The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-01-27
Logan, Beveridge, and the Penitentiary Ba

Logan, Beveridge and the Penitentiary Bath.
A month or more ago, convict in the
the Illinois State Pententiary was subject
ed TO punishment. He had claimed that |
he was too i'll to work, and the attending !
physicians insisted that he was only sham
ming and ordered him to be put in BATH |
ont of which he was taken corpse. Strange |
To saw, this death of the convict Williams
has become the initial point in what prom
ises to be one of the most animated pollti-
cal struggles that have ever taken place In
Illinois This State is represented IN the
Senate by Gen. Logan and Gov. Oglesby.
Gen Logan was elected in 1871, after a
sharp struggle with Oglesby, whose friends
obtained promise that he should have
the next vacancy. In 1878, Governor
Oglesby was elected, the friends Of Mr.
Logan Joining to accomplish that result.
Oglesbv. who was then Governor, resigned
that Office, and Lieut. Gov Beverage took
charge of the Executive guillotine. One
of the first uses he made of it was to de-
capitate the old Penitentiary Commission
ers and Wardens The new Warden APP
pointed was Mai. j. w. Wham, we'll
known personal and political friend Of
Gen. Logan. The three Commissioners,
selected from different parts of the State,
were supposed to be friends and support
ers of Gov. Beveridge for the seat in the
Senate now occupied by Gen. Logan, and
which will become vacant in 1877.
1t will be difficult for any ordinary NOR
tai to understand what connection there
can be between the death of the convict
Williams and the election of Senator of
the United States, but the main question
now pending concerning that death Is
whether Logan or Beverage shall be elect
ed to the Senate in 1871. No man has
more devoted personal friends than Gen.
Logan, and it is already strongly suspected
that Williams out of pure devotion to
the General gave himself up to
criminal habits and eventually stole 9
horse and got into the Penetentiary, anC
there died, purposely to give color to the
statement that he was murdered through
the ignorance and brutality of the officer:
Amounted by Gov Beverage The CorOn
er's Jury Enlarged to have been BeveridgC
mem compimented the Commissioners
for their careful but thorough going disci
pline of Williams. Upon a meeting Of the
Legislature, the Senate appointed com
mittee to Investigate, and, this committee
being in the interest OF Beveridge, acquitted
the Prison Commissioners and their sub
ordinates of all blame, Maj, Wham, how
.- ever, is not disposed to let this thing rest
p o. 1t Is SAID that ne appealed 10 CnOSe IN INT
Legislature who are not Beverage mel
for a better and more thorough investiga
ton, charging that the previous examina
tions were partisan, and that the truth wa
suppressed. The friends Of Gen. Logan
have proposed another investigation, which
is resisted by the old investigation. Tn
Commissioners have all had official bushes
at Springfield ever since, and have beer
assiduous in their labors in the lobby
Thus the matter stands at present. TIL
Republican party of Illinois is divided OIL
the question whether Williams was mur
dered or not Logan and Beverage rep
resent, respectively, the affirmative an
negative of the issue, and upon its decisio
rests the election of 1877, So far the con
troversy is confined to the Legislature, Blu
it must soon extend to the counties. Tn
Federal Office holders, of course, will hol
that Williams was murdered. The Stat
officials and their friends will insist tina
the COMMISSIONERS are as innocent as lamb;
and maintain that Williams death was
put-up job, Meanwhile, the farmers N
make it matter of small conseque n
.- whether Logan OF Beveridge carries ii
Republican primaries, by routing the
both. In that case we shall hear no MOI
. of Williams or the Penitentary bath.