, 1873-12-22

THE PENlTENTlARY BATH.
Letter from Commissioner Isnuc.

Letter from Commissioner fSnuc.
JoL1Er, ILL.,, Deo. II, 1878.
10 tbs Editor af 7Ao Chicago Tribune:
SIN: Please nllow mo to correct some mis-
statements inn dispatch from your special cor
respondent at Joliet, which appeared in last
Wednesdays TRIBUNE, untitled ".rhe ponlton-
tiary Dath."
Your correspondent atates:
First-That DR.. Maaon ''has mover praoticed
medicine"
Now, tho fact is, TINT Dr. Srason graduated at
the Baltimore Medical College, and practlcol
medicine In Adams County, ILL.,, for eight or ton
yonrs thoroaftor, doing respectable business.
and wns, during tint time, member Of tho Adj
atns County Medical Soclaty In good md rogu,ar
standing. You HOO, therefore, TINT there IL mt
a Hhadow Of truth in tho above statement Of
your correspondent
aioners] to Or. Bacon to koop him III Tor thtcc
months longer, at his usual ratio Of pay, In order
to 'cohch Mason, mud teach him something
about tho practice OF medicine"
There is not word Of truth in this statement.
No such proposition was ever made, or thought
Of, by any ono of tho Commissioners. Whom
Dr. Mason first took cilnrgo, Dr.. Bacon camc
from his homo to tho prison. daily, for four or
1lvc days. in order. to make proper transfers Of
rules and regulations Of tho hospital. This was
just what any officials duty would bo OH being
relieved; and DR., Bacon waB never askcd or OK
pectod to do more.
Third-That Dr.. Maeon "has managed to
fudge along without doing anything out OF tho
way until tho present time.h
Dr. Mason has had marked succcss ms tho
Physician Of tho Illinois State Ponitontiary, his
and his eminent fitness for tho position is fully
attestcd by the records Of the institution which
show that tho standard Of health has been Us
high u.s.. If not higher than. for any lilto period
days work in the shops hsvo been lost to the
State Gn proportion to the number OF
for medicines, etc, for the hospital
have been lcss Moreover, Dr.. Mason not
only commands the entire confidence and es~ es
tecm Of all the prison officials, but it is signitl~
cant fact that ho ia highly popular with the cn't-
victs. BY every rule of evidence, therefore, BY
which physican's qualifications aud usefulness
can bo measured, Dr. Mason stands perfectly
acquitted OF tho Implications nlatlc by your cor
TS,raa-rhat Capt. Hall, tho Deputy Warden,
is unit for l'is position, and las "Slo'"ted tho
PRISON rrtaa."
Capt. Hall has direct charge Of tho convicts.
Since he took charge Us Deputy, under Maj. j..
w. Whanl, tho Warden, tho daily average Of
labor for the tate. in proportion to the number
Of convicts, has stoadily Increased, whilo the
decressed more ihan 50per cent: Further, every
official in or about the prison will testify to Capt
Halls conscientious, high souso Of honor, both
az l. man and lis an officer; anu TINT ho hns not,
in tho case in question or in any other, violated
| Tie ordors which have been Giyen to him. Twill
| mention, III an index Of his humanity, that he
has been known to leave Ills bed at midnight to
aeo That conyicts who .were being specially
punished were not injured.
Tho " thorough investigation" which your
correspondent claims to have made soemB tt
have tnslsed his Imagination moro than any.
thing elaa. He profeaHed to tue prison- -oliciale
TINT he Hought tho truth in order to publish II
in full, with 4 view of correcting auy wrong I'M
prcsaions which had cropt into tho press but ht
acems to hayo cxcrtcd himself to poryert tht
truth as much as possible. Very respectfally
| 81. II. BASE,
/ Commissioner Illinois State Ienitenary.