The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-03-19
THE REFORMATORY ABUSES.
BEGINNING THE INTERPOLATION OF
THE ELMLR1 INSTITUTION
An Inmate Making His Complaint In . Let
ter to the Comn,ittee-Dr. Weythe Ex-
planning the Cause OF the Three Suicides.

ter to tho CommIttee-Dr. weythe Ex-
planning the Cause OF the Three Suicides.
ELMIRA, March 1s.-The subcommittee Of
the Assembly Committee on State Prisons. APP
pointed to Investigate the charges against the
Elmra Reformatory. arrived here this morn
ing from Albany. The subcommittee Ia COM
posed Of E. II. Keys of Westchester. Chairman !:
John McDonough Of Albany. J. Higgins Of
Erie. Z. o. Farr Of onondaga. B. d. Clapp Of
Clinton. and ]. +. Sheldon of Monroe Robert
A. Livingston Of Putnam. the mover of the
original resolution ordering the investigation.
came on by invitation o, the committee and
acted their lawyer in the examination Of
witnesses. Sergeant-at-Arms Henry Wheeler
was also present The committee visited the
Reformatory at about II A. NJ. and until P.
NJ. they we're engaged in making a personal
examination Of the different buildings and the
various quarters of the men. where they
worked. ate. and slept The visit had been ex-
pected by the inmates. and when the commit
tee appeared in the general work rooms 1t was
speedily known who they were. Many Of the
inmates of all grades voluntarily asked to be
called to testify as to the condition of things in
the institution. and number Of them handed
letters to some members of the committee as
they passed through. One OF these letters. a
ialr sample OF all. Written in clear. fair hand.
Dut bearing no signature. is as follows:
:, The inmates Of this prison wish to impress upon his
Honor TIE Judge ana tie other members Of the connIt
here namely the second aud third grade and especially
for some obtain nine neoessiatc tier doing ali
a are Hs tive W sFsde ncW . s 4a ls %
men are treated on about par with the prisoners at
ef r %hsn III
TS & S ny s Y on s
whose word z law and from 1t there & redress
Vel he iSs f9a ins Hi a"
son 'ff h% III m doe. 1 uon with as
and not beng lnialbie lac exceeds the law every day
feel that injustice has been done hun and the records
. isOT Gn ab sGst a s fT n sT OS To-
be thoroug pardon us for suggesting that those inter
those longest hero II uperntende makes up his
n s a a me SOs V o TN! ne sasSns
hlh part eau save him There is Que thing that proves at
e one gI 1 o RSGss any % %
on i've gogs annS even ss snort s
could have done frou whence lie came The discipline
ment so great that The effect is bad it is degrading in
IT, hS being Of Ss ff Ey
The majority are young boys. having committed their
short imrrsonLnent, aud many are the VIC
s Sn of thu e1s hop H.
man Of S emPer and n.ny can testify to beng
Nrgng up II SOLITARY The Superintendent clever
sRd sa snH and VIZ no, be eassh =, easily: Many
tion Paint aud whitewssh have been applied every.
@ AA sS to A led food very U a nut a
fsppeT Ind ,1 The oo bugs and rats cant be endured
able une the place Itself is al right and the outside APP
yoa diasTsa, t.e the tsiloWhs mem are s s1
has ! p ao' Sg JcS Gn 4 s. w ,y
the ollowing third grade foundryen Wheeler Grossly,
VINO lave been here a long time The Writer Of
TINS has been here almost year with no prospects Of
man, under influence Of Liquor he endorsed one
trf, Aiorneys once 70 be sentenced here year
a, lie supposed lie Is beyond the allowed, being 35
and demsnds to be sent 10 another prison. as de ath
jean Ha' thus 70 the
committee Others, again, have nothing 70 do. aud, be
rsat 'e's Will 'e" you the place is all
DR.. II. D, wey. the physician Of the Reforma-
tory. was the first witness called. he testified
been physician. The suicide Of Hughes. who
hanged himself on Jan. 81. 1850. the Doctor
before his, suicide he was told that there was no
help for him, and in respondent mood he
hanged himself, Malone hanged himself on
May rs 1850. The Doctor said he lived TWO
miles from the Reiormatory. and when he ar
rived lie had been extinct an hour or more
John ReddinGton hanged himself on Aug %.
1881. The Doctor SAID the suicides mind was
not unbalanced. un less by undue stubbornness.
Al one time he stripped himself naked in his
manner got possession. warded of ali ap-
proach. and cut himself on the chest and arms
SsNtIely Al hnOtntT time ne rel USED 1Or ten QhyS
TO take food or drink. and they We're forced
down him with stomach pump. In conse-
quence. the Doctor said. the man had been con-
fined on bread and water in the solitary"
handcuhed alternately to he door and the iron
staple OF his cell Tor nearly six months without
yielding his spirit OF INSTRUMENTATION. until in
4 III of moroseness. he had hanged himself.
Dr. Ney said 1t Wa not on his examination and
judgment. except in the case Of crpples or in
Nalids. that inmates were assigned employ
ment. He said that the general health Of the
inmates had been good. only five deaths having
occurred in the Reformatory Tor the year end
ing sept. 30. 1881.
Jacob Schwartz. n criminal lawyer here. en-
ployed by the defence in the case of Simmons
who was convicted Of killing Keeper Mckelvey,
presented a list Of names Of those who could
testify as to some OF the, charges brought
against the place. He and h. K. Brockway the
superintendent, We're the only other TWO wit
ncsses sworn. and the latters testimony had
mostly 70 do with his theory of the manage
ment of the institution, He SPOKE of Redding-
ton. who had comm tied suicide. as not being a
safe man. He had assaulted keeper. lie
named Taylor, had used a rubber hose. and
struck HIM eight times He was handcuffed to
one OF the hani-tcrs of theSStairs.
The committee adjourned 10 meet in Albany
on Wednesday evening next, and at the Re
formatory here on the Friday following.