt oASh, dhu ohAoSt ga VIC
very verge of starvation, met me at every
turn made. Some were gnawing at bones
taken from the slop tubs, others lying down,
not able to move, while many were COM
planning for the,,want of something to eat
Upon one occasion saw q tall, thin, bag.
gard man standing over a slop tub, when
one of the ''Dutch patriots came along and
asked him, "Vot are you doing dare, you
dam raskel ?" 81 am starving said the
prisoner, "and am trying to get something
to eat" "Do you thinks, you dam raskel, dat
we have nostin to do but feed you? Starye
and be damned, denwe won't have to waste
our bullets and lead" He then pushed him
in his room. Men staggering along, hardly
able to draw one foot after the other, looking
into slop buckets, gnawing bones to satisfy
the craving of empty stomach, were to be
seen every day. Many of the rooms were
so crowded, and had become so filthy that
the vermin almost eat the sick men up
having no change of clothing, it was impos-
sibe for them to keep clean.
The food that was given to prisoners to
eat was not fit diet for any one, and was the
I cause of most of the sickness. Those who
eat the most Jared the worst in the long run
| for they we're sure to suffer. Their bowels
| all became diseased from the unsoundness
| of the meat and bread that was given them
to eat Still they retained raverous appe-
| tites, but would nevertheless fall off, sicken
and die, and many of them did. Cruel and
severe treatment was all we received, and
We were "taught not to expect anything
else" Let any man who is now in the full
enjoyment of health, life and liberty, be
taken and thrown into a prison-and one
| like the prison that we are now speaking OF
deprived of all the comforts of life, have
stale and fat pork dished out to him to pre-
pare the best he can; then just SO much
bread given such as he would not give dog
to eat; then, besides this, with soldiers
standing all around ready to make some in
sultng remark-curse you, or call you q
id rascal - then in addition let him
turn his eyes and look still farther, and be.
hold from fifty to hundred and fifty ema
ciated, cadaverous, sick, human beings
standing around, some leaning, others lying
down, not able to stand then let him fee
and know that he can not do any thing to
alleviate their sufferings, or to soften their
pillow, and he will begin to appreciate the
feeling that came over me the morning after
my arrest. Tell what excuse can be
given for such treatment of prisoners here in
st. Louis, where every thing was in such
abundance?
Let no one dare to complain of the treat
ment of federal soldiers in southern prisons,
when men here in St. Louis were starved
and died for the want of food to sustain life
and the quality of food that was such as to
produce disease and death, and that, too
while the prison was in sight of a full and
sumptuous market. These are facts, and
can be substantiated to the satisfaction Of
any honest man. These facts came under
my observation while in the prison. If he'll
is more terrible and agonizing than that
prison / would advise Sumner to seek for.
giveness and avoid it. / would prefer the
latter place; would be willing to try it rather
than be again put in Gratiot street prison,
under the subsection of federal soldiers.
Yours, DocToR p.