New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-28
LIFE IN STATE PRISONS.
INVESTIGATING ALLEGED ABUSES.

INVESTIGATING ALLEGED ABUSES.
srcoxp SESSION OF THE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE.
The Assembly Committee on Prisons, which is
investigating alleged charges OF abuses in the prisons OF
tho State held another session the Hotel Brunswick
Yesterday 1t was decided at the suggestion of Chairman
Xeyes that the committee, for the SAKE OF economy vi
time would consider the testimony taken during the III
vestigaton into the prisons last winter, ana nave noe
OF 1t repeated now. Z. r. Campbell. the discnargeu
keeper who was on the stand when the committee
adjourned Friday, resumed his testimony ne
said that he was messroom Ao.Po-
at the Clinton Prison two years after leaving sing os
and there saw men padded" putin dungt ons'
and chained In screen cells until they peoaio i"s
maniacs and taken to the unatic asy YUM a'
John Gibbons had prayed on his knees 10 po 'oA 80
and shot and vet wac padded - Michael Lawns was
put in the screen cell for attempting 10 escape ~
there ten months became maniac and then was sent W
Auburn the shackles being taken from nun ohiy ou
him in the wagon Thomas Hicks, VINO also n"u o0en
paodledp was put the screen CELL kept 'heIe eisn'
mon,hs and then sent to tho lunauo SsS-
Iu,a Joseph Baccari, John schus'eI' Te'ef
Cuva and others were also sent 10
the asylum there being twelve cases OF insanity III tho
prison IN the two years that the witness was there o
Ami H. 1873 Matthew O'Ne was shot by sergeant "
the Guard Shaw while he was Offering resistance 10 oes
NIT I'm the cell although there six or seven other
keepers present in the hall tho time This happened
under Keeper Scriptures administration, Mt the close Oi
which Shaw was removed. O'Nei was shot IN the
shoulder ana Is still alive. The witness descIoeu
screen cell as in which there Is the usual nag hoof
ing and which hasa wooden door covered Win sneeV
iron nerforated with small holes ike pepper box All
the light that enters the cell comes through these hoes
There ia however ventator At first the diet Is re-
duced to bread and water, but afterward the usual
prison fare is served.
On crossexamination the witness said that he had
never seen ease OF padding" when the physician
WAS not present II ho not there IL was usual TO
wait until he came In the cases OF Lawlis and HICKS
he had heard Principal Keeper James Moon say that
neither OF them should come out OF the cell whiie lie was
there The general theory that man would be re-
leased from the cell he made submission to the Keeper
The only furniture the cell s ring bolt in the hoor
70 which the convict is chained, and bucket sawdust
Is sprnked the floor but there is no bedding ana no
bed The witness said he had been discharged
by Warden Brush; he thought 1t was for
disability, on account of politics" he being Demo
FRAT AT present he engagedin business, Dut was
collecting bills. he had not seen forty men " padded
during his experience and be himself had only reported
one for that punishment
DR. Martin A. McGOYern criticised the pages from Or.
BARRIERS register introduced on Friday, as being nde
ntely kept, delivered long dissertation on skn Hls
eases and ended by admitting on erosse1aminaiiOn,
that the treatment in every case except one msat DC
An ex.convict known Theodore Burnet, who was in
10 fortythree OF deaths resulting in that time
from what he called oyerwork All the eo1v1ets men zen
months they were taken in One John Barre,i,
dead by Keeper WOOD while resisting and and
Benjamin Meyer had committed suicide eoad Pc
James Dolan who had complained feeling ill., had not
been excused and mad to his cell as usual Oh May
the 1se e wTne 3 that the men had up
10 the moment when they were taken to the hospital
wrist and was the lunatic asylum, although he
was not crazy While axe @ wa % a S G
appealed TO the WARDEN. Inc witness rephed you S
couldn't see the warden any more than you could the
Warden Brush--You saw me. didn't youi
The Witness-Yesi and III see you again
The witness was recalled later in the day and said that
times Jumped Of the laundry window and dislocated
both his ankles John f1omas, who mad been " bad-
ward transferred 10 Clinton He ia now In the unslc
April 1850, until November, 1899 he had received
no new shirt. except those bought from otncr
den Brush on a application. but this he said
owing the fact that the investigating Committee OF
that in February 1882 OF the PRISON contractors,
Nj. Dckey, came TO him and attempted TO induce MN
Campbell but he had refused. saying that that ron
ber tine Warden didn't have money snongh 70 nunos
Burnett that be had had other aliases, that he hao
SAID that he was BY birth an Au,trian.
During all the period OF hls incaroeEati ION
prison through aid of prison employees and agents
and employees Of the PRISON contractors once ne ad
Afterwards he denied H. The men who carried his letters
in and prison, he SAID, we're SIN there DAY oeioe
yesterday .,, = -a.....s A.. -
Arthur A. Hessler an Italian who admitted that he
had been i'm PRISON times the last time Tor passing
A forged check on Sheppard Knapp. was the next Wit
meas He read az his testimony, an affdaVt when ne
hes Aid i'm anti against Baker IN which he said
that although he was cripple from an INJURY 10 nl.
Keeper Nash had put yoke on him 40 heavy that ne
could moi stand under because he had shaken hands
with Warden Brush who had known Rim wlen ne Was an
under,Tejgber in the Custom House and bad hed out
hia hand 10 him Keeper Moon then padded him I'll
he tainted Keeper Haggerty kicked tooth ont OF is
month tkrew three OF water over him and put MN
IN a cen His brace and stick taken from him and
taken OF him 80 tnat he could not lie down prisoner
took pity him because OF his thirst ana gave nun
water TO drink wbereupOn Haggerty Competed MN 10
diynge the name his beneiactor by kneel;ng ON MS
est and choking him Haggerty woul1 also tantaze MIN
while he was Starving with hunger by eat al apple
n his presence and telling him how good IL wh ana
after hearing that he had eaten lVe rat Haggerty
6r"aght hiIp i've mouse ate 1t in the presence
of otners whom Haggerty had brought TO "see We
snow" The same Keeper attempted 10 secure lhe
watch aud chain and diamonds Which ne had on
prouse him better anu persuaded MN 10 agree
70 tie contract the articles were not delivered up
Dnfns the Last he well treated ne sal a.
because of letter written by the Italian VIceConsu
which had frightened OF his t0rIDentors After ne
had concluded his testimony Warden Brush with few
questions from hun the admission tnat AFTER Ills
release lie had sought him OF train from Albany down
tbe Hudson volunteered the statement That ne
lad deserved all the punishment he got that Fuller VINO
he charged mad abused HIM. was perfect gentleman,
and thai his cell always clean and his food good
The committee will meet again on next FRIDAY
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