New-York tribune., 1886-07-17
PUNISHMENT IN PRISONS.
WHAT IRVING WARD SAYS HE WILL PROVE.

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| COMMTssION-REMARKs OF WARDEN BRUSH.
A young lawyer named Irving Ward, whose
once is at No Sc broadway, has undertaken to show up
tho authorities at Crow Hill and Sing sins and promises
prove tho most shocking things In connection Win
tho management OF those institutions 81 was drawn
into this subjsct about month ago." said Mr. Ward.
through the petitions OF the friends OF somo prisoners
under lock and key at Sing Sing did not take inucn
stock In the complaints having always boon told 'has
these complaints arc groundlcss but little invcstga.
ton convinced mo that frightful crucltos are
praotised In prisons OF this State was applied 10
by the friends and besought to insTsto an
in the interest OF humanity ana OF tho un
fortunatcs who are serving out their sentences am
prepared to produce of evidence showing Illegal
punishment inflicted by tho warden and keepers at Sing
Sing and at Crow Hill l am able to show almost daily
brutal punishing the facts instance being sup
pressed In the reports
Punshment s Of two classes, one consisting Of beat
ing with clubs. and rawhides. and tho other In
stringng up prisoners by their wrists These punish.
ments take place At Sing Sing In the torture room which
ia nsxt TO tho Office of Connaughton. the principal
keeper have proof that torture has been inflicted and
continued until tho prisoner has become unconscious.
Tho fsvorits mode Of restoring consciousness
is to club tho prisoners. In one case
prisoner died under torture and the records pretend
that that died from natural causes This man was
killed January 2, 1886, ia Sing Sing, and II the
names Of persons who witnessed this atrocious deed,
and will produce them. Ono is called Fred Stewart
The worst thing about these punshments 10 that they
are inflicted hot for violation OF prison discipline but
as means OF carrying out the co-partnershp between
the prison a horities and the contractors for prison
labor foi the purpose Of obtaining the greatest amount
Of work from every prisoner Perry & Co.. the stove
contractors. pay Sc cents day aud get 50 worth OF
work out OF prisoners Prisoners who there ignorant
OF any trade required at once to do
full days work. Failure to meet the
greedy demands OF the contractor m.ans torture
contrary to law by tho task.masters partners the
prison officials, Men havo been driven to suicide aud
selftorture Many have become insane. In the stove
shops man deliberately thrust his hand into pot ofnol-
metal burned his fingers OF to escape from cruel
labor. | have seen that man and VIII prolucc hlm
Another put out his eye with rat-tail file. nave
his name here. but will not give It at present Another
four OF his fingers or Peter Burgess driven to
despair, attempted suicide, but cut down by a
keeper in time his life. His brother. George w.
Burgess, lives at No. 10 Gayst, NewYork Richard Hart
tortured ana logged Convict Randolph was tortured
such extent that he has become parayuc Thomas
Moran and John O'Neil. conyicts aud Albert Green
an ex.convict were tortured | have dozens OF cases.
all occurring within the year, most OF them within
couple OF onths and Will bo able to substanta them
On July laId charges against the authorities Sing
Sing before the Governor. aud later against the Crow
I authorities. have here letters from Governor Hll
Informing me that my charges have refcrrod
the Prison Reform Commission. OF which william Book
siaveT OF Dunkirk; Enos W. Barnee. OF Wclsyle; and
George Blair OF this ety. are the menbers The Cow
says: The charges which you mention should be
presented to Chairman Bookstaver the Commission hav-
ing been provided for the investigation OF such matters
by the law under which they were appointed.
The wardens defend their action ny saying that they
have right to lnhct any punshmen that tho law does
prohibit The Revised Statutes do not say that a
convict may not be tried by drum-heai court martial
and sentenced TO be burned to DEATH hanged have
his cur on, and yet II It Is logical that the wardehs
may nflct any punishment not prohibited by statute
to hang up man until he Is nearly deal. he has right
to hang him unul he Is quite dead Here is a letter
know deals with facts. II smu-ged out to me II
Is. rs you will see written on fragments OF wrapping
paper"
Ihe letter was to this effect:
CROW HILL PESIrESIIARY, July So BY prisoner who
another prisoner %ers nm9n and horribly eowded the
james With hfee rawes ali Of them Issbofins Tommy a
rd. %n sD soHsh Wh dGy @ r Is 'oens cut around the
osgng him md the jeers OF 400 half starved prsoners the
him with You dirty little cur I'm show how to treat
deter the 100 a psse sn N e e rsT1 ess ha S 80 as
insure publicity Of the parsimony and brutality of the
thortes Go down to Irving Ward SO Broadway New York
CITY who has the sing sing in charge and have
punishment. Make criminal charge information and be
Tov M nor Do be BE- oSd m ee P s are
from him John the dungeon being Tommy
The other .a ga Who was hoSSe & m dumped his
OF Warden Green who heard Tommy eNclam There
cell and trpy co~6ied on SATURDAY another starvation
fight about TO take place. but the pusianimous
gave beef for Saturday dinner and for the ply
could stand 3D. cTow H pendnary Is the Only penal nstt
ton wherein the lash has been used since Gov Cleveland
abolished the paddle In 1888 This warden here posing
humanitarian OF the Western hemisphere 1883 when
warden Green ays Of Warden Brush in the T. + star Feb
To Pa @ or h Pl @ Roa%
vacate his position" Did warden Green who has out Heroied
the above boast do so Shevn Brush and Pills
bury are by comparison win ms hero OF penal
which three keepers oowhdc prisoners here IN Crow Hin
the language Of this wardens boast before the arcica nves
gaton held by the visiting justices or Charity Commission
Aug. 4, 80.
A former prisoner In Sing Sing writes:
reported for insolence by bearess boy instructor
said yes but would not believe me lie hung up with the
help keeper whom the boys call RednOsed Barney, but
floor left there until tainted let down until came TO- hit
with cane IN the hands OF and pulled up again
when Lot down my wrists were bleeding and my arms numb,
but compelled TO do days work in that condition
Mr.. Ward says that the investigation will begin about
the lst OF August.
Warden Brush OF tho Sing Sing prison. said yesterday
man must be fool or an IDIOT to formulate COM
plaint the statement Of convict without iuvesss-
toD have been looking the record Here s George
Clark who. 1t is said, was held up IN the Weighing
machine until he tainted lie received only one punish
OF thirty seconds in the handou ia for being nsoen
to an threatening an Instructor. Hs never gave any
further trouble. Thomas Moran had Quo punishment
Since that time no has been good as could be asked
John O'Nei has never BEEN punished OF even repri
msnded Albert g Green never was punished In the
OF william Burgess who committed suicide. hayo
made an AFFIDAVIT certifying that Burgess WAS never
punished in this prison in his life He committed suicide
from some unknown cause To have discipline thcro
must be punishment, aud whom convict Ia unruy he
must be punished and lie 10 punished In various ways
There is no logging; but have to adopt the hand
cuffs the dark CELL the cold douche and the st0ppage OF
tobacco"