Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-02-24
Particularly Treatment.


1t has become proverbial that imam,
dress'd in a little brief authority" Is
very unAmiable and unworthy crea-
ture. Why all the brutal part Of some
natures should be called forth in az |
gresslve force whenever brought into
contact with human misfortune, and
just why some people delight to be the
instruments of human retribution, IL
is hard to tell. Probably, persons thus
disposed have well-nigh extinguished
the human or God given instincts, and
only retain their depraved and british
propenslties. So IL Is, however, that
the most inhumsn attributes and pro-
penalties seem to predominant amongst
those who, either by accident or by
Whist Darwin would call natural go
lection" come TO be put in charge Of
those unfortunate members OF society
who are, presumably, confined within
the walls of prisons not only for the
safety of society in general, but for
their own reformation. A "locus
penitentlH.n or place of penn
tence, therefore, provided for
criminals, would not naturally
be understood TO be a place where
those in authority outraged common
right, or at their own unrestrained vo-
litlon, without limit or responsibility,
chained, starved, whipped, tortured
and even killed the helpless subjects
Of their brutal tyranny. The develop
ments of this spirit of brutality in
prison discipline throughout the coun-
try within the past four years has been
appalling in it's uniformity and sick
eniug in its details. IT is true, the
South has not taken the lead in these
vile practices. nor usurRed that SUI
premacy in this sort of crime, which
the spirit and tone of the Northern
press would have led the world to ac-
{ credit to our natural development.
} Not throughout the whole dark and
? bloody ground" Of tho late "slsve ter
Z ritoryn has the record shown
4 itself equal in cruelty and
@ crime 20 that of the land of the
{ "Christian Statesmen" and sane
, titled morality, But our record is bad
j, enough. Even In our own state where
r convicts enjoy the life Of husbandmen
d and competition with honest laborers in
!, the field and in the shop, we find
= among the few confined within walls
B. according to the report elsewhere pub
= lished in THE GAZETTE, that the ordl
If nary prison diet Is of bread "mouldy
q and clammy," meat "inferior, rancid
IS and spoilt :" ''in fact, all the food ap
pears to be badly cooked, and this re
Ie suits, not from any defect in tn,
Ie kitchen arrangements, but from thu
II negligence Of the steward The ply
stefan "had frequently condemned fooI
So being unsound aud unwholesome.
The committee further say OF the treat
10 ment that the punishment twas SO
y we're, not 10 sag craei.n In admins
ne terlng whipping 30 a punishment
I'd the number OF lashes ranged al
in the way up from forty to ono hau,dret
at and JortyW And this, not for revolt
,s characterization or violence, but mere
u.s. ly for violations of the rules and al
n tempts to escapeW The commltte
va examined the backs of the conviois an
~ "saw sears indicating that their iiesI
Or. had been lRceTsted and the ski
OF broken" In another case, prlsone
OF named Goodall, who "broke away fror
the guard while being whipped" an
:. whom ordered to come back an
be submit 10 being whipped, "prt
n. teated that he would not com
he down becGUse hCY ,0oVld kiU him.
.e. This man WAS told by the under-keeI
NJ or that "ho s0ould conquer his tempe
lie pith his iiJe or body" and the phi
1t, oner, refusing to come down, was sh,
,te and killed. Thi. successful method
he conqueIing the temper OF prison,
on (who, perchsRce, was the victim
W. error, merely, and convicted OF SON
re minor crime) was practiced SON
m, eighteen months ago, and these mei
ed thus taking upon themselves n
re- whole responsibility and authority
a judge, jury aud execut'oner, and thu
ch numbering a defenseless prisoner i
,rt order to conquer his temper" OIL
ty still In the employ OF the state an
ng paid by the state for their murderer
ire workl
,rt The gentle committeeman, in n
,ra | cDuTae OF their Iemarks. an nassau
nj mildly say; IN Is Our opinion that II
20. conduct Of the guard who did the XII
nc ing, and such officials ma were nel
80 there and privy 10 the killing, shoul
ca be subjected TO close iRpesfgdtiont
he In the ten Recommendation and eul
ut, gestlonsn with which this repoi
o.. closes. however, VIZ see no mention {
suggestion OF reform, either In ii
n matter Of food, treatment or discipline
-es We shall recur 70 this sublec again.