Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1883-01-29
STATE PRISONS.
The Way CODSicts are Treated
Need OF Christian HeIp-Plans 10
FscaOe p


New York Assembly Committee oI
Prisons, who are now engaged in in
veStlgating the manner in which con
victs are treated in the prison of thai
state, will no doubt shock all who read
them. Several Of the wtncSSc, whC
have been employed as keepers al
Clinton Prison, and Sing Sing, told
| sickening stories Of the tOrturcS tC
which many Of the convictS were sub.
jccted.
One man said that he had seen num-
hers of the convicts "paddled " until
! they begged to be shot, and thus end
their suiierings He had seen men
thrust into dungeons, after being
"paddled and kept there as long as
eighteen days, during which time he
had known some to become raving
maniacs. The paddle is piece of
fiat thin board, in which holes are
bored
Every blow struck with this weapon
on the naked flesh raises blood blister
for every hole that il contains The
suffering prpluccd by this terrible in
strnmcni Of torture is 50 great, that an
other witness, who had also been keep
cr, testified that he had known several
instances where CumvirtS committed
suicide, rather than undergo the pun
lShmcnt "a second time.
The dungeon or screened cell is an
other method resorted TO by these in
human men for intlcting terrible pun
duty, or smallest breach of discipline.
The screened cells have no furniture
whatever, and the stone floor is but
lightly covered with sawdust. The
only light that enters them is through
small holes in the sheet iron outer door,
and the greater part of those confined
within are chained 10 a ring in the
floor.
The inmates Of such cells were not
allowed any covering whatever, and the
witness never saw any Of them allowed
an opportunity to wash themselves
from the time they Were put in until
released.
The witness told Of twelve men who
had been lodged in these cells between
August, 1873, and February, 1880, all Of
whom had came ont raving maniars,
and were transferred to the Auburn
Lunatic Asylum. Other witnesses stat
ed that they knew ofcaScs where prison
ers died, while undergoing the torture Of
padding.
Testimony has also been given TO show
that the food was of the poorest quail
ity, and only enough served to each
liri,u VIII, ott.nd.I ,hn rIint,,n ,r;.t|,,, 49,
said ,h,t oh. r..nrI nf .inL,a.. ,..,.
had ana ,'d ,h,, naSas ,"'
y.,.r,. rar.l..oly and ,.,o,na
r,,,,,a,i,,,,;,', , 'a" ',
r,,co d,,ri,,,, ,no 1,., f,,,,, ,.,,.,., o,,,'',,
IN" th,. rr;1,ns ~ nthHr '., S,.,a, ,'o,
.I1vn ,,,,t Yhnr. MA "n"t .,,', S,,,t,''f '''
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.,r, f,r ,a ,.,, l'''D''no
nm thn southern ,i,u,n,;,,,. u'o,.is
,I',nr,. ,I,,,, ''',,' ~, a., n. 80 g
~ r,i,r,n,,,di nr;,,,;,'.,Is I ' p", r"II
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Wv ''N''' '''''
Prisons and iails are necessary and
indispensable for the protection of life !
and propcrty. but the unfurrlIuatrS con-
,i,..,j tl,i,r.,i, '.hl,,1i ,r',,,'J w. ''
''''I c''',,n en- 49,, -, 40 '''''
is AS much for the purrusr of oiyjup
,I,,,n ,'',,,rt'ii,f ''' f', ir', W. H''''N
',,;.,',,,,, e., t ,I''i,' ~ go
II would be suuposrd that thc Chris
'ian church wo,ljI take tlj, matter in
hand. and direct their hest efforts moi
,nIv ia thr. r.i,urrnyrrcnt Of th. .nirit-
nal hut also ,h'. trmrn,,,l rnnli,inu nf
,i ,ounrs lut srrh w;tI, v.rv r.,y oy
,rrtiou,, !, NOT ,Lr ra,c Thr Eui.cnuoI
urr,rr;L.s = farm ~ ur,yrr
.tu Shaw INV nitv ON nIl nrisnrrr. 1nI
.nnti,rs " Lui in rlur,h,l nf nthnr I.,
,nurin,- IONS th,. ..nrisnrrr and fl, r,r-
iy,I, ",lln,n rnc,.;i r., avon, ,his ,ri,,L,
H.. >'' '''''' '''' r. ''' '''