The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-03
TORTURE IN A COUNTRY JAIL
PRISON OFTTCTiLS RETTrTNG CRUEL
MODES or DTS'ITLINE.



mont under the Laws of Connecticut.
LfrcurnLD. Conn, Sept. I On one OF
the broad avenues which meet AT Inalncm
green. st'nis the county inil. 1t is the central
and most conspicuous huildng in the village.
Opposite is tn Congregational Church. across
the street the court house. nrNt door the post
ollie within % stones throw the church whore
lNmHi. B'ochcr used To- preach. and only Il few
feet away Henry Ward Bce'her's birthplace.
On Wednesday evening. Aug. Is. the board
crs ut the n"ighhorng hOtH and the
townspnoplc hoard loud slricks and oaths
coming from tn open windows Of the jail
crowd collected at tncr and listened TO the
Scream that grew louder and moro agonizing
Plainly som" one in the Jail WAS suffering eN-
crucatng pain. At last the s'r'ams suusided
into monns and then all was quiet.
." We did not know at first vino it WIS or what
the reason was, but some ono found out that
they were stringing n man up 10y his thumbs to
MAKE him mind =" said ono man to the reporter.
" WAS prepared to believe it bccausc know II
has been dom before ut the jail. but they keep
very puiet about II am YOU can lcnrn much"
Further inquiries showed that the man who
had been thus punished was Joseph BirmIug-
ham, who If not u convict but is bound over Tor
trnl
" know that Joe was strung up for about
my minutes. said man at the Mansio"
| House. can ten you how 1t Is done. he-
| cause co0red man who used to BE- u waiter at
| the Mansion House WIS strung up thcr" three
| years ngo. and h. told me- about Il inter- n" gut
out. They tie stout cords around the thumbs
Just below III" JOINT and then lat the man up So
| that hrs toes just touch; most oi his weight
! comes on tin iluub ioint I'm hrank any man
! down and max" him faint very soon. When he
g'ih iant th"y ihink they conquered MN.
! officials. ami met FIRST keeper Brakeman. who
was very Courteous
| trur that W. strung Birmingham IN; hut W.
| had % do IT, because W. could suhduc nm IN
no other WY. Ilc WAS very unruly"
" Did you do II IN sight OF the other prison
"lrs. You SOC tho jnil is very small and
there are nearly double the number of prison
ers all the tim" that Their" is capacity Tor. We
could not make birmingham obey the rules.
! nni ut last. To- prc~orN" discipline w" strung
/ him up. IL hal been roaming and shouting
before w. did this. anu those screams were what
" Did the punishment subiuo him."
At iirst he cursed and swoic ut us all the
/ SIN th.n he has boon perfectly quiet and well
:. How do you inact this punishmcnt?".
I've tied him uu 10y bus thumbs and allowed
the toes To r'ma Il on the ground"
/ TINS a ronmon punishment hero ?,
" No: We only usr II IN extreme oilses."
Then you have used IL before -
"lcs. Last winter l.atned that thorc was
conspiracy To- club Mr. Elwrll thr Deputy
break cut. On" ui the parties 'sIuraod.' Then
| We took the seven that were in II and strung
/ tn"r ~ until they confessed the JOB. Ii fetched
Dan 500 Birmingham ?" ,he reporter asked.
S. and "a pne. -iisht-buit youns man
THIS (. BIrminrl',n" said Nr. Bakeman.
/ Birmingham sat ln th" chair nrrNously eye
/ ing the reporter AMI tl" jail OH 'a-.
You ar" NJ. young man Who WAS punished
| the ninrr day =
| =. 10 % low iouc.
| " " nat had YOU been d0'ng?'
MaNin- TOOL Of myself. after some hcs.ia-
Did YOU deserve this runishmcntg"
| don thinN-l dld IA" hr-t ono but 4
| l!ut"r mAlc-a-luol ol-ny SELF
| What wa~ iN" first 'n"'
- He wa~ pat 90 tlH dungeon said Nr. Blake
| man. II that AL YOU Nnnt {" say To HIM
A. Il was pluln that birmingham WAS feel ne
coh~traiut. although urlthrr BAtkenlnn nor IL
mind that n0th.ni: moro could be learned OF
| HIM.
/ Ia" '"i' + in the jail ilr' IN" sinn" ar'a whore
cr- must -.ci'.o torture anl its N {. tbs is
! done as an example. ana Il Is che iual for no
prisoner Who has SOL man strung up has
iehu"ni % n,i sn' ain" nan. Ihr gentleman
VINO I'm W "i tir u-r "i III" nun 7tnrhi T. -.
tl. .-' w.reIla-.l MA r'w.ou. D, ONE lhnuu
slN iI iN Hiil.. ''ii Was i'tl ul' ny lh' lNNihN-
.N-' N.iN" l.' is-' l'.h '"i,'' p" ,-lN peg l- = j.
Z" -lp eyer tl' t.hl. -. D. lH" 'h'f 'hi "i
'l'h '"fi Ms yea Co., Hh lr"n lir. liN aiu.r l.-
inE -irDi Decd nui. ana thr MNolF weight 10 ihr
n"al .owins "n thn l2ihi' inn'r IN" S7mau r.rl
a owed lu.i T. t.u ihs stone d ..r,anni u. s.
'He NOES 7, lll' "-''iNi l"l mere IT, Always IL
On i.' II. Nl. his. Ni ms "a greater Stlil u Nh
tl" thumb Joints The torture is so nt'n-"
! lI"l iA', s"hH'ni"t'S Nv" way. scNh,e- "' lIl"
stomach follows, and thnn itluiutS~. Ih" sr'ru
men confessed the ri"t after few nnir- oi
ii7 torture ana W""ll D'Nr con i'-~' 81 any o.
iin@ u. ir'' t.'u.7,N' ! ~" k''i'i-' al.
ii"uEh li''E ~'N lh' luhl~uh' u -.iA Hi one.
confess ind ih-y U.S. II 'nlv ln IL s"rai" 'i-"~.
,il no Nl'S u E'I H.'"l ~ W. II ..l ,h 90.
re t'~-'-l' "a ul u aus ohn'N T 10 TO -'
VIII" nave -nN'I'd H. biIhllh-hHh :, 'h'"
Whs IN" use "l improper lahEuuE" Ahi eau hE
ih' kr'p'ls nin'~, SIM" ms iuhlSnn'nt luf
healthy l"oA %" hhd when imprisoned mas - one.
ana he hpprurS srkly ana hro"'n down. ~
manner mas chtnE'i from buster 10 alrret sub
mlsslon. ~ that ~ Il person IN perpetual Tar.
ia" whole ~ 1irnent about ihs thing.
san Mr. lilhkenan, ms been siirIrd W 10y the
! political opponents oi the sheriff. liner" Is
toinl To i"' new election TINS inN and they
Mantto get NJ some feel ng against IN" Sherin.
lie u - 'lnoerat. ana the hcpuOlcahs are
doing ms.
Docs inr Sn'rin support You IN this KIND ol
punshmrniF
An. yes. perfectly.
Til" reporter then called at Slerin Baldwin S
house. hut was told tat the Sh"rIn was ont oi
town. His son, who Is his deputy, was seen,
hownN"r go
en- Ihrre IL nothlnS IN ms thlng, ne sald;
The boy was unruiy. ana ne was punished. l
dare sny II hun been lhtr" y WNnli npt maze