The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-01-27
THAT MAN MARVIN.
rsoor THAT rHE CARPENTER
C~yELTY LETTER WAS WRIT
TEN by HIN.



A commemorative Of the Dispatch yes
ssrdav visited the penitentiary for the pur-
nose Of further inquiring into the Sd. H..
SSrpcuter" letter.
Tbaf letter was received by Mr.. Hurt,
y.rreident pro ten. OF the Senate. one day
aast week. He hlnded 1t to the Clerk to
svad TO the Senate. when Mr.. Berry OBJ
soeted, and It was then transferred 10 MT.
Atkinson. chairman OF the special commit
rre appointed to investigate peniteuuary
affairs.
The letter charged gross cruelty TO con-
vicfs I'm the hospital. II was at first be-
6ryed 10 have been written by MIR. Car
renfcr. who was until recently one OF the
guards at the Institution. but repcrtoiial IN
qu,rics developed the fact that that MT.
(Srpeuter Is named X. A. Carpenter.
and that no person named j. Ii. Carpenter
had recently been employed ut the peni-
kentiary, or had been IN there a. prisoner.
The letter In question was carried to
she pcnitentiary by the Dispatch man
having been obtsined for that purpose
20 ascertain II tie officers OF the instit,.
sion would confirm hi suspicious that
Marvin was the author.
DOCTOR JONES.
DIR. J. III. Jones. surgeon In charge. said
Marvin Is one Of the shrewdest ana most
mEscrupulous rascals ever confined IN those
walls. He believed from the knowledge
10 had of him and from what had been
ro,d him by Others that Marvin was the
author OF the letter. He could not claim
90 be familiar with Marvin's handwriting,
nor could he account for Marvin being able
60 net the letter out OF prison, unless IL was
done through some OF the conyictS who
arc taken out in the morning under guard,
10 60 10 the Capitol to work, or through
some of the guards who have been dis
charged. DR.. Jones, when he first saw the
Dispatch containing the letter, thought
that some fellow had either interviewed an
.ex-conyic, or discharged guard who
was unfriendly TO the old officers. DR..
Jones stated that Mr.. Carpenter. who
was until lately employed as q guard. Is
from Madison county and Is plan lar-
rner. and from his knowledge OF him,
could not have written the letter. When
shc Doctor saw the MS. yesterday he was
positive that Carpenter could not have
written il.
IN MARvIN's HAND.
General Lindsey Walker, who had charge
al the female department as superintend-
emf during the construction OF the new
building, identified the letter as being in
thc handwriting Of Marvin.
Mr.. Wrny Knight, who Is member oil
the Uoard OF Directors Of the prison, when
handed the letter exclaimed, "Why, that
is karvin's handwriting" and stated that
he was familiar with ii, and that when he
was first appointed as member OF the
Board he received several letters from Mar
vim, and that Marvin, finding that he paid
no attention TO them, stopped writing to
him.
WHAT PERRIGO SAID.
perrigo, the steward Of the hospital.
stated that Marvin and himself were not
friends, and that he believed Marvin
wrote the letter to iniure him, as he per
rigo) was hoping TO obtain pardon. He
was familiar with the handwriting Of Mar
sin, and identified the letter as Marvin's.
Perrigo remarked that Marvin was ia
SmiliGr with the management OF the hos
pital, for at the time he was drawing the
plans for the female prison be used a
liable in the hospital-room. In March,
1882, Marvin was patient for short
tme. When be became convalescent he
WAS in the habit OF loafng around I'M
I'll he became so otlicious that he was or
fiered away by Superintendent Williams.
COMPARED WITH SPECIMENS.
Captain Ashby, who has charge OF the
prison yard, was handed the letter signed
J. II. Carpenter. He read it and compared
it with specimens OF handwriting OF Mar
win which he had In his possession. He
was at once struck with its similarity and
expressed himself satisfied that Marvin
wrote it.
IT appears that some time In the month
OF December, 1883, the prison authorities
had cause to suspect that Marvin had writ
ten letter and was trying to "sneak it"
out OF thesprison. Orders were Issued by
the Superintendent to have his room searcls
ed. 1t was visited and a box with q paddock,
which was fastened, was brought to the
Office OF the Superintendent. Marvin was
sent for and IN his presence the box was
opened, and in it was found blank book
containing fourteen pages OF his hand
writing. On reading the manuscript il
was found that he had been engaged in
preparing bill to be submitted TO the
General Assembly as to tae best method OF
conducting the prison !
The CARPENTER LETTER.
The Marvin-Carpent letter reached Mr..
Hurt through the Sergeant-at-Arms. The
Sergeant does not remember who banded
VI to him.
RcDOrt or the Board of Directors.