Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-05-20
SHARP COMPETITION.

SHARP COMPETITION.
BETWEEN OUR INSANE 4SYLUM and
THE ILLINOIS PRISON.
betss Must Look to His Laurels---How
They Gag Men In Joliet---A Straight
Piece of Wood Used---It Is as Pretty ss
Belts Wooden Wedge and Kills Neatly.
Joliet, Ill.,, (May 16) Cor. Chicago Tribuns.i
Ihe commissioners of the State peniten-
tiary decided this morning to admit reporters
to the investigation of the cause of the
death of Gus Reed, the colored convict,
which is being made at the prison, and no.
tees were sent to the local papers to that
effect. The investigation commenced yes
terday evening with the examination of
Stephen Reed, the day guard in the :ssoli-
tary,' whose testimony was taken down
by stenographer and read from
the notes at the session this forenoon.
Reed is clear eyed, open-faced manly young
NSAAo",
volumnous, but substantially the same as he
gave at the curoner's inquest, in straight
forward manner. He reiterated his state
ment that he had orders from Deputy War
den Mayhem and DR.. Heise to whip convict
Harris the first time, and whipped him the
second time without special orders for dis
turbing the SOLITARY and general vicious
ness. The first logging was inflicted as
SORT OF MEDICAL EXPERIMENT.,
Tor the purpose of ascertaining whether
harris was really insane or feigning insani-
ty. The gag is recognized as method of
punishment, but the witness was not 80 pos
tive as to the use of the strap. When
Deputy Mayhem gave him orders to whip
Harris, he (Mayhew) referring to the whip
ping, said that he s'didn't care id who
who knows it! It was orders from head
quarters, and he did not care whether the
convict came out [of punishment head
first or feet first The witness I'M
derstood headquarters to mean
the warden and commissioners. He whip
ped Harris several times,-fve or six differ
ent times in one day,-and reported the eff
fects of the whippings to tho physician the
next day. He also reported the number of
whippings to Assistant-Physician Dripps,
and no objection was made by either of the
was shown the effects of the whip on the
convict's back. The skin was not broken.
but there were
DRowN1sH-CoLoRED MARKS
on the body. DR.. Heise examined the whip.
and told witness not to say anything about
the whipping to anyone. Did not really
know what DR.. Heise did say, but knew that
if he had protested he (Reed) would not
l,o,, ~,
Reed we're the only prisoners he knew to
have been whipped. He had heard that
Duncan McDougal, the captain of the night
watch, had a time with Harris, and
from the way McDougal spoke he was under
the impression that they--n.eaning McDou-
gal and Officer Leasure-had beaten Harris
with a cane.
The witness has never used the gag OH
any noisy convict until all other means of
quoting him had failed, and never without
first warning the convict of the consequent
ces if he persisted in disturbing the ''soli
tary." He had never considered the gag
dangerous until
THE CASE OF CONVICT MICHAEL RYAN,
in November last. After gagging Ryan he
was called to another part of the SOLITARY"
and when he returned he found that Ryan
had fallon down as nearly PROSTATE as it
was possible for him to fall en- account of
the handouts which secured him to the iron
door of his cell. A feeling which the wit
ness could not describe came over him when
he saw Ryan in this condition. He immedi-
ately released Ryan and called convict to
his assistance. This convict blew his breath
into Ryan's mouth, and succeeded in restor-
ing the latter to consciousness. When Ryan
recovered
BLOOD AND FROTH
issued from his mouth and nose. At this
moment Deputy Warden Mayhem and As
sistant Deputy D. G. Sleeper entered the
SOLITARY yard, and witness told the former
that he (the witness) had killed Ryan. The
deputy's answer was that it didn't snake
much difference, anyway" Ryan was re-
turned to The cell, ultimately recovered and
was transferred to Chester in March last.
Since this occurrence witness has considered
the gag dangerous instrument to use, and
had so told Mayhem and Sleeper, but had
not spoken to the warden, the physician, or
any of the commissioners of the danger
attending the use of the gag. The wit
ness also said that men often feign fainting
in order to have the gag removed, but, with
the exception of Gus Reed and Michael Ryan,
who gave way under the gag, the latter dy-
ing, he has never known any convict to act
ually faint while undergoing the gag punish
ment. He has often seen men standing at
the cell doors, shackIed, their face covered
with clammy perspiration, and in danger
of fainting. Men in that condition were
always released. Has known prisoners in
punishment to
STAND IN IRONS NIGHT AND DAY
for several days in succession. When the
witness comes off duty in the evening he re-
leases all the men in irons unless he has
orders to the contrary.
Continuing, Officer Reed stated that he
knew of no way of quoting noisy convicts
except with the gag. He never knew of any
kind of gag szDept straight piece of wood.
Russell Blakeley "Three-Card Monte
Trickster."
Pioneer Press, May 1Sth.]
The Pioneer Press is not for Stewart. 1t
is not for Washburn. It will insist on rails
ing politics above the level of the low cum
ming of the three-card monte tricksters who
have SO long too largely controlled it.
| More Melody.
Cincinnati Enquirer.
Donna Cameron is what they call her now
It has more melodious sound than Lizzie
Sherman.
authoritative Description of Minnesota Re
! publicans.
Pioneer Press May Is.
The Pioneer Press is not for Stewart
It is not for Washburn. It will insist OF
raising politics above the level of the low
cunning of the three-card monte trick