The New York herald., 1878-03-07
NEW JERSEYS CAPITAL
General Mott Defends Himself Be.
fore the Committee.
PRISON PUNISHMENTS.
Princeton and Seton Students DiSfranchiSed-
Another Kelsey Report.
fpx .rxuxoRAPH TO THE HERALD. I


TRENTON, March 9, 1878.
The State PRISON Investgat,ou was resumed to
night General Mott was sworn. He said he was ap
pointed keeper March 20, 1876, and assumed his du.
ties on the 10Th Of April following; he denied tho
charges made against him Of having inflicted cruel
ana inhuman treatment upon prisoners; DR.. Corsos
did not in his OPINION establish The truth OF any oi
his charges; The "paddle has never been use sincs
he WAS there; the "gag'' has never been used
so as to be severely painful; IL has been
used copvlcts In the centre, wnere all
could see them. Another kind and much
more severe had been previous TO his acting az
keeper; the one used is an Improvement, and
consider it useful; regarding the 'stretcncr, there
is none such as Dr. Corson described tho feet OF
vcts whom tied up are slways left loose. except "a
provent them climbing up; the torn 'stretcher'
conveys wrong idoa he generally visited those who
wore put up his depu,y they were put up ten
or fifteen minutes a. time; there never has been
man stretched of tho balls OF his feet without dre9
violation OF his orders; as administered 1t canno
be termed terrible punishment; 1t s tho certainty
than tho severity OF punishment which Is Of
leotual; he had had experience during tho Mexican
war, the civil war and IN private lie.
pIscIPMSE NOT PUNISHMENT
Hc acted The principle Of giving men all thcy are
enttled TO; all discipline is not punishment by any
State Prisop; meyer orderod directed or permitted
any cruelty to be inflicted upon any convict,
In sending mon 10 the dungeon he al-
ways ordered them 10 be freed tw:co
day 20 as TO use tho closet; TO de-
priye them OF this 10 to make brutes Of them;
1t Is much moro humane TO hang them up for short
time than to conano them long in the dungeon; tbs
experiments made during this investigation confirm
this oplpion there has never been single instance
convic havi ing suffered punishment TO the injury
OF his limbs or health short and quick punishment
results in the convict going immediately to
work to the benefit Of tho contractor and the
State tyins UP IL u great deal more Elective than
combining in the dungeon, whicn often broaks
mans spirit man named Earl, from Morris
county, was punished twenty.one times Ia two
mon ,hs; he required medical treatment, aud con
GUIDED to 60 70 work; to relax she discipline would
drive all the officers away, unless there were many
more than he had.
report reached the prisoners that Tue Legislature
had stopped punishments, and the prisoners, l76 in
aumbor. made "a demonstration on sunday woek,
wnen they were under charge of tive men; IN eacp
punishlnents hud not been abolished; he now had
$40 convicts, had had S73; when he went 10 tho
ment except the improved gag. ali OF which have
been In since 1864 he had uy examined all the
laws, ana did not consider he had violated th en- IN
any respect; ne considered corporal punishment ~
mean fosging; regarding FriedIandcr, he gave The
doctor permission 10 use hs tests and he believed
The end justified the means; respecting Murray, Dr..
Green, OF Etzabeth accompanied the prisoner 70
Trenton and informed him that ho was the habit u
feignDg epilepsy; this was the cause OF DR.. Phillips
HOW LIE FOUND MATTERS
,ooss as.p;Os ruor and .no cells arty The yonta
ton miserable, no attention paid 10 cooking anu beds
hlcd wth vermin he held The officers IN each depart.
ment to strict accountability; cells wero scrubbed
three times week. the beds wore aired monthly,
the prisoners were allowed to Datne once week ~
hourn A,ann fnP
three years. he put fifteen venlilators IN, and the
supervision OF tho culinary department made differ
oil 10, 900 pounds OF meat month such meas
as ne took tended greatly 10 aid the discipline
sXoOKs
In the OF Snooks ne was punished four times,
but he deserved more he was lei Off several limos on
oi his promiscs III elects were apparent
from the punish on the day Of HIS last punish
Lhc keeper expected hin to OUT and take his
work AS usual; he sent hIm up for twenty minutes;
the other plainod Of the nolso Snooks made IL
his cell: no had been punished for the same thing
before, though not In tho right time; his appearance
did not Indicate any disease; alter his death the
keeper teegraphed the widow and to his brother az
Hopewell Junction this teiore the post mortem; none
theso any OF his friends have compia!ncd of his
treatment; no Information was Withheld; Asckenzlo
ready to givo all the Information required alter
all ms previous puDshmsnt snooks went immediately
to work.
AccoUsrs OF BAD CONDUCT.
Tho record Of punishment was carefully Kept on ac'
counL ot the computation granted Tor good behavior
Al this point the Keeper Submitted TO the COMMIT.
tee the rules no mad framed for the the
Institution.
In reply 10 Senator Moore General Mott stated the
mode punIs sh did not require great care, be-
cause light man could not Pull heavy man up; |
had Snooks Sgged und sent 10 the dungeon did not
tell The County Physician that Snooks died ia the
suetcher never have been IN the habit OF giving in
formation; II was the Counly Physicians place TO
qure he should get his In ornailon from the doctor
In reply 10 sherir Bellies inquiry about snooks:-
~ told him Snovks was a0ing we'll; had given him
reiormatory medicine, and he WAS nothing but
country bully anyhow
n a hat
he did mol consider the tying up of man corporal
punishment ~ accordance with the letter vi the law
Aterward The General admitted that II was corporal
punisnment
General Mott continued :-My version OF the law ID
that Official visitors have right 10 talk with prs
oners tho cells; Mr.. Deacon's IS not a test; he
wanted TO sec visitor on private business VINO did
see prisoner in the CENTRE would not ike TO havo t
rule for an Official visitor TO go " cell and talk
with prisoner alone.
Alter a sharp iii between Mr. Deacon and General
Aott Mr. Kingman SAID he would like 10 sum up The
evidence Que thousand and alty-esht pages had
been taken senator Moore said the committee would
consider that and lot hun know Dr. Corson appeared
aud read IRON letter received from Dr. Thomas &.
Morton OF Philadephia 70 prove tnat burning alco-
hol used the flesh was brutality.
THE KELSEY MINORITY REPORT.
In the House ol Assembly tins alte moon Major
Harris Of Hudson county rs member Of the special
committee Of Investigation into charges preferred
against Secretary Of State Kelsey submitted IN tue
House this afternoon q minority report tho reading
OF which created much comment anu excitemeDI IL
ordered printed, and will, with tho maj ,rity
pprt which sxonsrates Mr.. Kelsey, and submitted
by Mr. Mathews on Monday night, be considered TO-
morrow afternoon, when lively debate is expected.
IL locks as II the majority report will be adopted
DisyBAHCBIsfN0 THg COLLEGE BOYS.
The House to-day, by vote Of 33 TO rs democrats
in the sfirmatlve ana republicans In the negat,veh
passed bi which disfranchiscs students attending
colleges IN this State. Mcssrs. Egan (5peakerh
Bodgett, Dewitt and Duryee strongly advooated its
passage, and Mcssrs. Pierson Deacon, Voorhees, aud
jackson opposed. II sent over to the senate In
not haste, and there under suspension OF tue rules
u passed without opposition. II particularly Affects
the students Of Princston, Rutgers and seton Hall
colleReA In the towns whore the former Two are
situated the democrats expect By the disrapchise-
ment 10 hold contro the future o all elections, be-
causs majority OF the students In both colleges have
beretofore voted the republican tckeL