Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1886-12-09
Cruelty to Prisoners.
A Shocking State Of Affairs
i'm the West Virginia Peni-
tentiary-An Interview
With Ex-A ssistant SUI
perintcndent w. Is.
Wilkinson.


The Cincinnati Enquirer OF the
goth ult. contained an interview
with Ex- Assistant Superintendent
w. r. Wilkinson, of this county,
who resigned short time ago, and
discloses-if the reporter has cor
rectly written the facts--a shocking
state Of affairs in our State Peniten-
tiary at Moundsville. We made
mention of the fact, when Mr.. Wiki
inson resigned, but did not know
his reasons for giving up his lucra
tive position. Itappears now, how
ever, that the Assistant Superin
tcndent resigned on account of Su-
pcrintendent Peck's brutality to
prisoners. Among a great many
other things, Capt. Wilkinson is ac-
credited as having said:
Il have seen dozens of men hauled
up for being short in their tasks and
bcaton so brutality that the sight
made me sick. The worst instru.
mcnt Of torture. one worthy of the
genius Of the Spanish inquisition,
is the "kicking jenny" This is an
instrumsnSinvented and built in the
prison. It's made somewhat in the
shape of a quarter. circle, with the
highest end about three or four feet
above the platform upon which it
is set. The prisoner is stripped ma
ked and bent over upon the machine.
His feet are fastened to the floor
with ropes, while his hands, which
are stretched over the upper end,
are tied with ropes attached to small
blocks, by which a tension so strong
that the frame of prisoner can al
most be torn in two can be made
with a slight pull. After the pris.
oner is placed in position the Su-
perintendent, or whoever does the
whipping, takes heavy whip, made
of sole leather, two pieces of (which,
about three feet long, are sewed to
gcther and the ends scraped slightly
rounding, the lash being three in
ches broad at the handle, taperine
TO point. With this whip the
prisoner is beaten until he is almost
dead. or the strength OF the man
who is doing the whipping gives
out. / have seen men whipped un.
til they were covered with great
purple and red wells from their hips
to their shoulders. The lash would
make a long welt across the body,
and perhaps the next blow would
fall across the others, when tn
blood would let out of the wounds
and the victims back would be one
mass OF blood, torn and laccrated
skin and flesh. For proof of all l
may say l refer to the officers Of the
prison, and the clerk, Mr.. F. W.
Brown. who recently resigned"
The Captain says also that SUI
John Z. Peck is to
blame for the state of affairs. He
declares he has ut home complete
list Of the names, dates and all the
circumstances, which he proposes
to take before the Legislative Com
mittee at the proper time. Among
those who were beaten SO cruelty"
said Capt. Wilkinson, was John q.
Roberts, whom the Superintendent
once beat with whips so cruelty
thar he bore the scars from june
until December. The beating was
done in my room, and | was AFRAID
he would kill the man, so begged
him to stop before he did kill him.
For my interference | was TO indy
cursed and abused by the Superin
tcndent"
What became of Roberts;" he
was asked.
He is dead and lies buried un-
der the walls"
Have many Of them dicd?"
Yes; for fourteen months AZ
least two died every month, and
every one of them had been brutal
" treated and punished"
Have you any. other names at
recollection
ooh, yes; they were only too MI
merous. There were John Forset
who died twenty-three days after
being pnnished; w. ). Douglas.
Zoe Paul, Louis Heckmer and plen
" Of others"
1t is to be hoped the investiga-
ton will be speedy, thorough and
complete.
a story is told Of Western wo.