Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1872-01-04
Life in the Indiana State
Prison.

Acofrespondent of the C.ncin-
r;iatis Commercial writes from 10
dianapolis: =.-a-<=
Within the last three years Il
man has been in the State Prison,
South, of Indiana, who improved
! the opportunity by writing a boclc
with the above titfe. 1t has lust
been published. Among the hor.
rible instances quoted in Prison
Life ] may cite that OF a poor, one
legged soldier, upwar of. fifty
years Of age, and shaking with
the palsy. For some minor of.
fence he had been sent from Park
county to prison for two years
Upon his arrival he was assigned
to the collar shop, and required to
do the regular days work. He
had hardly recovered from the op-
Grafton on his leg, and was very
feeble. In addition to his other
ailments he was subject to sewers
attacks Of heart disease.
On the morning of which we
write he was in a deplorable con-
dition. The diet and work had re-
duced him to almost nothing. and
the painful stump Of his wounded
leg was raw and Bleeding.
"Corne;, move on" said the
brutal steward, showing him with
his foot.
The old man hobbled off to his
shop and lay down ON a bunch
of straw. Soon the guard came
along.
"Well, sir, didn't make it, eh p
Meaning that he had failed to DO
excused by the doctor. "Get out
OF that, now, and go to your
work" y-s.
81 am sick, and my leg is sore
and bleeding. | can't work.
"Cdnt you? Doctor sent you
to the shop, and you must work.
Get out of that, now, or I'll take
you to the Office and have you
skinned all over" phis was a
iavorite threat among the guards
at that time.
Phe old man crawled out Of the
straw and worked for an hour or
SO, when he accosted the guard III
despair:
81 cannot stand, said he; "for
Gods sake, just let me lie down
on the floor; perhaps l will get
better"
"No, sir, keep at work. You
can't play off on me!"
He worked for a few moments
more, and sank down completely
exhausted, wheH his shopmates,
lifted him over on the straw again.
At night he was just able to get
to his cell.
81 am dying" said the man :
"can't you leave my cell door
open 2" ..
"Die and be d--d!" exclaimed
the guard, slamming the door in
his face, and throwing the bolt.
No one knows how he died.
In character with this is the
horrible story of man who was
crazy, and chained, and bagged,
and starved to death. This fur
nishes a subject for four of the
most graphic Illustrations: "In
the Straight Jacket" BRUTAL
Guards, the prisoner felled to the
floor; "Target Practice his fu-
tile effort to escape; and Chained
to an Anvil'' iD the cell house,
where because be moved restless
ly from side to side like the poor
wild beast he had become, be was
sowed up in a Tag and starved
Sometimes for two days he would
have nothing but water, then some
bits of corn bread would be thrown
him as TO a wild animal, and like
1 famished beast he would Crap
pie up the fragments and eat
them. 1t was strange how long
he lasted. There be would stand
at his cell door, his skinny fingers
grasping the bars, and bis hungry
eyes glittering like cold steel. He
grew to be a mere skeleton
Nothing but skin and bones,"
the boys would say as they passed
and glanced at him.
One morning, about seven
weeks after they locked him mp.
he night guard noticed that PAT
ay very stifl and stiff, and peep
ng into the cell, he shouted at
him. No groan came from the
still breast. His eyes did not
grow wild any more : only glas-
~ stare. Pat Maher was dead.
WHICH.-Covington, Ga,
mas colored debating society.
The question last discussed by