The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-03-26
PRISONERS TESTIFYING.
HOW DISCIPLINE rs ENFORCED AT
THE ELMIR1 REFORMATORY.
Multiplicity OF Ruios and Diseourngeuent to
Inmates who arc striving 70 Reform
Educating Crack smen within Prison walls

Multi piicity of Rule. and Di.eourarement to
Inmates who arc striving 70 Reform
Educating Cracksmen within Prison Walls
ELMIRA, March 25.-The committee Of the
Assembly appointed to investigate the affairs
ut Elmira lieformatory reassembled in tho
lsathburn House at o. o'clock this morning.
Mr.. Higgins was absent. as were also Messrs.
McDonough and Sheldon. The two latter arc
not upon the subcommittee. but have been in
attendance upon the investigation as members
OF the State Prison Committee. George L. Ly-
ons. one Of the inmates ut the Reformatory.
testified that. upon conviction Of grand lar
ceny In New York six months ago. no said his
age was 49, in order TO get into the Reformatory.
although he was only Is. but that he would
rather 60 to Auburn for ten years than stay
whore he was any longer. For refusing to do
foundry work. which no claimed was too severe
for him. no has repeatedly been put in the
| solitary. being shackled by his left wrist to a
staple in the wall and fed on bread and water.
the latter being. ordinarily. tepid and roily.
The buckets in the solitary he said. wero not
well cleaned. and usually emitted an offensive
odor. They frequently stood in the cell forty
eight hours without being emptied. His task
| In the foundry was too severe. he having been
| compelled to carry ladies' of melted iron weigh
| ing sixty pounds or more. n distance of 200 feet.
He had been maltreated and brutally assaulted
both by Superintendent Brockway and by
! Keeper Beach. and because he thought that he
would be better treated in Auburn he tried to
set fire, to one of the school rooms. by knocking
| over lamp, but the ruse would not work
William Willis, another prisoner, about 20
years of age. was the next witness. He is more
than, ordinarily intelligent. He thought he
could speak with more freedom 4 Superin
tendent Brockway and his brother, Hugh
| Brockway. should leave the room. These per-
| sons withdrew but they insisted that Assem-
blyman Livingston should retire with them.
Willis described what he called the multiplicity
| and pettiness OF the rules and regulations.
the arbitrary and partial marking Of the
first grade convicts employed AZ monitors.
keepers. the ease with which man is degraded,
and the great difficulty and discourasement
standing He said that the severity Of the
marking SYSTEM the repea,ted disc9,us,agee-
| labor and the requirements Of schooling are
certain in a large percentage OF the cases, to
| for the maximum period allowed by law for
their III Noes. pS9mPanions in t the same crime
Mrs, Mrs. Alice Willis, the wife OF DR., Benjamin A.
York. testified to the treat ment she had received
from Hugh Brockway when she came yester-
1ay to s visit her ibs the
months ago she was permitted To converse in
private with her boy. and was allowed owed
|
allowed such privilege yesterday, Hugh
that was said between them. He. would not
grant her permission to show the boy his
9nSes ph9togpaph or Letter from his grand
him a handkerchief which he stood in need Of.
She said her son was now suffering from ca
tarrh and severe intermittent fever. and she
saw distinct deterioration in his mental and
physical health.
David Fl. Risby the young librarian and as
sistant correspondent of the institution when
out on parole year ago in New York was re-
he red to sSoo5 He pssed
| that he did so, not because OF his dread OF the
Heformstory in particular. but because he had
resolved never to return to prison alive.
Charles Krowel OF this city. now. out on parole
and at work for furniture establishment here,
| instanced on the stand several cases. mention
ing names and times where the late Keeper
McKevay had knocked down. Kicked, and
belts testimony Of yesterday with reference to
Keeper Beach's assault on him. James Koran
who were at one time employed at the Reform
atory. also testified as to Keeper Mckelvays
William Revere. another inmate. when asked
how far he had been reformed. replied that he
should be able to make his living, when dis
had been fully instructed by men OF that kind
here. The most of the boys. he said had
out He said that men in the hollow ware shop
wore EXPECTED r to qisomPish ten hours tasks tasks
teism toward convict let named ' Dem crest
whom he described as young and
lazy dandy from New York; Demorest he said,
| after two months work in the hollowware shop.
was, upon tho intercession OF his father. ad-
vanced to the first grade. although at the
third grade. Employment was given him in
the Superintendent sofice. whence he was
Roth and IN Dsniel s1aho U 5ther conyiets
| described the attack made on Tibbets by
efen ri, St eyysp all
convict, said that not quito q year ago he was
to The for sSu, and
TO work himself ny and out quickly and honor
ably. His school and conduct marks have ac
with the exception Of one or two dement's
given CIV him nniGstly by convict ,S imon,or; ou,
s n% Until an GsnS hsd
he was, warned that i he did not catch up
mean ,hIs o he would be dssrssced, ,E into
on, Monday last. because as he and his
they had talked and complained to members Of
the committee and reporters upon their visit TO
ni by tbse as sd aSG n
account Of his degradation he begged that he
might be sent to Auburn. Since two months.
letters had been intercepted and retained and
from now he would no longer, receive letters
Of all reading matter, and, even Of the
crust coffee. which is the second, grade luxury.
While carrying The e melted
iron from the puddle, to, his moulds. He had
suffered severe pain both day and night ever
since. A physician present gave it as his opin-
ion that the mans statements upon the point
lad is unable to do his foundryinG himself, be-
cause tho glare Of the metal blinds his eyes, SO
| that without the help Of his chum, who is now
also degraded. his task would be irretrieva-
| bly, lost,
Hugh Brockway, the transfer officer at the
| institution was then sworn He denied the
! allegations Of rudeness made by Mrs Willis.
| but admitted generally her other avermcnts.
Miss Carrie Mrich of this city testified that her
| brother William died Of consumption in the
! fall Of 1879 in consequence of the deeterious
work he was compelled to do in the brush shop
at the keformatory. The committee adjourned
| to meet in Albany some day next week when
| the managers Of the institution will be sworn.
uThcrc was an outbreak at the Reformatory
| when the men were called to their work this
morning, Thirty of them in the second and
third grades refused to go to their work. They
| were locked up in solitary. superintendent
| Brockway was anxious to have II understood
| that this rebellion was in consequence OF the
| visits Of the committee.