The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1873-12-18
Prison Horrors.
From the Chicago Times, 17th.

From the Chicago Times, 18th.
The acts of cruel brutality which char
acterize the present management OF the
Joliet penitentiary have been placed before
the public in the columns OF the Times,
without fear or exaggeration. The recent
murder of II g convict Williams while un-
dergoing punishment, has reused public
indignation TO high point and followed
by the statements made by released con-
victs of other acts of almost equal cruelty,
has caused the demand for an investiga
ton to become most imperative This
state institution at Joliet would seem to
be hell upon earth, and its present war
den, Mai Wham, an ignorant brute, and
his deputy, Capt. Hall, one of the most
ferocious, cruel jailers that, by some un- |
fortunate mischance, was ever allowed 70
tyrannize at will over a helpless body OF
men. Evidence beyond number of harsh
treatment by these men have been brought
under the notice of the Times, So abso
Lutte is their power that no word can be
expected from the convicts at present con-
fined in the penltentiary.
THE RULE OF FEAR
is altogether too powerful 1t is feared by
"a
opportunity to wreak his vengeance upon
the convict Alden, whose testimony in the
case of Williams would alone convict the
deputy warden of the crime of murder.
Hall may rest assured, however, that if
any attempt is made to punish Alden for
"blabbing' of the terrible scene of Friday
morning last, in the bath-house, that the
public opinion which demands his instant
hn iSka lao -,
driven from the penitentiary with indignity
On yesterday afternoon a reporter of the
Times called at the boarding house OF u
convict, released from the penitentiary
three weeks since with view of learning
what he might know about the dam nable
practices carried onin the institution. The
reporter
PROCEEDED TO INTERVIEW
him as follows:
R-How long were you in the peniten-
Tertiary?
Ask years.
From what county?
A.-McHenry County.
R.-Were you ever in the Solitary?
A.-Tes. | was in there for one night
but | was not fastened up to the wall The
cell was without a mat or anything on which
a prisoner could lie down, and was bitterly
cold, enough to kill man, if he was KEEP
there long enough.
R-Do you know of any cases where
punishment was inflicted?
A-Ees | was in the hospital shor
time before | came out, and while there
was talking b. a convict named Sam Evans
whose fingers had been cut off in the coop
er's shop. lie told me that he was con
fined
IN THE SOLITARY FOR THREE WEEKS
tied up to the ring bolt, with Go pounds o.
iron in bag tied TO his shoulders.
R-Any other case
Am officer told mel don't want T.
give his name-that Evans was in the sol
itary for three weeks have seen a keep
er in the cigar shop take his stick and breaI
it over the head of u convict, named Bowes
by.
Rid you work in the cigar shop?
A-Hes. and 1870 men who worked Their
will tell the Times the same Then there ar
two convicts named Brady and Dodge, VIII
were ducked three or four times week
until finally both of them went insane un
der the treatment | have seen men com
up into the shop sometimes shivering am
apparently halt dead, after having take
one of these baths
Rid you ever see convict take
bath or take one yourself?
A.-NO. They are very careful not t
let any other convict, except, perhaps, tn
bath-keeper, be about at the time the BAT
is given. But know the way they ar
given. 1t has been stated to me. The
take IA man out OF the shop, or general
after he has been in the solitary all night
aud Is thoroughly exhausted, and havin
filled the tub about hall tull with cold wa
ter right from the artesian well, two O
the attendants hold him down in the bat
while another turns the hydrant on,so tina
the stream of cold water comes directly o
To the mouth and eyes of the man bein
punished. Then,if the man is nearly dea
when he is taken out,
THEY PUT HIM IN 4 BLANKET,
and rub him and when he is abb to wal
send him back to the shop, where, ii h
does not do his full days work, he is agar
locked up in the solitary ali night
R.-Who authorizes this work?
A.-Ihe foreman of the shop. liza ma
DIES not do his full work, the foreman r,
ports him TO the keeper, who reports til
case to the deputy, Capt. Hall. The
when the uan has about finished his worI
he is called out, and taken before the de-
uty. The keeper is there, and enters h
charge and it makes no difference wheth,
the man says he is innocent or not. Can
Hall always takes the word Of the keepe
who may, perhaps, have spite against ii
man.
R.-Cn the convict appeal to the wa
den?
Ale can do SO, but is of no use. III
warden never pays any attention.
ibid you ever apply to the prese
warden?
Al did, and he paid no attention
my request The truth OF the matter
the present warden has nothing TO do wi
the management OF the jail; it is run by &
man Hall, who is u very cruel man.
know OF others who applied to see the wa
den, but they were never able to see hi
k-Who were they?
Forester was one, and a man nam
Mathews was another. L have seen
INNOCENT MEN PUNISHED
right from the cigar shop Ii "A visit
comes INTO the snop, man is apt to ID
up, nut 1t he Is caught, he is punished
being kept in the solitary ali night.
Rs tue silent system observed ?
Ayes; NJ convict is all wed 70 say
word, and the only opportunity man b
to speak to anyone, is if he has a cell ma
h'-Do you know the keeper nam
Ayes; | haye known of his knock
down men with his club. Ii makes a gre
difference with these brutes whether In
believe man will resist or not, tn
principally attack old men, or men who d