The Cairo bulletin., 1875-09-08

JOLIET.
STORY TOLD BY An Ex-CoNvICT OF THE
FAMOUS SUCKER PRISON.
SOME THINGS THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED
INTO by TIE Authorities OF ILLI-
NOIs.
III wish to endorse all that is in this he
said, land add some things McCarty
didn't know
We looked ovc1 the article. Ii was n
statement made by John {. McCarty.
convicted Of grand larceny in this city in
1872, and sent 10 Joliet for three years.
lie had just got out, six months in ad-
vance oi time under the good behavior
rule, and thought ii his duty to tell what
he knew Of the abuses of the Illinois
pcnites,tiary.
THE WILLIAMS CASE.
lie says that Williams, who died in the
pentcntiary last January, was showered
by Sleeper, the deputy warden, until he
was insensible. Just then Hall, dep
uty warden, going into the room, ordered |
him to dress. He could not. when Hall
ordered him dou.cd again. lie was
doused, and died.
THE MCARTY CASE.
About three months before this there
was another murderous outrage commit
ted upon a convict named James L. Nc
Carly, of Indiana. lie was bathed.
About two hundred pounds of ice were
broken and put into a Tub. Water was
then poured in, and the ice stirred until
the water was as cold as ice could make
it. McCar,y was stripped, and four ne
groes plunged him into the ice water one
minute, lifted him out moment, and
plunged him back minute and half.
On being lined out lie fell dead.
THE CASE OF WILLIAM JEFFERSON.
William Jefferson was a black man.
lie was sick. Being taken from the sick
room TO the hospital, he was ordered
to move on. lie replied that he was too
sick. The guard thcreupon struck him
on the head with .lub and killed him.
ACAsE OF EXTREME BARBAIIrY
was that of Charles Davis, a small. deli
cate man. weighing not over ll2 or llj
pounds. with hands not larger than those
Of a child. lie was put at hard labor, en-
tirely disproportioned to his capacity,
and not being able TO perform it, was put
into 1.-THE hole" three nights in success
sion. Those who are put into the hole
have neither supl cr nor breakfast. din
ner being their sole meal during the "a
hours. Davis was rendered still less
able to do the work assigned from
this treatment, and during the morn
ing after his third night in the
hole, became completely exhausted. He
begged hard to be assigned work that he
could do and expressed his willingness to
do everything he could. but declared the
impossibilty Of his performing the task
assigned him. They paid no heed to his
entreaties, but put him in the hole again,
strapped Il gunny-bag in the manner of a
knapsack to his shoulders, with l2 fire
brick in it and strung his arms up to u
ring-bolt and kept him in that torturing
position for six hours. They then LET
him down, took out some of the bricks
and put in a chunk Of iron weighing 10
pounds and strung him up for four hours
longer, The writhing of the poor vic
tim under this prolonged torture caused
the straps to cut through his coat. vest
and shirt and into his flesh, until he was
| ALL DRIFTING WITH BLOOD,
and apparently dead. He was found in
that condition at the end OF the four
hours, during which time he had been
left entirely alone. they then cut him
down in a hurry and took him to the
hospital. The doctor examined him and
said he could not live, but after lying
in the hospital three months he was
able to walk about icebly and do little
chores, but was never able to labor again,
and probably never will be.
We read all this and said.
swell, what is your name and state
ment?'
"My name is James Fort. was sent
upon the same charge with McCarty
from this city. Twill make no statcmen,
of my innocence or guilt. was convicted
on the evidence of two prominent officer.
Of the court.
~ hal Il better chance to find out the
rascalitics carried on in the prison than
any other convict. occupying the laun,
dry, having charge OF the washing de
partment under Mr.. Frank Murray. Tho
laundry Is divided from the place ofpun
ishment by hall about twenty feet long
and six feet wide. A door shuts of tn,
laundry from the hall, which is called
Court Solitary. In this court convicts arr
pretendedly tried. before torture, b!
Judge Hall. Icould often see and hea
what was going Oh in there.
The commissioners and Warden say
publicly, and from the pulpit IN tn
chapel, that no convict ever struck unles
In self defense. They believe this. n
doubt. because they are very ignorant Q