Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-02-06

Witnesses for the Defense
The joint committee having under investiga-
ton the charges of cruelty and mismanage-
1nent against the managers of the Saltwater
penltentiary, resumed the examination of ex-
convlcts yesterday morning, Mr.. NJ. E. Dono-
hue in the chair.
Mrs. Eliza Woods S,vorn.
Witness resided at the corner of Minnesota
and Tenth streets; had lived there three years.
Had been convict in State prison; was SEN
fenced for two years; was let out at the expira-
ton of twenty months; had been sentenced for
shooting an Indian in self-defense at her own
house. Witness had tried to do her duty while
In prison. Mr.. Reed was warden and Mr.. Hall
deputy; had been confined to the sewing room:
BY DR.. Pratts orders witness had been al
lowed the use of the yard three times a week,
on account of sickness and debilitation; Mr..
and Mrs. Hall had taken umbrage at the free
dom allowed witness; they had repeatedly
abused her, saying that she a criminal and
should not be waited upon.
Witness had written an account of the ILL
treatment and violence towards her on the
marg in of copy of Bollou's Magazine, upon
which she had given the particular acts of
cruelty; Mr.. Hall had searched the room and
taken the book away; they had allowed Stops to
accumulate in filthy manner witness not
being able to cary then, down stairs; Mr.. Hall
mad come into the room morning white
with rage, demanding why witness had not
carried her Stops down; witness replied that
she was too weak; Mr.. Hall then threatened to
put witness In the dungeon: he then pushed
witness on the floor and repeatedly kicked her:
Mrs. Hall had stood by and exclaimed,
FOR GODS SAKE DON'T KICK HER,
you will kill her; at her (Mrs. Hall's) pleadings
he had left off kicking her; witness became in
sensible, and couldn't say how often she had
been kicked; Mr.. Hall had afterwards dragged
witness into her room in an iusensible con-
dition, and by so doing had permanently in
jured her back; had subsequently, been fed on
bread and water for fifteen days because she
didn't carry her bucket down.
Witness was unable on account, Of sickness
to carry down her bucket; had been sick for
two weeks; Mr.. Hall had said that the bucket
should remain in the room until she rotted.
Witness had sometimes emptied the
Stop through the bars Of the window by
means of an oyster can during he night time;
the chair upon which she stood to reach the
window was taken away by Mr. Hall;
witness had asked the warden for pen and pa
per, and after writing letter to Mr.. Pratt
the physician, containing an account of her
cruel treatment, had dropped it through the
window.
The witness had been called
WHISKY CRAZY,
by Mr.. Hall, but had never had any strong
drinks. The physician had received the
note and called the following day;
Mr.. Hall had afterwards ascertained that
witness had written q communication. where
upon he had changed her cell into another part
of the prison, it being so cold and unhealthy
that witness was attacked with hemorrhage of
the lungs, and was found PROSTATE and insensi-
BILE shortly after being taken into the cold room;
witness had been fed on bread and water for
several days; witness had written note to
Reed on piece of brown paper That gentle
man had called and said that she had better
apologize to the steward for the act that made
that official diet her on bread and water By
the act witness metnt that the steward hail
thrown her food onto the floor of the cell and
witness had thrown it out again. The steward
then commenced feeding witness on
BREAD AND WATER.
During her imprisonment witness had been
engaged in making drawers. She and an as
sistant had frequently manufactured twenty
five pairs a week; witness had afterwards be-
came too feeble to work, whereupon she was
confined to her cell; on several occasions, the
steward (AIr. Smith) had left her food at the
cell door in such a manner as to become COW
cred with the Stops of the prisoners who passed
by the front of the cell, the passage way being
very narrow; witness had resented the insult,
which caused her to be dieted upon bread and
water; Mr.. Hall had never actually maltreated
witness but once, las above stately but had
frequently raised his hand to strike her.
Witness here related instances of cruelty to-
wards other prisoners who have long since been
released from the penitentiary. On one occa-
sion witness had tainted the stairs, and
after falling down stairs was allowed to re-
ma n for hnn fno orCc
passing her by every few minutes Witness was
subject to fainting fits, and had requested Mr.
Hall and others not to treat her with cold water
while in a comatose condition. Upon coming
too, Mr.. Hall was bending over witness sprink-
ling cold water upon her. Witness had sus-
tanned serious injuries by the fall having been
confined to her cell for six weeks, during which
time she had requested doctor but was not
permitted to see one. She had also
ASKED FOR CRUTCH
but was not given one for two months. Wit
ness here related hcresay evidence regarding
the i'll treatment Of a man who was confined in
the dungeon, whose shrieks could be heard all
over the prison. The men and women con-
victs were not allowed to each other. Wit
ness reat ed an instance of where a convict had
tried to escape, and upon being captured was
beaten over the head with pistol, by Mr..
Hall
Witness had been put on bread and water
diet three different times, once for over two
weeks. Witness not acquainted with any
of the State prison inspectors. Had never per
sonally known any one to visit the prison to
whom she could complain of her Entertainment.
MIR. Reed was the only person to whom she ever
made a complaint.
CRoss-EXAM1NED BY II. r. DENNY.
Witness had been taken care of occasionally
by female convict; had been put in the cold
cell on a charge of having written to the
guards; MIR. Reed had never treated the prison.
crs cruelty to witness knowledge; Mr. end Mrs.
Hall were wholly responsible for the cruelty
and Entertainments; Mr.. Hall had frequently
abused witness in the vilest language. Witness
had never fully recovered from the fall being
famed thereby for life.
Redirect by Mr. Buck-Mrs. Hall was in the
habit of shaking the keys in the faces of the
female convicts, abusing them in very ungen-
teel language.
BY Mr.. Reaney-The instances in which wit
ness had been cruelty treated had been some
times observed by bali demented convict
woman called Mary; in answer to questions wit
ness detailed an interview between herself and
GLOBE reporter, which took place few weeks
ago.
Bv Mr.. Reed, warden-Witness was at pres
ent practicing medicine in this city, and was
known by the name Of Mrs. DR.. Wood.
Geo. B. Washburn, S,corH.
Witness had formerly resided in Winona, but
now lived in st. Paul had been sentenced t.
the State prison on the 10th of April last fo
ten months had been discharged on the Sc
inst, He (witnessl had seen Mr.. Hall maltrea
prisoners. On one occasion Mr.. Hall haC
struck a man three blows with a hickory stick
Witness had also seen Mr.. Hall strike con
Wet named Wilson, az present convict; Will