The daily gazette., 1878-02-14
State Prison TOrtures.
Modern Discipline !
Revolving Cruelty Prsctised
In New Jersey-Prisoners
Stretched, Gagged. Burn
ed and Chained I'm
m DungeOns-Te Testt-
m0ny Of Deputy
lat Keepers.

ilf Keepers.
TRENTON, N. j., Feb. II.
The joint Committee on State Prison
met al half past seven O'clock tonight
in the Senate Chamber, and resumed the
into the charges made
against General Mott and other officials
of the state Prison. The floor and gal
leries were densly crow ded with eager
looking spectators.
THE TEBRoRs OF THE GAG AND PULLEY
Henry Veghte was the first witness
sworn. He testified that he held the
position Of guard ON the wall in the
prison under General Mott for about a
year; saw different modes Of punishment;
saw the gag used in the centre several
times; saw men with gags in their mouth
quite often, as many as six at a time;
they stood with their faces TO the walls
generally, saw one man lying on the
floor with the gag in his mouth; but be-
fore l got In 1t was. taken out; It. was
tried in my mouth, not very long; never
buckled it very tight; saw men in the
dungeon hung up by their arms and
pulled by the pulley pretty tight: their
toes touched the floor; men were some
times chained to the floor from the hands
cuffs they had on; often heard good
deal Of squsalingfrom the dungeons while
on guard duty on the wall; have seen the
men when their toes touched the floor;
the punishment seemed TO be severe on
some men; never saw the hose or "pad-
dle'' punishment used, General Mott dis
charged me for taking letter out for a
I haua fakaaa dnWn from
the stretcher while Mr.. Walker was
keeper, never saw the gag till Mr.. Mott
came there; saw female after she had
been strung up, saw black and blue
marks on this woman's arm. .e
kDEPuTY KEEPERS STATEMENT.
John w. Crane, former deputy keep
er, testified that he had seen men strung
up by the wrist and chained to the floor
in the dungeons several times; it was
quite a common occurrence to see men
on the stretcher; they seemed TO suffer
very much: when one man was taken
down he could not stand up; never saw
the gag or paddle used, but saw the hose
in motion; heard man cry out as If he
was being punished severely; Genera
Mott discharged me for being asleep OF
night watch. leo
REDUCED TO SKELETON. I'D
Owen Vanderhoven, of Patterson
testified that he saw man named Far
ley seventeen years old, who was |
good, strong, healthy man when h'
went In and who was skeleton wher
he came out; he said his illness was oc
casioned by the stretchcr and from
lpunish ment inflicted afterward, he sait
he had been thrown into cell and ne
elected while in helpless condition
Ianother man named Butler told M
that he had wrenched his back from
punishment. The testimony here wa
objected to and the witness, after an
swering to few questions from Mr.
Mott, retired.
AN INSPECTOR KNOWS NOTHING.
| An inspector, Henry l.. Butler, o
1.-The prison, testified that he had beer
such for five years, three OF whic
were under the predecessor of Genera
Mott; he visited the prison at the regu
lar monthly meetings, and occasional
lly oftener; he had seen no punishment
and could testify nothing of his ow
personal knoledge; the sanitary condl
tion is improved; had received no CON
plants from prisoners regarding thei
treatment, knew nothing OF the SnooE
case.
DEFINING THE ToRTUREs.
&c. Vanhouten, deputy keeper, te
titled that he has been employed
q keeper off and on for twenty year
now acts in the place OF keeper durin
llatter's absence. we use as punishmtl
chaining to the floor, up TO the wal
the 'stretcher," the "gag," and blint
Holding, the gag is not severe pul
lishment, never tried it myself, ono
saw Friedlander fall, but believe b
idid it purpesely, when the gag was pl
in his mouth, this was six or eigl
months after he was burned with ale
Va hol saw the alcohol placed on Frie'
y lander, and 1t made him get up, 1t WI
put on him to make him walk, ha'
-lseen it done twice, one with a ma
named Murray, both were shammin
n Murray pretended to have ut, u
: Phillips applied the alcohol, it was
q fire to, and made a sore soma six inch
ie long and two inches wide, 1t was
OF the right thigh, Murray had its ate
wards, but the remedy was not tri'
}. again, the fit he got was genui
one, he once saw a prisoner vomu ITO
use OF the gag.
now THE "sTRETcHER" IS PPLIED
d. The stretcher is used from fifteen
he twenty minutes; General M OFT oncel {
n dered one for forty minutes; saw Snoo
hanging dead, though [ was not ava
of stich being the fact; they general
- make a noise after few minutes; SON
- times a man will climb up on the eros
~ bar, in which case we chain him TO
n floor so as to prevent his escaping pn
IL ishment; we let him stand on the oalis
ie, the feet; General Motifs puni shmsnt
ry shorter than his predecessors; riddle
rn Neary, the pugilist, once, chased kee zee
lg. er with q knife, and he received fol
M Rs minutes in a "stretcher;" Hennion, :
E' former keeper, used the stretcher az
OH but not the gag or alconol; Snooks "
he represented 20 be very bad man, a
- he was punished twice by the stretcn'
~ General Mott ordered the punishmt
|. which proved fatal; knew of no OIL
a. Il. xl..-.x N q m a