New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-02-13
PRISON LIFE ~ NEW-JFRsEY.

PRISON LIFE ~ NEW-JFRSEf
TESTIMONY BTFoRF TIE LEGISLATIVE fYvEsTiGAT-
ING COMNlITTFK-UsE CF THE GAG AND THN
Observation-Disclosures ALCOHOL IS A TEST OF
SHAMMfNG-THE DEATH OK a PRISONER IN THE
STRErCHER.
TRENTON, \. j., Feb. 12.--Thc invcs''sa-
ton Of carges O cruelty In the State Pfls0A was IT,
suncd to-day. The Scuatc Chamber was crowded TO e1-
cess. TIE first witness Henry V. A. Voghie, a
f9raer deputy who stated that c saw men hung M b
the arms in the dungeon thinks the treatment under
Mott the present keeper much more severe than thht
under Keeper Walker; high rs SIX persons sIuls
mp at one time saw the gag used uAuer Keeper
Walker. W Crane testified that be saw persons strung
No by the in tie dungeon; some ad ter neFis
tied TO the oor; they seemed 10 suffer muca never saw
the paddle or Rose used a. VanderhOyen OF Paier-
sOn, testified 10 what PRISONERS hau tOd hih ONO WIS
reduced from strong t"a mere skc"ion He was u
ycuns man II robust constitution when lac wcut there
H. L. Butler. who has brcn IN Inspector icr i've years,
never cruelty; The sanitary condition OF The
prison had been improved He diacpiine was very
strict, and complaints which used to be numerous arc
very few. He thought The discipline was satsiactory
q. 4. Van Hooten had been employed IN the prison.
IN vagicus capacities, for the past twenty years
had seen the lagpunlsimeut; Gont think It severe
saw one man illl down purposc'y Willie the gag was
used: tpe alrohOi used on man; II mAdt mn ger
ny: II test Tor ShannnE, ana WAS ulpct pS III.
Phillips II w0nid MAKE siX inches long aud a.
wide Two fingers thin!s the i'5t WAS E"1H on
never knew ;hc Use 81 TIE gag 10 make man SICK; ~"
used 10 or 20 minutes saw snook' III ht
Mott called Tor Perry 10 see whether lie VAS sh'hIS
or not; the cia.n OF The lTN' .s'.' 'i''
raising himself and getting On tho croa-har; Pfisi-
raised entirely clear 81 me n"or III" WIS
of the feet a.c allowed 10 touch thr uIp; Gc 9un!-
mont was under General Mott and II yerg mrc shorter
than under ot9cr Keepers; the same was usen Dy tl
other keepers never tnc burning "st before; never
saw the skin broken by lanCcuhs; ShookS was q
very bad prisoner he WAS b!g Stout man. never knew
0f any other inan dying While under pullsl,h ~ hgc
known of sudden deaths; saw hc hose used once only
have known eonvcts TO iegn death Inc hose Is ioi us
US punishment 0ut tor cicdniiatss pGIyHcGS are '"t
up from The dungeons every twenty -oIr hours; nave
known them To bo confined IN the dungeon hNe or Six
days. , i .
Have seen tho tg strctchcr and dungeon USED ~ PUN
ishmCnt; DO not consider the g@E severe
nad instructions to cleanse the cells ana ar 'ho
Joseph T. bergen testified Have charge u The south
gallery in the STATE Prison; have stem -trrichcrs; don't
know what mode OF punlshncll' othtf At' pers ".' u
j. an every day occurrence 10 nave PRISONERS ~ We
dgnse'n; never snsw never man saw, 10 rer ,e
marshal, strike prisoner never sa" an, ani
trouble except with an insane man t"iIA
was III the strc;chcr u J. c1n"n ioI m' 20 nrs 70 DO
let ont OF tie duugenH the body OF SnoOks wa whih
when he Wa carried into tie cell; his eyes were pasig
open; he had been mpainns the day before he was
pun into the dungeon at about quarter past III uc
morning, and it was about haIi past "hoh nc WIS
Gersham NJ. Howell testified that he was deputy
keeper during 1876 and " 10 July, 1877; never saw
alcohol or the gag used; tae alcohol punishment was
not introduced 10y General MOTT the gag Was nol u
mind II have heard prisoners say they had been pun
ls.ci Tor three hours uuer other kcrtr- while under
ucr.l Mott would not exceed thriy minutes; mover
know man punished more an once on any one day;
knew one man scream IN twenty minutes AFTER ic Was
nut on the strc;chrI. one man was chained down ia
dungeon aud renamed there al night; hc was not m
position suffer. have repeatedly found men asiovp
when claimed down. SuuLk~ was punished -FOUR
tines; never knew any other person 10 have
a gar iu his mouth when on the stt"tch'f
uu the gag IN his mouth To keep him quiet unii got
hr IN The dungeon The man did not scem to nave run
taken out before lee PIT mp; he did not have any
gag IN his mouth when he died. took u Out the MOMENT
pOi Inn to the dune Oh. told him Gd not WISH 10
lrlnre him n he Would behave himself; have never
struck a man. reported the case immediately 10 beh-
crai Mott | change III Inn when Ooh ann
down thought he shammIHs; n G:3p ne was
placed Oh Il o strsichcr. and at G:JO he was dead
County Phy s!clan MChC"Zc hcld no inquest M th1
STAT, Prison on The ~ SUooks who was REPORTED
dead N the cell. I tnought the Iuan had died from
natural causes III I'D not look a. II u" bad dl'd ioh
punishment II there had been any mHrhs WOuh nave
cal rt! an inquest. made post norton examination
and foaud he had died frpn natural ctHhr although
tlc punishment might have ha -tcn,i BIS death.
The examination was continued anil late hour