Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-01
,op.KER,5 rEIGHTFUn YARN.
o,;c,s Governor in the Role of Cam
puign Mumchausen.
No. V,rk W,aIy


nuinn 1lunCilauscn.
Froo, the Eeao York World.
COLUMBUS, o., Sept. 24.-"oV' eora-
.ar onened the Republican campaign TO-
rt,ht TO large audience at the Metro-
noIitan Opera House in speech oil Two
rs # was devoted entirely to State
H Hsairs and almost exclusively to alleged
enhancement of the penitentiary. Al
brief review of the Cincinnati cleo
ZION frauds and the financial results OF
Gov. Hoadly's administration, ana omit
.,na oil reference 10 the liquor question,
" dovo,ed the rest OF his time to the penn
Sanitary and the abuses IN us nlauaRe-
' Sno by the Democratic state gov
hlenS He produced the figures
eIuin that the State lost sos, 900
% .i,,,, the two years of Gov. Hoadly's
uGI ,stration, when the contract sys-
sca, Of working prisoners was abolished
va the piece-price plan adopted Inc
IN If GOV. Foraker to secure the data
Pah sDeech has given rise to the extra
dinary sensations and falsehoods ABOUT
sha late management or the penlteotlary,
tncluding the statement OF naying ueao
nrisoners and tanning tnelr sKlns, re-
pan+lv published in the Tribune and other
Eastern papers. .ho covorror,s
,rivate secretary and stenographer began
iirav nightly visits to the penitentIary
I'd hold conversations with prisoners
with a view of ellciting damaging state
r,onts concerning the former Democratic
n+lnialsand managers. limitations were
Oiven The prisoners that il these othclals
corld be convicted of penitentlary onenses
there was a good chance for them TO
,nIy
Sormar masters. The result was that the
nrisonars became communicative and
toln a series of stories, some of which RI
ToIIad Gulliyer's best efforts. These the
stanographer reduced TO the form OF afh-
davis and they were sworn and SUBJ
scribed to and form the largest portion OF
Gov Foraker's speech. Some of these
convicts were so elated over the pros
oects Of an early pardon that they wrote
TO their friends outside. giving the SUD-
stance of their affdavits, and these hnally
reached the correspondent OF the Clncln-
natl ENQUIRER, who several days ago au-
t,cinated Foraker's speech and forced a
modification of some of the most roman
tic affidavits.
Each convict had some specific crime
To charge against the former Democratic
officers, ranging from petty larceny TO
wholesale embezzlement, the selling of
easy situations to prisoners and the fay-
ing Of the dead for the purpose OF turning
their tanned skins into walking sticks.
Each swears to a separate crime on the
part of the officials, and no two OF them
cOrrobOrate each other. A convict named
F. W. Nve makes long and circum-
stantial affidavit, charging that Drs.
Montgomery and Holmes compelled him
10 fiav every Irishman and negro who
died IN the penltentiary and make walk
Ing sticks of their skins, layer OF each
alternating throughout.
Nye describes how the doctors kept him
lp by administering siX-ounce doses of
whisky while he was engaged in his
awful work. Gov. Foraker read the affi-
davit with telling effect and then wanted
to know if any Irishman or negro would
vote the Democratic ticket after that.
The only foundation there is for this eX-
traUrdInary story is the affidavit OF the
convict Nye, who claims that he has been
promised pardon for making it. Nye
has been an inmate of the insane depart
ment of the penTeDtiary since July s.,
1884, and was sent to the penitentiary for
perjury. Gov. Foraker, however, elaine d
that the truth OF the story cannot be
doubted.
DR.. MONTGOMERY is in st. Louis, but DR..
Holmes said to the World correspondent
that there is not the slightest particle of
truth in the affidavit. Among the other
stories woven INTO his speech by Gov.
FORAKER were numerous instances of
prisoners being given easy places upon the
payment OF large sums OF money to Off
cials. prisoner for life named Bahney
was among the list, and Deputy Warden
Marriott is charged with accepting a
bride from him for transferring him from
laborlous to a comfortable berth. The
In Re- natrY1 l.
any OF the others, in each case only a con-
Vlops unsupported affidavit.
The prison records show that Marriott
declined to make a change in Bahney's
case until SO directed by the following:
EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
Deputy Warden Md,rto1:
DEAR SIR Will be obliged to you If you
VIII change Hiram Bahney, No. IL, 1856, from
the contract he is now working on to some
other. Very truly, J. Il. FORaKFR
And yet, in the face of this, Marriott
Is branded by Gov. Foraker as a bribe-
taker and thief, and upon the same sort
OF testimony from convicted periurers.
murderers, bank robbers and forgers
anxious TO earn pardons, Gov. Foraker
uehounces all the Democratic officials as
set OF miserable incompetents and
Dold, unDlushing scOundrels, who stole
and robbed right and left on every hand
from the day they went in until the day
tneV were kicked out, TO stay until they
hre sent back, as they should be. to nav
Tue penalty or their crimes by serving
tne state, not as officials, but as con-
Inese will serve as fair specimens of
tne whole speech in relation to the late
Penitentiary management, and show the
ouaracter or his assault upon the Demo-
eIauc party. 1t but mildly expresses it
~ say mat the more thoughtful of Gov.
roraEers audience were startled when
lucy lucy learned that he had tried and con-
ueIlntu MS political opponents upon the
eA parte affidavits OF cOnvicts taken in
secret and under the promise of pardon
eI.ner directly or indirectly offered as an
;;nuucement Tor them to testify. Diligent
INQUIRY warrants the statement that they
nave no existence save in the imagina.
s,un VI the interested convicts and Re-
Iuo!cah politicians. A number Of these
o"nVlcts were taken before the Franklin
oSunty grand jury to-day for the purpose
giving additional importance to Gov.