, 1870-05-27
SUBDUING THE INSANE
How a DcranRcd Man Was +Tralnedn In
the County Jnil.

10 the Editor Of Tue Chicago Tribune:
On Saturday night, May II, 4 man who was
then confined in the county jail In this city. be-
cause be vas supposed to be insane, was brutally
beaten by those who that night were In charge Of
the jail The injured man Is named Louis Sandot.
Four days after (sIay 1s) he WIS brought before
the County Court hnd the question Of his insanity,
submitted to jurJ, who found him insane; that
he was resident OF Cook County; was 4s years
old: that his insanity Was Of ak days duration,
and that he was a -pauper. This copy In sub-
stance from the verdict on fe In that court. De-
string to do no Injustice to those responsible for
the keeping Of prisoners, have carefully IN
evidence q 1he brutality complained Of
prisoners and parity ftom observation tbs prs
charged with crime, but debtors arrested on napias
and probably as truthful as any other Witnesses.
10 inquiries, told substantially the SAME story Il
Is br1eny this: On the night In question, between
the hours Of and 10, after Mr.. F0lz, the jaller,
Cooper and Frank Rice, these persons, aided by
ole other, moved the insane man from one cell to
another, and endeatored 70 place hand-cufs on
him, which latter net he stou5 resisted; and those
men then commenced heating and otherwise NAL
treating him. until his face was black and blue,
the flesh about his eyes greatly swollen, large
clothes spattered with blood. This was after the
PRISONERS were locked into their cells, and the
heavy plank doors To the cela closed 80 that there
was only breathing hole In the centre OF the door
Of about seven inches In diameter, through which
the prisoners who we're locked In could see, and
the door leading from the main corridor to the hall
to the debtors prison was closed, 50 that SEQ
ing what WIS done WEE in the main
impossible. The prisoners say they heard what
insane man, and the next morning visited the cell
In which he was confined to see him. The cell
was 70. - ne was then looking as Il 4 he had been
18th OF May saw the injured man In that cell.
and one Of the Supervisors, at my request visited
the Jail and saw the man at the same time. He
was then handcu1Ieti, and Ills face looked badly
bruised and swollen, and his shirt Was quite bloody
In spote 1ll over it. he could not speak English
peared, 80 far aB could understand him, to be
complaining Of injuries 70 bis person. Further
evidence Of the treatment he received, II any IS
needed, Is found In the confessions and ,oasts
engaged % ed n Tie allaif. These are obtalned only
from the report OF the prisoners. One prisoner
told me. with apparent candor, that, Judging
from what he saw and heard, 1t would
have been 8 mercy 70 the man II the
ai!ets had s1'lsd 11m I'm, a. onee nee ns
On Wednesday last, after th is man was declared
insane by the jury, he was placed in dark close,
eel! opposite he he nafT9w IT ~, hal nning along III
he was imprisoned In almost total darkness, and
left there handcu1cd for some tlayg 1t is uni
room that wien Insane persons arc confined In
that CELL rnd the adjoining it. that the doors
are not opened from the time The person Is pnt In
TIL he IS na1ly taken ont and sent to the asyum
OF other place; that food and water are pushed IN
through the small opening In the door, and no fur
ther attention is psid to theul I know, persou-
ally, that In passing those cells to the debtors
room, IS frequently have occasion to do on pro-
fesstonal business that the stencil emauating from
the1n is aickcnlng beyond all endurance. The iu-
ssue pr1soners afe eh1t in these, handcu1ed, and
are compelled to i've in their own nlth
for week or ten day5 until
thcv are moved 10 Jacksonville. They are treated
like go mapr ecurTy cattle, and the common de-
cencies OF humanity ignored. Wien the cell IS
finally opened, and the Wretched inmate removed,
other prisoners are sent In to hoe out the cell ana
ecrnb it up as they would q filthy stable. The
stencil from these cells Is constantly, when occu-
| pied, inhaled by the prisoners OF the debsots
room. ..... ...
| l, does seem as II It was time something should
moral and physical peEl. and such Is the testimony
| of many who visit IL Ii there are any who are
chsritaby disposed aud desire to do good to suf-
itthH nen let them visit that subtcrIanean place,
! Only 70 iH6.e KhRt abuses exist In the heart Of
+ nis slly. and exert an influence on the public
1 Ia1hd Icr us improvement If the ne0ple Of Chi
cago f7ttV what i8 done in their fall there Houfd
be SUCH An 0uthu1st IT Indignation rs wopId result
II some change 1t ID proper furthnr to add thai
the 1alier, MI. Fo2, goes home usually about
9 O'Clock In the evening, aud Is absent
during the night, while Cooper and Rice, It Is
| said, have charge, one OF whom has lust served
! cut q term Of two years Is prisoner in the iaiI
l for an eGence against the Laws Of the United
Etatea
Large proportion Of the prisoners IN our jill