Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-03-05
THE UTAH PENITENTIARY.
Enough Evidence to Prove the
ssHcrald'' a Willful and Defama-
tory Liar.

The recent talk about the treatmen
and fare of the prisoners at the Territor
/ ial penitentiary has arrayed large mum
Der of reputable Mormons against the
Herald and its false statements. H. B
Clawson, when he was first seen on the
street the day of his liberation, took oc.
casion to speak voluntarily against these
misrepresentation, and he gave the as
surance that there were others now in the
Pen who would corroborate his refuta-
TONS
James c. Watson, who spent five
months at the penitentiary last summer
and fall, during the most disagreeable
season of the year for such confinement,
was asked yesterday by DEMOCRAT re-
porter as to what he thought of the man.
ner IN which the institution is conducted,
and also with regard to the prisoners bill
of fare.
81 consider that the statements con-
tanned in John Nicholson's letter to the
Herald are correct in every particular. l
am sure, SO far as my experience is con-
cerned, found the institution far better
in every respect than had expected"
"Did you notice any evidences of
cruelty, upon the part of the manage
ment during your period of confinement
there ?''
''Not any at all. Marshal Ireland was
uniformly kind and courteous. and invari-
ably greeted myself and the brethren
with pleasant shake of the hand. As
for Warden Dow-well, should dislike |
to see lin succeeded by anybody, for he
is the incest kind of man, and does his
duty in way that wins the unqualified
esteem OF the decent prisoners.
What about the food; is it fact that
meat which has become literally tainted
with infection is dished up to the boys?"
No, Sir, | don't believe any such meat
was ever offered to the prisoners. was
there during the worst of the hot weather
last summer, and l never saw anything
but first-class meat come into the institu-
ton. 1t generally came in quantities of
one hind and two fore-quarters, in the
case of beef; and 1 never saw prettier
meat anywhere. During the hottest
nights We used to place the beef up in the
tops OF the trees so as to keep it from
spelling, for you know they have no re-
Irigerator out there, and they are obliged
to do the next best. Twice only during
my stay there | detected slight faint in
he meat which was given me to eat, and
hen 1t was not worse than lots of people
nave it in town during the hot weather.
have experienced the same difficulty at
lome in keeping meat from becoming
ust the least bit contaminated.
Don't you think that the misstate-
nents appearing from time to time in the '
Herald are UNANIMOUSLY unfair, and don't :
GU consider them wholly the inventions .
# the writers ?' t
Understand me, am not talking. for
ne sake OF getting into print; what 1
ave said know to be true and [ have T
ways maintained it; so have VIM. -
',otheringham, Angus Cannon and q q
theirs. When some of my friends read II :,
ne letter of Brother Nicholson the other r
ay. they remarked: Those are old a -
inns (meaning me) sentiments exactly VI
nd SO they are" Il,
MIR. Watson spoke throughout the con- a. a.
arsation in firm and quiet manner, ap- :. %
arently not caring, as he said, who n
card him, but, of course, while he is -
'nerally and highly esteemed as frank ~ ~
Id honest man everywhere, his testi- q,
ony, in the eyes of the Herald and its ~
<, would count for nothing alongside of 70 70
e statement of the desperate John IN IN
NTH, who has been confined in the 81 81,
alternately for the worst of ~ ~
ines for years VI