Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-02-02
have been water in Coffey's dungeon, but 1
don't believe there was; the dungeons are on
the lower tier of cells.
Pat Coffee,

|
living; live in st. Paul at present; have been a
convict in the State prison at Saltwater; was
sent to Saltwater the 10th of June, 1873, and
remained there six years and four months; was
sent there for railroad robbery; was we'll treat.
ed there until Reed took charge, which was
| about fifteen months; Jackson was warden and
EVens was deputy warden; ill-treatment COM
| menced about six weeks after j. A. Reed took
charge; was at work in the house, and had a
great deal of liberty; Reed shut down on wa
ter: jackson used to permit the prisoners to
! take out pals and get fresh water for them
| selves; Reed shut down on that; the men used
to exchange their book on Sunday on their way
| from church, and Reed stopped that; he shut
| down on grub; did not give sufficient food
| many of the prisoners asked for more food and
were refused; l have seen the deputy warden
drag men to the dungeons for asking for bread
Reed did not want men TO tell what the deputy
did and said, he gave orders himself. @. Who
was taken to the dungeon for asking for food
A. You can put me down for No. l. O. Give
us No. z. A. can mention dozen; l will not
refuse Tor the benefit of my brother sufferers:
this honorable committee is here for human
lty s sake; I'll suffer this right hand TO be cut
off before will give the name of man who is
prosecuted in that prison long as he remains
there; was sick and thought was going, ond
asked for priest; Reed denied the request and
shook his fist in my face and threatened my
LIE, when was sick in my cell; will not tell
names, as long as they are inside of that fence,
of prisoners who have been badly treated =;
some OF the pets came to my assistance
s tnu brought me- medicines and
nearly every day; none but the pets could
come; they did not tell Reed; oh, no, not for
their lives; l can't exactly tell what allied me-:
| have several com plants, some of them not
ut to make table talk about; the physician did
not come to see me; asked a guard, a German
to send the physician and he said he would
Tor he could not see a man treated so; the
guard asked the phy-ioian to come, and said he
was not allowed to tell what the physician said :;
the physician was OF allowed to come; Was
IN the dungeon seventeen days-the longest
time anyone was in there; did not eat the
food furnished; was made sick from hunger,
and could not eat; was often put in there when
was SICK; was put to work in the shop
puttylug pals; my eyes are poor; was forced
to putty pals and could not see the cracks:
was outlying tub, and told the guard could
not do it; he said you have got to; when got
through with it he said that tub is not put
tled' you are coddlng, go into the cell room :;
saw Reed come in blowing like porpoise and
give the guard (John Rover orders; guard took
him to his cell; Reed called a pe,
IA Swede) who took everything out of
the cell on the cold iron floor; 1 was put IN
alter breakfast in the morning and expected to
get out the mex next morning; l was cold from
Sleeping on the cold iron floor; it was in JULY
but iron is cold to sleep on; hope you gentle
men Will never know from experience how cold
1t Is; was there in ee days without ANYTHING to
eat; had water twice day; asked Hilker for
something to eat; he wouldnt talk; he is a bad
pill; bad as a guard; tried to call him but he
would not answer; the fourth day called loud
~ and another guard named Chase, who came
all the way from the State of Maine to get the
job, answered; he said the warden did not want
to see me; the third day got mouthful of
bread; got that once day; no one but Chase
came to see me; the ninth day Reed came and
said, Halo, who is there" smiling; oh, gen.
tlemen, it you knew what is behind that smile :;
every word be said cut to my very heart; told
HIM L wanted to see the doctor: he said
Il am your DOCTOR and shut
1ne door , IN my face; l
called FOR Gods sake to let me out; a man now
dead gave me food on the sly; buried it. in NV
splt-box, SO the guard would not find it; on the
twelfth day had cramps and pains and did
not sleep we'll; Deputy Warden Hall said; IF
you don't stop that noise I'll skin YOU, Won
from head to toes;'' guard
brought me some water, and said he wou d see
somebody; he brought two pets and said be had
brought good news; they helped put in nv bed :;
at noon some pork and beans were brought me:
1T Is the best grub we get there; could not eat :;
sick mems grub, it it is not eaten by them. is
taken away and given to the other prisoners;
the blind door was taken off; pet stole
a piece OF pie and brought it to me,
also some medicine; Hall came the next
morning to have me go to work. and said
You Goo damned ----, I'll break your
head, chain You up and kill you if Won don't
get up;" l don't want to give the guard away:
his name is Charles Bardwell; now that his
name is given, he will be hunted away from
there; went to work, and no one was allowed to
talk; Packard was guard; I will not tell the
name Of men while they are in prison. Cof-
rev showed his day s ration, which was a piece
OF bread Two inches wide by about two and a.
half long and half an inch thick, which he kept
IN a small pasteboard box to remind him, he
SAID, OF the hard times he had been through.
He also showed lump of dried dough about
as big as a walnut, which he informed the COM
mlttee was taken from the inside of his ration
OF bread Prisoners generally did not get
enough to eat except about the time the
members Of the legislature came
TO inspect the prison; those who
work for the State are treated we'll. and the na,a
who work for the State steal for the Others: [
went IN weighing POS pounds and came out
weighing lou pounds; on another occasion Reed
shook his list in my face; Hall hated a priest.
and got hostile when thought was going and
asked for one; he got down on me again and
put me in the dungeon; I had to Jump around
to keep my blood in circulation; my eyes got
sore from the dust of the floor and the dark
ness of the cell; Hall had hard feelings against
me; was put in the dungeon twenty-seven
times. and the whole time staid there was
about two months; Hall wouldn't let the phy-
slclan 90 anything for me; Hall struck me with
bis hands aud with his KEYS, on the shoulder.
head and face; he rubbed croton oil on me for
nothing; was not sore before the croton oil was
put on me; neither the hospital steward nor the
doctor came to see me; saw a letter in the
newspapers saying that I put dust in nv ewes
to make them sore; they did not put anything
on my back to relieve tho soreness; Hall rubbed
croton OIL on my back several times; it did not
feel goodi 1t was not my desire that it should
De cone; 1t Was about three years ago; was not
put IN the dungeon for any specified time: put
IN during the wardens pleasure; the present
warden does not interfere nor go near; prison
ers stay IN the dungeon till Halls passion
cools; you might as we'll whistle iigs to mill
stone as to try to move Hall; he used to pet
and latter the young boys; Ryan was the first
doctor; Pratt is the present doctor; they made
! fool of Lambert; he told me he was not
allowed to see me; he told me his kindness
was limited; Pratt never told me anything,
either good or bad; Williams was good man.
but he used to get drunk ami kick a man in
the gable end for pleasantness; no doctor pre-
| scrlbed croton oil; the barber told me it was
croton oil; one of Reeds pets told
me it was croton oil; was sick
! at the time; Pratt the doctor; made q
| bird-cage during my leisure moments: one OF
Halls children wanted it; one of the It's told
me If would finish it and give it TO the warden
it would make me solid with him; there was 8
Catholic fair coming off, and sent it shere
Halls eldest daughter asked for it; Hall hcaro
her, and slapped her and sent her away; one OF
the convicts is allowed to go out; he asked fo1
it for Reeds children; wanted Reed to ask
for it so could refuse, SO I told him perhaps
Reed would not like it; he said Mrs. Reed tolc
him to ask for it; she and Mrs. Hall came in t.
look at it; Reeds eldest daughter wanted it
and refused to give it to her; I was sent ur
from Ramsey county; came here from Moor
head; have lived in Braine1d; in the Stat,
about eight years; they kept me at worl
| puttylng pals. and my eyes were so BAG