Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-02-02
W, D. HHHni00t !Str0rl,.

luterrogatel by Senator Back. Reside in
Minneapolis; have lived there most Of the time
for ten years; am painter by trade; know
what am summoned here for, saw it in the
daily papers; knew something about the State
prison; was guard in the cell room there for
about fifteen months; J. \. Reed was warden,
and - Young deputy warden; Deputy War.
den Hall took Youngs place in about month
after l went there; as general thing prisoners
We're we'll treated; knew that Pat. Coffey was
treated badly; Coffey employed in clean
ing up about the cell room; knew that Coffey
sent to the dark cells by some of the
guards; Go not know of my own personal
knowledge what it WIS for; on one occasion
was kept there from Thursday evening until
Sunday without food; he was in my charge
part OF the time; he sent there by the
orders of Deputy Warden Abe Hall;
do not know the reason for this treat
meIit; saw Cutfey after croton oil had been
applied to his back; 1t was in the middle of
the summer Of 1877; his back was quite raw
the same as If it had been singed or burned
and the skin all peeled off from the back of
his neck down; was the only time 1 ever saw
it; saw no one put it on; saw him many times
In the dungeons; do not know of nv own
knowledge by whose order he was sent there;
while under my charge there not better
behaved prisoner there; saw that he was being
punished all the time by the guards; wanted
him re-instated in the cell room; thought he
would clio better; was punished by being put
III the dungeon; do not know of any acts Of in
subordination; one had better chance than
myself; heard he did not do enough work; the
cause was not reported to me when he was sent
i'll to be put into the dungeon; he was SEN
fenced for six years; his conduct was gener-
ally good; he under my charge, or where
L could see him, eighteen hours out of the dav:
when he worked in the cell room he was en-
ployed III carrying out night buckets, and as
sisted IN feeding the prisoners; generally saw
Tim from IL to is hours per day; he always
acted gertlemanly and honestly; don't know
what his conduct was outside Of the cell room:
part OF the time ne was IN the cells without
food; was there by order Of Deputy Warden
Hall; guards had to obey the orders of the
deputy warden; on one occasion was there
three days without food; had to raise him up
and carry him to MS cell; it was in the sum-
mer; did not make application to the warden
for mitigation of his punishment; did not
ask the warden to give him bread
and water; officers do not give the
guards their reasons for Furnishing prisoners;
TODD was gwen Tim the hight he was released;
do not know whether he went to work the next
day Or not; after such punishment prisoners
are generally left day Or two in their cells:
think should have noticed him if he had been
IN MS cell; several prisoners were sent to the
dungeons, but none of them were treated as
was the usual morning and evening ration of
dungeon inmates; bad received orders to put
prisoners in dungeons before; had gone to the
deputy warden and asked to give prisoners
food; had not asked the deputy about water;
the rooms were under the charge of the denutv
warden, aud it was not my place to suggest
these matters to him; do not know of any ill
treatment of prisoners by Warden Reed; the
warden was always kind and good to prison.
ers; do not know that the warden knew any,
hr, ho
never knew Of the warden interfering: the
warden used to release the prisoners from pun
lshment before Deputy Warden Hall came:
Coffey confined without food from Thurs
day e:ening until Sunay evening; the quantity
and quality OF food was generally good; there
might happen in any house; had heard the
warden say that if we wanted men to work
well we must feed them we'll.
BY Warden Reed-What position did you ex-
pect to have when you went to Saltwater? A.
Cell room guard. @. What hours were Won
on duty? A. From IL o'clock at noon till -
o'clock at night. @. What means had YOU of
knowing whether prisoners had food or water
when you were off duty? A. Asked
the other guard. @. What guard?
A. his name was Earnest Borcht;
what happened when I was on duty; as a gen
eral rule prisoners in the dungeons were fed
morning and evening; do not know whether
they had water or not; they may have had water
all the time. Q. Why did you leave the
prison? A; I left on account of sickness; I
had typhoid fever the last few weeks I was
there; knew what was going on; did not make
application for permission to leave.
BY Mr.. James Smith, Jr.-Did YOU know If
any bad treatment of prisoners on the part of
the warden? a. I did not
BY Senator Buck-Did you have any i'll feel.
ing toward the deputy warden? A. I did not.
@. Why did you not go back when Won re-.
covered your health? A. saw the Governor
and he asked me if I did not want NV sins
tiGn again: told him did; he said he wonld see
the warden about it and there tho matter
dropped; have no unkind feeling toward the
warden; have told some of the guards that thew
were too harsh; L used to take charge of eano
III the shops sometimes and had no trouble
with them; prisoners were sent to the DUNGEON
generally for speaking; it was violation Of the
prison rules; used to make them desist, but
did not send them to the dungeon.
BY sMr. Donohue-Is this all Won know
about the treatment of prisoners? A. III had
charge would be less harsh; Borcht, the guard
who had charge of Coffey when I was not on
duty said he (Coffey) had nothing to eat or
drink while he was duty; the cells have a
pint dish which is generally kept filled with
water; the dungeons generally have nothing in
tNem; there might have been water. thera m "